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UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
(All rights reserved)

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL
FIRST SEMESTER 2019/2020 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Code and Title: FINC 301: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS FINANCE I

Credits: 3 Credits

Lecture Period(s) and Venue: Tuesdays, 9.30am – 11.20am; 11.30am – 1.20pm

Wednesdays, 9.30am – 11.20am; 11.30am – 1.20pm
Pre-requisites: Business Mathematics and Introduction to Financial Accounting I&II
Course Instructor(s): Dr. Vera O. L. Fiador, Dr. Lordina Amoah
 Office Location: Room 1, Rooftop, Main UGBS building
 Office Hours: Wednesdays, 3.00pm – 5.00pm
 E-mail: verafiador@gmail.com

Teaching Assistants: Gifty Asantewaa Nkrumah

Francis Kofi Gogovie

COURSE DESCRIPTION

As an introductory finance course, it offers an overview of the finance function from the perspective of the
corporate financial manager. Specifically, this course will cover: (i) the role of the finance manager and a
working knowledge of financial markets, (ii) corporate financial concepts such as the time value of money,
financial statement analysis, sources of financing to a firm, and (iii) some basic decision-making frameworks,
namely, working capital management and short-term financing. This course also introduces students to the
nature and workings of financial markets and their use by corporations and investors.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

You will learn how to use financial management “thinking” for problem-solving and decision-making in your
personal life and professional role as managers, financial analysts etc. Specifically, on successful completion
of this subject students would be able to:

 Understand the various decision roles of a financial manager

 Diagnose the financial health of an organization, prepare financial analysis reports and offer
appropriate financial advice
 Determine the relevant components that drive profits for a business venture.
 Determine the growth potential of an organization based on its funding capacity
  Select the appropriate funding method for an organization’s growth agenda
 Determine the appropriate balance between working capital management and firm performance
 Make simple investment decisions by applying the time value of money concept.

PLAGIARISM (written assignments must be submitted through turnitin)

Plagiarism is a serious offence. It includes:
1. quoting verbatim or almost verbatim from a source (such as copyrighted material, notes, letters,
business entries, computer materials, etc.) without acknowledgment;
2. adopting someone else’s line of thought, argument, arrangement, or supporting evidence (such as,
for example, statistics, bibliographies, etc.) without indicating such dependence;
3. submitting someone else’s work, in whatever form (film, workbook, artwork, computer materials,
etc.) without acknowledgment;
4. Knowingly representing as one’s own work any ideas of another.

NOTE: In courses which include group work, unless an act of plagiarism is identified clearly with an
individual student or students, a penalty may be imposed on all members of the group. The penalty could
be a grade of F for the assignment.

Visit the University of Ghana Website for more on the UG Plagiarism Policy

The requirements for the course consist of assignments, quizzes, one mid-term test and a final examination.
The weights of these components are as follows:

Tutorial Attendance 10%

Quizzes and Assignments 10%
Mid-term Test (closed book) 20%
Final Exam (closed book) 60%

Reading List /Required Texts

Van Horne, J. C. and Wachowicz, J. M. (VH&W), Fundamentals of Financial Management, Twelfth Edition
or better, Prentice Hall, FT.

Brealey, Myres and Marcus (BMM), Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, Third Edition or better, McGraw
Hill or any other edition of the text book.

Ross, S. A; Westerfield R.W., Jordan B, D., Foundations of Corporate Finance, McGraw Hill, 2006 or any
other edition.
Abor, J. Y. Financial Markets & Institutions: A Frontier Market Perspective, First Edition, DigiBooks.
Mensah, S. Securities Markets and Investments A Ghanaian Primer Fifth Edition, 2014, Smartline Ltd

Other texts to be provided in class

Students to Note:
 Some of the contents of this document may be modified as appropriate when the need arises
 Class attendance is a requirement.
 Assignments must be handed in on time; late submissions will be rejected or penalized.
 The use of mobile phones is not allowed during lessons
 Students may bring laptops to class on the condition that the laptops are used solely for academic purposes
related to lessons being delivered.

Course Delivery Plan

Session Topic Remarks

Session One Overview of Corporate Financial VH&W Ch. 1
Management and the Financial
Environment; Corporate Governance
Session Two Financial Statement Analysis for decision VH&W Ch. 6
making: Ratio Analysis and Writing Financial
Session Three Analysis Reports
Session Four Financial Planning for Growth (Percent of VH&W Ch. 7&16
sales approach to growth; indifference Finish reading
Session Five analysis; breakeven analysis; material before coming
to class
Session Six Compounding and Future Values; EARs; VH&W Ch. 3
Session Seven (ii). Discounting and Present Values of Extra reading to be
multiple cash flows; annuities, perpetuities, assigned if necessary
Payments in advance & arrears etc.)
Session Eight Cash and Marketable Securities Management VH&W Ch. 9
Session Nine Credit & Inventory Management VH&W Ch. 10

Session Ten Sources of Funds (Short term sources; BMM Ch. 19

Intermediate term sources; Long term Debt;
Equity
Session Eleven Cash Budgets, Cash Conversion cycle VH&W Ch. 6, 7,
Computing Free Cash flows & 23
Session Twelve Application of Time Value of Money (Loans
& Amortization; Deferred annuities;
business valuation; Pension planning, basics
of investment;)
Session Thirteen RECAP