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 Postgraduate Course: Research in Corporate Finance (CMSE11472)
Course Outline
| School | Business School | College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |  
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | Availability | Not available to visiting students |  
| SCQF Credits | 20 | ECTS Credits | 10 |  
 
| Summary | The course covers various topics in corporate finance believed to be of academic interest and practical importance, including financing policies (debt vs. equity), payout policies (dividend vs. share repurchases), mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, etc. |  
| Course description | The aims of the course are to introduce students to fundamental concepts in corporate finance (with the aid of some textbook readings) and to empirical research in these topics (by reviewing selected journal articles). This course assumes some knowledge of discounted cash flow, the cost of capital, agency theory, and the main ideas relating to debt policy, dividend policy and raising equity. Research in Corporate Finance adds to students' knowledge mainly by introducing them to empirical research on the topics studied. Research in corporate finance is a social science. Its aim is to understand about value creation and financial decision-making as observed in the corporate sector. Students will learn about the current state of knowledge regarding each topic studied, and they will learn about how research in this field is conducted, through studying the research design of selected papers. |  
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |  | Co-requisites | Students MUST also take:    
Statistics For Finance (CMSE11086) 
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| Prohibited Combinations |  | Other requirements | None |  
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |  
Learning Outcomes 
| On completion of this course, the student will be able to: 
        Understand and critically discuss arguments and debates concerning advanced topics in corporate finance.Know, apply and critically evaluate advanced methods of empirical research in corporate finance.Understand and critically evaluate the financing arrangements of companies.Critically discuss complex lines of argument and reasoning as found in academic studies in corporate finance. |  
Reading List 
| Brealey, R.A., Myers, S.C. & Allen, F., Principles of Corporate Finance, McGraw-Hill, 2017. Berk, J. & DeMarzo, P., Corporate Finance, Pearson, 2014.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills | Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills 
 After completing this course, students should be able to:
 
 Critically evaluate and present digital and other sources, research methods, data and information; discern their  limitations,  accuracy,  validity,  reliability  and  suitability;  and  apply  responsibly  in  a  wide  variety  of organisational contexts.
 
 Cognitive Skills
 
 After completing this course, students should be able to:
 
 Be  self-motivated;  curious;  show  initiative;  set,  achieve  and surpass  goals;  as  well  as  demonstrating adaptability, capable of handling complexity and ambiguity, with a willingness to learn; as well as being able to demonstrate  the  use digital and other tools to carry out  tasks effectively, productively, and with attention to quality.
 
 Knowledge and Understanding
 
 After completing this course, students should be able to:
 
 Demonstrate a thorough knowledge  and  understanding of contemporary  organisational  disciplines; comprehend the role of business within the contemporary world; and critically evaluate and synthesise primary and secondary research and sources of evidence in order to make, and present, well informed and transparent organisation-related decisions, which have a positive global impact.
 
 Identify,  define and analyse theoretical  and  applied  business and management  problems,  and  develop approaches, informed by an understanding of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques, to explore and solve them responsibly.
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| Keywords | Not entered |  
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Huacheng Zhang Tel:
 Email:
 | Course secretary | Miss Aoife McDonald Tel: (0131 6)50 8074
 Email:
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