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There are 4 modules in this course
In Value, you will explore the most powerful generator of value in the world – ideas. Ideas are the engines of productivity, both in the private and public sectors. You will learn about the universal frameworks that determine how ideas and money interact, leading to the allocation of financial resources. We will identify components of cash flow for any project, business or venture as the most essential ingredients of value. We also assess the investment techniques used to give life to some ideas while killing others. This course will help you understand pricing, diversification, uncertainty and even behavioural approaches to dealing with risk. Using Nobel Prize-winning insights, you will learn how to measure the size of the risk premium and build valuation models. We’ll even connect evidence-based science with common-sense analysis to give you better tools for understanding why values are what they are, and for positioning yourself more effectively to participate in financial markets. You will be immersed in case based learning to integrate some of the powerful frameworks introduced in Value.
Welcome! This first week will engage you in investigating how value is created, distributed and destroyed, and will enable you to utilize different techniques for assessing the value of existing or potential investments. You will make connections between Value and concepts in the prior two courses of this Specialization, share (potentially valuable!) good ideas with your fellow learners, and communicate your new insights with the world.
This week, we investigate cash flows! By week’s end, you will be able to explain its wide-ranging importance, employ critical assumptions to make decisions about potential investments, and utilize components used to analyze an existing or proposed idea. Furthermore, you will apply these skills to the first case of this Specialization and engage with your peers in discussion to collaboratively work through this scenario!
LearnSmart Chapter 10: Making Capital Investment Decisions (Strongly Recommend)•10 minutes
Cash Flow Components Chart - Before and After•10 minutes
Mini-Case Challenge•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Cash Flow Assumptions•30 minutes
Cash Flow Components•30 minutes
Making a Difference 2•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
Failed Ideas•10 minutes
Mini-Case Challenge Discussion Thread•10 minutes
Market Efficiency & Risk
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
In week 3, you will begin to explore the big picture themes of market perfection and market correction. Within the context of these broad themes, you will contrast financial theory with financial practice, explain price convergence and divergence, and discern between the roles of risk and uncertainty in valuation. You will also take up the solution to the mini-case presented in week 2!
What's included
2 videos1 reading1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
2 videos•Total 42 minutes
Perfection & Correction Part 1•17 minutes
Mini-Case Solution•25 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
LearnSmart Chapter 12: Lessons from Capital Market History•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Making a Difference 3•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
What is Risk?•10 minutes
Market Inefficiency
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this final week of F4E: Value, you will continue exploring market perfection and correction. You will interpret financial data, determine your opinion on the possibility of an upcoming market correction, and identify strategies you can use to protect yourself from turbulence. You will also reexamine your big idea from week 1, share your biggest takeaways from the course, and look ahead to F4E: Debt.
What's included
2 videos2 assignments2 discussion prompts
Show info about module content
2 videos•Total 36 minutes
Perfection & Correction Part 2•26 minutes
Course 3 Epilogue & Preview of Course 4•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
End of Course Feedback•30 minutes
Perfection & Correction Parts 1 & 2•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
Revisiting the Big Idea•10 minutes
Beyond Value•10 minutes
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Founded in 1887, McMaster University is committed to creativity, innovation, and excellence by inspiring critical thinking, personal growth, and a passion for learning. Ranked amongst the Top 100 universities in the world, McMaster pioneered a learner-centred, problem-based, interdisciplinary approach to learning that is now known worldwide as the “McMaster Model”.
What will I be able to do upon completing this course?
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
1. Familiarize yourself with valuation techniques.
2. Describe the importance of cash flows, assumptions and components.
3. Develop your understanding of market perfection, correction, and ways to prepare yourself against financial turbulence.
4. Perform financial calculations with accuracy.
5. Build confidence in your ability to assess value.
6. Relate important financial concepts and issues to experiences in your daily life and the real world.
7. Engage with news that matters to you by linking it to value creation or destruction.
8. Apply basic financial concepts to problem-solve individually and collaboratively.
How long does it take to complete this course?
The course is structured to be 4 weeks in length.
How often is this course offered?
This course will be offered every month.
What background knowledge is necessary?
No previous knowledge is required. It is recommended that learners have basic mathematics knowledge.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.