Unit Outline

Finance is a discipline that deals with the sources and uses of money by individuals, businesses and governments. Financial institutions and markets are the structures through which individuals and organisations access finance. These institutions and markets are therefore an effective lens to understand the fundamentals of finance. Commencing with the way institutions and markets balance the supply and demand for funds in the economy, this unit builds an introductory understanding of business finance. We will consider some of the analytical tools employed by investment, lending and market professionals. Real world examples from local and global markets provide a thorough introduction to different dimensions of financial market and how participants make financial decisions.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

1	Explain the composition and structure of the Australian and international financial market.
2	Discuss how financial markets and institutions are regulated in Australian and global context.
3	Assess major economic and financial challenges and explain their implications for financial markets and institutions.

Requisites

REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	XPD103

Alterations as a result of student feedback

To Be Determined.

Teaching arrangements

ATTENDANCE MODE	TEACHING TYPE	LEARNING ACTIVITY	CONTACT HOURS	FREQUENCY
On Campus	Workshop	Introductory 1hr workshop, Week 1	1	Once only
	Lecture (Online)	Pre-recorded 1hr lecture, once a week	1	Weekly
	Workshop	2hr workshop, weekly, commencing in Week 2	2	Weekly
	Other	5hr independent learning	5	Weekly
Online	Workshop (Online)	Introductory 1hr workshop, Week 1	1	Once only
	Lecture (Online)	Pre-recorded 1hr lecture, once a week	1	Weekly
	Online Class	1hr workshop, weekly, commencing in Week 2	1	Weekly
	Independent Learning	5hr independent learning	5	Weekly

Attendance / engagement expectations

If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.

The Tasmanian School of Business and Economics regularly hosts Masterclasses and Industry Engagement and Employability Events, which students are encouraged to attend. Registration and details will be available via the College of Business and Economics channel on the Uni App and/or via your Unit Coordinator.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule

ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Group Assignment	Week 10	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Online Quizzes	Refer to Assessment Description	15 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Homework Submission	Refer to Assessment Description	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:	Final exam	Exam Period	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Group Assignment

Task Description:

The group assignment is designed to develop your ability to apply skills of sound financial and economic reasoning and thinking of financial markets and institutions. Detailed guidelines and instructions will be distributed via MyLO.

Students are required to form a group of 2-3 students and are required to work collaboratively. Each group should hold regular meetings and will need to provide an assignment coversheet displaying each student’s details. You will submit your assignment as a PDF file through the Assignment submission link on BEA112 MyLO.

Task Length:

Up to 2,000 words

Due Date:

Week 10

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Discuss the different roles of financial markets.	LO1
2	Explain the reasons why financial markets and institutions are regulated.	LO2
3	Effectively incorporate graphs and diagrams to enhance financial analysis and provide clear explanations.	LO3
4	Discuss contemporary issues related to financial markets and institutions applying finance and economic theory.	LO3
5	Collaborate in groups to effectively communicate financial analysis and policy recommendations through written means.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Online Quizzes

Task Description:

There are three (3) multiple choice quizzes to be completed online via MyLO in weeks 3, 7 and 11. It is advisable to wait until you have read lectures and listen to lectures recordings before undertaking each quiz. Each quiz is worth 5% of your final grade, for an overall contribution of 15% to your final grade. Each quiz will be available from Monday morning until Sunday mid night of that week.

You have two attempts for each quiz, with the highest grade from these two attempts being awarded.

Task Length:

30 minutes per quiz

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Identify the different roles of financial markets.	LO1
2	Distinguish between the different types of financial markets and institutions and how they function function in promoting sustainability.	LO1
3	Perform financial calculations.	LO1
4	Identify the roles and responsibilities of various regulatory authorities in relation to economic growth, consumer protection and financial stability.	LO2
5	Effectively interpret graphs and diagrams to support financial analysis and explanations.	LO3
6	Apply financial and economic thinking to identify issues related to financial markets and institutions.	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Homework Submission

Task Description:

In Week 5 and Week 12, you are required to complete the assessable tutorial exercises and submit them via the BEA112 MyLO Assignment Box. You should type your written answers but can draw diagrams and photograph/scan them into your submission document. You must only submit one (1) document and it must be in PDF format. Each submission will be worth 10% of your grade, for an overall contribution of 20% to your final grade.

Task Length:

1-4 hours

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Discuss the different roles of financial markets.	LO1
2	Discuss the roles and responsibilities of different regulatory authorities with respect to economic growth, highlighting their roles in maintaining financial stability.	LO1
3	Justify the reasons why financial markets and institutions are regulated.	LO2
4	Discuss contemporary issues related to financial markets and institutions applying economic thinking.	LO3
5	Explain the sources and impacts of financial crisis.	LO3

Assessment Task 4: Final exam

Task Description:

A comprehensive exam covering all chapters with multi-part questions. Final exam is worth 40% of your grade.

Task Length:

24 hours

Due Date:

Exam Period

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Distinguish between the different types of financial markets and institutions and how they function.	LO1
2	Perform financial calculations.	LO1
3	Discuss the responsibilities of various regulatory authorities.	LO2
4	Explain why financial markets and institutions are regulated.	LO2
5	Use finance and economic theory to analyze current issues in financial markets and institutions.	LO3
6	Assess the sources and impacts of financial crisis in relation to economic growth.	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

Valentine, T., O'Hara, L., Ford, G., & Watanabe, T., 2019, Fundamentals of Financial Markets and Institutions in Australia (2nd edn), Pearson Australia (ISBN: 9781488614989)

Recommended reading materials

In addition to the texts/software recommended above, you are also expected to be familiar with the key academic journals in the discipline from which useful insights may be derived. In particular, you are encouraged to review regularly the relevant papers that are published in:

Wall Street Journals, CBS, Yahoo Finance, and etc.

Other required resources