Faculty of

Social Science

MOS 3311A Advanced Corporate Finance

Course Outline: Section – 003 / Fall
1. Course Information:
1.1 Class Location and Time:
Room: TC-309
Time: T/TH 6-8pm

1.2 Contact Information:

Instructor: Diana Mok
Office: SSC 4426
Office Hours: TBA
Phone: 661-2111 x86368
Email: [email protected]

DAN Management and Organizational Studies strives at all times to provide accessibility to all
faculty, staff, students and visitors in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people
with disabilities. Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or
if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also
wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any
specific question regarding an accommodation. More information about “Accessibility at Western” is
available at: http://accessibility.uwo.ca

2. Calendar Description
2.1 Course Description:
This course introduces students to an in-depth analysis of financial planning and management with
emphasis on capital structure, dividend payout policies, cost of capital, capital budgeting, risk and
other special topics. The course serves as a framework for understanding a broad range of
corporate financial decisions. Real time data and directed readings will be used to enhance
learning.
4 lecture hours, 0.5 course

Prerequisite(s): MOS 2310A/B or MOS 3310A/B and enrolment in 3rd or 4th year of BMOS.

2.2 Senate Regulations

Senate Regulations state, “unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special
permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you will be removed from this course and it will be deleted
from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in
the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.”
3. Textbook
Ross, S.A., Westerfield, R.W., Jaffe, J.F. and Roberts, G.S. 2015. Corporate Finance. 7th Canadian
Edition. McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

4. Course Objectives and Format

4.1 Course objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to

• Explain financial markets and functions of corporate

• Calculate and Interpret time value of money
• Estimate bond prices and identify factors that affect bond prices
• Estimate the value of a common stock and evaluate if the stock is under or over priced
• Calculate different components of cost of capital and the overall cost of capital of a corporation
• Calculate efficient portfolio using stock data
• Understand and evaluate capital budgeting decision rules and explain how real options affect
these decisions
• Classify and distinguish various types of risk and their relation to portfolio choice
• Classify and distinguish various types of risk and their relation to portfolio choice
• Describe and calculate a firm’s capital structure and interpret how leverage and firm value are
related using Miller-Modigliani propositions
• Explain how a firm’s dividend policy is set and how it affects firm value

4.2 Course format

Lectures and class discussions

5. Evaluation

Percentage of Course
Grade
Midterm Test 35% in class 2 hours
October 27
Final Exam 40% TBA

Group Project 15% Some time in

December
Class Contribution 10%

Each exam, in total, will be scheduled for 2 hours and are closed book examinations. Dictionaries are
NOT allowed into the examinations.

Only non-programmable calculators will be allowed into the exams. If you are unsure, please ask
your professor to check your calculator.

Students are responsible for material covered in the lectures as well as the assigned chapters/sections in
the text. Exams will not be returned to students but may be reviewed in the instructor’s office.
Students are REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ALL COMPONENTS of this course. There are no exceptions
to this. Extra assignments to improve grades will NOT be allowed.

Exams might be scored using the program Scan Exam which examines the answer sheets for unusual
coincidences in the pattern of answers given which may be indicative and used as supporting evidence of
cheating.

Grades will not be adjusted on the basis of need. It is important to monitor your performance in the
course. Remember: You are responsible for your grades in this course.

6. Lecture and Examination Schedule

Tentative Time Table - MOS3311A Sections 003

Lecture Date Topic Chapter
1 10-Sep Introduction - Review of Corporate Finance 1
2 15-Sep Introduction - Review of Corporate Finance 1
3 17-Sep Financial Markets and Net Present Value 4
4 22-Sep Financial Markets and Net Present Value 4
5 24-Sep Long Term Financing/Issuing Equity Securities 15/20
6 29-Sep Issuing Equity Securities/Long Term Debt 20/21
7 6-Oct Corporate Financial Decisions and Efficient Capital Markets 6
8 8-Oct Valuation - Stocks and Bonds 6
13-Oct Valuation - Stocks and Bonds 6
10 15-Oct NPV and Capital Budgeting 8
12 20-Oct NPV and Capital Budgeting 8
11 22-Oct Risk Analysis, Real Options and Capital Budgeting 9
27-Oct Mid Term Exam
12 29-Oct Risk and Return: Lessons from Market History 10
13 3_Nov Risk and Return: The CAPM 11
14 5-Nov Risk and Return: The CAPM 11
An Alternative View of Risk and Return: The Arbitrage Pricing
15 10-Nov Theory 12
16 12-Nov Risk, Return and Capital Budgeting 13
17 17-Nov Capital Structure - Basic Concepts 16
18 19-Nov Capital Structure - Basic Concepts 16
19 24-Nov Capital Structure - Limits to the Use of Debt 17
20 26-Nov Capital Structure - Limits to the Use of Debt 17
21 25-Nov Valuation and Capital Budgeting for the Levered Firm 18
22 1-Dec Valuation and Capital Budgeting for the Levered Firm 18
23 3-Dec Dividends and Other Payouts 19
24 8-Dec Dividends and Other Payouts / Review 20
7. University Policy Regarding Illness
7.1 Illness
The University recognizes that a student’s ability to meet his/her academic responsibilities may, on
occasion, be impaired by medical illness. Illness may be acute (short term), or it may be chronic
(long term), or chronic with acute episodes. The University further recognizes that medical
situations are deeply personal and respects the need for privacy and confidentiality in these
matters. However, in order to ensure fairness and consistency for all students, academic
accommodation for work representing 10% or more of the student’s overall grade in the course
shall be granted only in those cases where there is documentation supplied (see below for
process) indicating that the student was seriously affected by illness and could not reasonably be
expected to meet his/her academic responsibilities.

Documentation shall be submitted, as soon as possible, to the appropriate Dean’s office (the Office
of the Dean of the student’s Faculty of registration/home Faculty) together with a request for relief
specifying the nature of the accommodation being requested. These documents will be retained in
the student’s file, and will be held in confidence in accordance with the University’s Official Student
Record Information Privacy Policy
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/privacy.pdf

Once the petition and supporting documents have been received and assessed, appropriate
academic accommodation shall be determined by the Dean’s Office in consultation with the
student’s instructor(s). Academic accommodation may include extension of deadlines, waiver of
attendance requirements for classes/labs/tutorials, arranging Special Exams or Incompletes, re-
weighting course requirements, or granting late withdrawals without academic penalty.

Academic accommodation shall be granted only where the documentation indicates that the onset,
duration and severity of the illness are such that the student could not reasonably be expected to
complete his/her academic responsibilities. (Note: it will not be sufficient to provide documentation
indicating simply that the student was seen for a medical reason or was ill.)

A form to be completed by off-campus physicians is available at:

http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/medicalform.pdf

Whenever possible, students who require academic accommodation should provide notification
and documentation in advance of due dates, examinations, etc. Students must follow up with their
professors and their Academic Counselling office in a timely manner.

In the case of a final examination in the course, the student must arrange for a Special Examination
or Incomplete through their Dean's office, for which you will be required to provide acceptable
documentation.

If you feel that you have a medical or personal problem that is interfering with your work, you
should contact your instructor and the Faculty Academic Counselling Office as soon as possible.
Problems may then be documented and possible arrangements to assist you can be discussed at
the time of occurrence rather than on a retroactive basis. In general, retroactive requests for grade
revisions on medical or compassionate grounds will not be considered.

7.2 Make Up Examinations

The student must write a make-up exam if the regularly scheduled exam is missed for reasons for
which adequate documentation is received by the instructor (this documentation must be supplied
by the Academic Counseling office).
7.3 Attendance
It is expected that students will attend all classes. Students are encouraged to obtain missed
lecture notes from a fellow student.

8. University Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct

Cheating on exams will not be tolerated; students are referred to the university policy on scholastic
offenses (see section 9.0 below). Looking at the test of another student, allowing another student to
view your exam, or obtaining information about a test in advance are all examples of cheating.
Students found cheating will receive a zero (0%) on that exam. A number of safeguards will be
employed to discourage cheating. For example, examination supervisors (proctors) of the tests may
ask students to move to another seat during the exam, cover their paper, avert their eyes from other
students' papers, remove baseball caps, etc. This is not meant as a personal affront nor as an
accusation of cheating, rather as vigilant attempts at proctoring. A copy of guidelines about how to
avoid cheating can be obtained from the office of the Ombudsperson, Room 251 University
Community Centre, (519) 661-3573.

Students are responsible for understanding the nature of and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism
and other academic offenses. Students are urged to read the section on Scholastic Offenses in the
Academic Calendar. Note that such offenses include plagiarism, cheating on an examination,
submitting false or fraudulent assignments or credentials, impersonating a candidate, or submitting
for credit in any course without the knowledge and approval of the instructor to whom it is submitted,
any academic work for which credit has previously been obtained or is being sought in another
course in the University or elsewhere. If you are in doubt about whether what you are doing is
inappropriate, consult your instructor. A claim that "you didn't know it was wrong" will not be
accepted as an excuse.

The penalties for a student guilty of a scholastic offense include refusal of a passing grade in the
assignment, refusal of a passing grade in the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion
from the University.

9. Procedures For Appealing Academic Evaluations

In the first instance, all appeals of a grade must be made to the course instructor (informal
consultation). If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the course instructor, a written appeal
must be sent to the Assistant Program Director or Designate of the BMOS program. If the response
of the Assistant Director is considered unsatisfactory to the student, he/she may then appeal to the
Dean of the Faculty in which the course of program was taken. Only after receiving a final decision
from the Dean, may a student appeal to the Senate Review Board Academic. A Guide to Appeals is
available from the Ombudsperson's Office.

10. Student Responsibilities

Material covered in lectures will not always be the same as material covered in the textbook. These
two sources should be viewed as complimentary and not redundant. As such, students who want to
do well in this course are strongly encouraged to attend lectures on a regular basis. Please note
that the instructor will not be providing copies of lectures notes or overheads. Therefore, if you miss
a lecture, you should try to obtain this material from another student.

In this class, some students may be unaware that their private discussions are distracting to other
people. If you feel that students are distracting your attention from the material, then you should ask
them to be quiet. If you feel uncomfortable doing this (or the problem persists), then please see the
instructor. In addition, please avoid engaging in private discussions with other students during the
lectures.
 To avoid unnecessary distractions, please arrive to each class on time.

11. Support Services

11.1 Support Services
The Registrar’s office can be accessed for Student Support Services at http://www.registrar.uwo.ca
Student Support Services (including the services provided by the USC listed here) can be
reached at: http://westernusc.ca/services/
Student Development Services can be reached at: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western

http://www.health.uwo.ca/mental_health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

12. Other Issues

12.1 Grade Policy
The DAN Program has a grade policy which states that for courses in the 3000-4000 range, the
class average must fall between 70% and 75% for all sections of a course taught by the same
instructor. In very exceptional circumstances only, class averages outside this range may be
approved by the Undergraduate Chair or Chair. Class averages are not grounds for appeal.

12.2 Short Absences.

If you miss a class due to minor illness or other problems, check your course outlines for
information regarding attendance requirements and make sure you are not missing a test or exam.
Cover any readings and arrange to borrow the missed lectures notes from a classmate.

12.3 Extended Absences.

If you are absent more than approximately two weeks or if you get too far behind to catch up, you
should consider reducing your workload by dropping one or more courses. The Academic
Counsellors can help you to consider the alternatives. At your request, they can also keep your
instructors informed about your difficulties.

12.4 Academic Concerns.

If you are in academic difficulty, it is strongly recommended that you see your academic counsellor.

12.5 Important Dates:

September 10, 2015 Classes begin
September 18, 2015 Last day to add a full course or first-term half course
October 29 - 30, 2015 Fall Study Break
November 5, 2015 last day to drop a first term half course.
November 30, 2015 Last day to drop full course.
December 9, 2015 Fall Session classes end.
December 10, 2015 Study Day
December 11-22, 2015 December examination period.

13. Other Information

• Bring student identification to exams.
• Nothing is to be on/at one's desk during an exam except a pencil, an eraser, and the individual’s
student card
• Do not wear baseball caps to exams
• Do not bring music players, cell phones, beepers, or other electronic devices to exams
 For The University of Western Ontario Senate Regulations, please see the Handbook of
Academic and Scholarship Policy at: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/academic_policies/index.html

14. E-mail Policies

The following policies apply to all emails between students and the Professor. Please respect the
fact that the Professor receives hundreds of emails from students and must deal with those emails in
a fair and organized manner. Non-acceptable emails will receive a reply saying only “Please see
Email Policies on the course outline”.

14.1 UWO.CA Email Addresses Only

For privacy reasons, students must use their Western email accounts to contact the Professor. The
Professor will not respond to emails from non-uwo.ca addresses (e.g. hotmail.com, gmail.com,
etc.).

14.2 Subject Line Must Include Course and Section Number

The subject line of emails must contain the name or number of the course, and the section number
in which the student is enrolled. The Professor teaches different courses and sections and cannot
properly respond to questions if he does not know which course or section you are enrolled in.

14.3 Acceptable Emails

• questions about the course content or materials
• asking to set up an appointment to ask questions or review an exam
• notification of illness or other special circumstances
• providing constructive comments or feedback about the course

14.4 Non-Acceptable Emails

• questions that may be answered on OWL or on this course outline
• asking when grades will be posted
• asking what grade a student received
• asking where or when an exam is scheduled or the material covered on an exam
• requests for grade increases, extra assignments, or reweighting of course components
15. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question Answer
How can I succeed in this course? Do all the assigned readings, attend class, focus
on understanding the legal principles in a way that
lets you apply them to new fact situations.
I missed the quiz because my computer didn’t A missed quiz will result in a mark of zero. You
work, my internet connection was lost, I was are responsible for calendaring the quizzes and
preparing my Biz 2257 project, I was out of town, I having reliable internet access to write them.
lost my phone, I forgot … There are no “make up” assignments available.
I missed a quiz or exam because I was sick or See the section of the course outline on ILLNESS
there was a death in my family. AND SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
I have a lot of mid-terms or projects at once. Can I Make-up exams for exam conflicts are not
write the make-up exam? available unless you have three exams within a 24
hour period.
When will the exam grades be posted? Mid-term grades are posted on the course
webpage when they become available. Final
exam grades and final course grades are not
posted on OWL.
Can I come and see my exam? You can review your exam during office hours or
at any other mutually convenient time.
Can I use a different textbook? You can use a different textbook, but it is your
responsibility to ensure that you are learning all of
the assigned material. Be aware that different
textbooks may be organized differently and may
cover different material.
There is so much material. How can I possibly You do not need to remember everything in the
remember everything? book. You need to understand the fundamental
legal principles and how to apply them.
This mark is going to prevent me from getting Grades are given based on actual performance,
accepted at Ivey/graduate school/NASA. as set out on the course outline. In order to be fair
I need a certain mark to get or maintain a to all the students in the course, grade
scholarship or my AEO status at Ivey. adjustments, extra assignments, and the
I tried really hard but I still got a poor mark. reweighting of course components are not
This is the lowest mark I have ever received. available.