ØABED4800 Advanced Corporate Finance and Research Methodology Emneplan

Corporate finance consists of the financial activities related to running a corporation with a focus on maximizing shareholder value. This course in advanced corporate finance looks at current research articles published in top academic journals to identify how companies implement corporate finance activities in practice.

The goal of this course is twofold. On the one hand, students should become familiar with advanced theories and empirical evidence related to corporate finance decisions, understand the assumptions, applicability, and the limitations of the results. On the other, this course also aims at making students capable of carrying out research projects on their own. We will therefore not only look at the empirical evidence produced in research articles but also analyze the methodology used in those papers and discuss why which method was used or should have been used.

Students will have the opportunity to participate in the research seminar series where distinguished researchers from around the world are presenting their newest work.

Individual home examination over three days. Scope: 2,500 words (+/- 10%).

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If the course is taught in English, students can also choose to write/conduct the examination in a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish or Danish).

None

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• advanced knowledge about how companies raise private and public capital, decide on capital structures and implement valuations
• advanced knowledge about how companies can engage in value enhancing strategies and complete mergers and acquisitions (M&As)
• advanced knowledge about how companies determine payout policies and executive compensation
• advanced knowledge about empirical techniques used in contemporary academic research to test corporate finance theories and when to use them.

Skills

The student can

• review and discuss key concepts in corporate finance
• apply knowledge acquired and relevant theories to his/her work with his/her master's thesis
• use relevant empirical methods to carry out limited empirical research projects.

Competence

The student

• is able to analyze and propose solutions to contemporary corporate finance problems managers of companies face in their day to day business
• can apply his/her knowledge and skills in new areas in order to carry out advanced assignments and projects
• can communicate extensive independent work and masters language and terminology of the academic field
• can communicate about academic issues, analyses, and conclusions in the field, both with specialists and the general public.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

The course is taught in plenary lectures and students work on and discuss different assignments in groups and plenary sessions. Students are expected to play an active role in lectures and seminars. Students will also be required to discuss papers and course themes during lectures and seminars.

Language of instruction: Norwegian: Autumn and English: Spring (Norwegian if no English-speaking students have registered for the course).

This course deals with main areas of quality of life research relating to children, young people and adults. This forms the basis for using quality of life instruments or qualitative methods when assessing and documenting what is important to a person having a good life, and when evaluating the effect of implemented measures. The topics included in the course are: theoretical models that form the basis for the quality of life concept, contextual and cultural frameworks, the quality of life concept at group, individual and societal levels, and different methodological approaches to evaluating quality of life, both in the health and social care services and in research, what promotes and diminishes quality of life and the relationship between quality of life and health in light of a sustainable society.

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Programme in Health Sciences.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

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Knowledge

The student

• can explain theoretical models that form the basis for the concept quality of life
• can identify the significance of contextual and cultural frameworks, and the individual’s values and perspectives in life
• can identify what promotes and diminishes quality of life
• can identify the relationship between quality of life and health
• can critically assess the use of the quality of life concept at the group, individual and societal level
• can critically assess different methodological approaches to examine quality of life, both in the health and social care services and in research
• can assess the significance of user participation and autonomy in the health and social care services and user participation in research

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Skills

The student

• can use different questionnaires to map quality of life

• can analyse and interpret quality of life measurements
• can assess quality of life in different groups of people
• can apply user participation when assessing quality of life at all levels of the health services ;

General competence

The student

• can disseminate an independent work on issues relating to quality of life in the health and social care services
• can communicate about nursing issues relating to this topic at all levels of the health services

The course will use varied, student-active work methods. The methods used are lectures, group work, role play and exercises, and self-study.

The following must have been approved in order for a student to be permitted to take the examination:

• Written assignment with oral presentation carried out in groups of three to four students. Scope: 1,500 words (+/- 10%). Documentation of literature selected by the student: xx pages.

Oral presentation of the assignment to fellow students and lecturer(s). Peer assessment and feedback from the lecturer.