Finance (FNCE) 408

Overview

Online business transactions have helped to reduce costs and increase productivity for many businesses. At the same time, online business activities expose firms to unfamiliar risks. From the point of view of a risk manager of a business entity, Finance 408 examines strategic risk management, including

• the evolution of risk management products
• methods for identifying, measuring, and hedging financial risks
• the robustness of risk management models.

Special attention will be paid to the analysis of financial risks directly associated with e-commerce.

Effective risk management is both a qualitative and a quantitative issue—partly science and partly an art.
Finance 408 approaches risk management from both perspectives. From a scientific point of view, this course emphasizes the need to obtain appropriate data and use sound mathematical and statistical models to understand and analyze those data. At the same time, risk management professionals are cautioned to attend to the limitations of the scientific approach. You are urged to apply methodologies in a way that is consistent with organizational goals while remaining cognizant of the political environment.

Outline

Lesson 1: Understanding Risk and the Risk Management Process

Lesson 2: Overview of e-Commerce and e-Business Security

Lesson 3: Planning for Effective Risk Management

Lesson 4: Identifying Risk

Lesson 5: Risk Assessment (Qualitative Approaches to Determining the Impact of Risk Events)

Lesson 6: Risk Assessment (Quantitative Approaches to Determining the Impact of Risk Events)

Lesson 7: Strategies for Handling Risk Events

Lesson 8: Monitoring and Controlling Risk

Lesson 9: Managing Business Risk

Lesson 10: Managing Operational Risks

Lesson 11: Managing Project Risk

Lesson 12: Reviewing the Big Picture with Application to e-Business

Evaluation

To receive credit for this course, you must complete all three requirements:

• participate in online discussions
• complete three assignments
• write a final examination.

You must achieve a minimum grade of “D” (50 percent) on the final examination, and a minimum overall course grade of “D” (50 percent). The following chart describes the credit weight associated with each course requirement.

Online Discussion	Assign 1	Assign 2	Assign 3	Final Exam	Total
10%	10%	10%	20%	50%	100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Other Materials

All other materials will be available to students online.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the FNCE 408 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on the examination.

Paper Exam (3 hours)

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form