Introduction To Finance
- Management Sciences
- 200 level
- 3 credit units
- 87 pages
- 15 units
This course introduces first-year undergraduate students of Banking and Finance to the fundamentals of finance within business organizations. It explores the nature, scope, functions, and risks associated with finance. Students will learn to analyze financial statements, plan for profit, and manage working capital. The course also covers basic business organization forms, sources of finance, and the role of financial managers in decision-making, providing a foundational understanding of finance principles and practices.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Study hours
- 200 hours
- Maths
- Basic
- Content
- Theoretical
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor Marked Assessments
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of BFN209, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
BFN209 · UNIT 1: NATURE AND SCOPE OF FINANCE
This course is designed to give you self -instruction on the Introduction to Finance- 100 level students of Bachelors’ degree of Banking and Finance of the School of Management Sciences.
What you should be able to do
- Explain the nature, scope, and functions of finance in business organizations.
- Analyze financial statements to assess a company's financial health.
- Apply techniques for effective working capital management.
- Evaluate investment opportunities and manage financial risks.
- Understand the role of financial managers in decision-making.
- Identify and evaluate different sources of business finance.
What it prepares you for
- Financial Analyst
- Accountant
- Financial Manager
- Investment Banker
- Credit Analyst
- Banking
- Investment Management
- Corporate Finance
- Insurance
- Real Estate
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2:
Unit 3: Introduction to Financial Analysis
Financial analysis requires a strong understanding of accounting principles and the ability to interpret complex financial statements.
- Module 3:
Unit 3: Financial planning and forecasting
Financial planning and forecasting involves statistical analysis and the ability to predict future financial outcomes based on various economic factors.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 56 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1:
Unit 1: Nature of Finance · 3 hours
Read Unit 1: Define finance, its nature, evolution, and fields.. Identify the role of finance in business activities.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 1..
Unit 2: Scope of Finance · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Discuss the scope of finance, internal and external financing.. Explain the financial and real asset markets.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1..
- Week 2Module 1:
Unit 3: Function of Finance · 3 hours
Read Unit 3: Identify the functions of finance: investment, financing, dividend, and liquidity.. Establish effective execution of finance functions.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 3..
Unit 4: Risk of Finance · 2 hours
Read Unit 4: Discuss the risks of finance, including physical, technical, economic, and political risks.. Identify how to avoid finance risks.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1..
- Week 3Module 1:
Unit 5: Key Role of Finance · 4 hours
Read Unit 5: Identify the key roles of finance in an enterprise and the duties of a Finance Manager.. Explain the interdependent relationship of finance with other sections of a business organization.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1..
- Week 4Module 2:
Unit 1: Finance Goals and Objectives in a Firm · 3 hours
Read Unit 1: Identify the financial goal of a business firm.. Discuss profit maximization and wealth maximization.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1..
Unit 2: The Role of Financial Managers · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: Explain who a Financial Manager is and identify their role.. Describe Capital Markets.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 2..
- Week 5Module 2:
Unit 3: Introduction to Financial Analysis · 4 hours
Read Unit 3: Explain financial statement analysis and its main components.. Discuss financial analysis as a tool for management decisions.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 1..
- Week 6Module 2:
Unit 4: Profit Planning and Pricing · 3 hours
Read Unit 4: Discuss profit planning and explain pricing strategies.. Understand how management applies these concepts for entrepreneurial growth.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 1..
- Week 7Module 2:
Unit 5: Introduction to Working Capital Management · 4 hours
Read Unit 5: Explain working capital management and its main components.. Discuss cash management, receivables management, and inventory management.. Complete Self Assessment Exercise 1..
- Week 8Module 3:
Unit 1: Basic forms of business organization · 3 hours
Read Unit 1: List the three basic forms of business organizations.. Identify their features.. Complete Self-assessment exercise..
Unit 2: Sources of Business Finance · 2 hours
Read Unit 2: List and discuss the external sources of finance.. Classify the sources of finance for a firm.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
- Week 9Module 3:
Unit 3: Financial planning and forecasting · 4 hours
Read Unit 3: Define financial planning.. Enumerate and discuss the steps in the forecasting process.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
- Week 10Module 3:
Unit 4: Finance in the Firm's organization structure · 3 hours
Read Unit 4: Define Finance.. Explain the Finance Function.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
Unit 5: Finance and related disciplines · 2 hours
Read Unit 5: Relationship between Finance and other Disciplines.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise..
- Week 11Module 1:
Unit 1-5: Review of Module 1 · 4 hours
Review Module 1: Nature, Scope, Function, Risk, and Key Role of Finance.. Prepare for Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs)..
- Week 12Module 2:
Unit 1-5: Review of Module 2 · 4 hours
Review Module 2: Finance Goals, Role of Financial Managers, Financial Analysis, Profit Planning, and Working Capital Management.. Work on TMAs and prepare questions for facilitator..
- Week 13Module 3:
Unit 1-5: Review of Module 3 · 4 hours
Review Module 3: Business Organizations, Sources of Finance, Financial Planning, and Finance in Organizational Structure.. Finalize TMAs and prepare for final examination..
Preparing for the exam
- Review all Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs) and Self-Assessment Exercises to reinforce key concepts.
- Create concept maps linking the functions of finance (investment, financing, dividend, liquidity) from Module 1, Unit 3.
- Practice financial ratio analysis from Module 2, Unit 3 using sample financial statements.
- Focus on understanding the differences between profit maximization and wealth maximization from Module 2, Unit 1.
- Review the different sources of business finance (short-term and long-term) from Module 3, Unit 2 and their implications.
- Allocate study time proportionally based on the weight of each module in the final examination.
Questions students ask about this course
What is BFN209 about?
This course introduces first-year undergraduate students of Banking and Finance to the fundamentals of finance within business organizations. It explores the nature, scope, functions, and risks associated with finance. Students will learn to analyze financial statements, plan for profit, and manage working capital. The course also covers basic business organization forms, sources of finance, and the role of financial managers in decision-making, providing a foundational understanding of finance principles and practices.
How many units does BFN209 have?
BFN209, Introduction To Finance, has 15 units across 3 modules, over 87 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is BFN209?
BFN209 carries 3 credit units, at 200 level in Management Sciences.
Is BFN209 hard?
BFN209 is rated beginner level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical work.
How long does BFN209 take to study?
About 200 hours of study, spread across its 15 units.
How is BFN209 assessed?
BFN209 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assessments and Final Examination.
What can I do with BFN209?
Financial Analyst, Accountant, Financial Manager, Investment Banker and Credit Analyst.