Best MOOCs In Business For January

Valuation: Alternative Methods

School: University of Michigan

Platform: Coursera

Registration Link:  CLICK HERE

Start Date: January 4, 2016 (6 Weeks Long)

Workload: 5-10 Hours Per Week

Grades: Students can choose to explore course videos, discussions, and ungraded assignments for free, but they won’t be able to submit graded assignments, earn a certificate, or complete a specialization without paying a $79 fee.

Instructors: Gautam Kaul and Qin Lei

Credentials: Professor Kaul has won five Excellence in Teaching awards at Ross, along with earning the Victor L. Bernard Leadership in Teaching Award in 2009. He is widely published in financial journals and teaches a variety of introductory and advanced courses, including Corporate Finance, Investment and Financial Institutions, and Sustainable Enterprise. Lei, a Ph.D. holder from the University of Michigan, joined the University of Michigan staff in 2013 after earning the MBA Outstanding Teaching Award at Southern Methodist University in 2012. He currently teaching courses in applied investment management, options and futures, and capital markets. His most recent research has been published by the Journal of Financial Markets and the Journal of Industrial Economics.

Description: There are two key factors in any financial decision-making: Time value of money and risk and return. However, there are far more factors than simply looking at long-term impact and whether the possible rewards are offset by the risk. In this course, student will study other real world variables that comprise valuation, particularly tax laws and regulations. By the end of this course, according to Kaul, students will be able to “conduct analysis of most projects and companies.” Along with reviewing the fundamentals of time value and risk and return, the course will examine the effects of areas like leveraging and bankruptcy on valuation. The course will be taught through videos, with students evaluated through mandatory exercises and a final test.

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Additional Note: This course is the first part of an “Introduction to Finance: Valuation and Investing” specialization, a four course series that includes a capstone project. To learn more about these courses and register for them, click here.