Syllabus for Corporate Governance and Financial Decisions, Master Course

Decisions and guidelines

Master's Programme in Accounting and Financial Management - specialisation Financial Management, Financial Accounting.

Learning outcomes

Corporate governance has become extremely topical in recent years. This course enables participants to deepen their understanding of how scarce decision making resources are distributed in companies and how companies are efficiently governed. Specifically, participants will develop the following skills:

• An understanding of how corporate governance systems vary between countries and regions.
• An understanding of how owners can monitor and direct management in their financial decision-making.
• An understanding of how various financial decisions relate to and are affected by corporate governance systems.
• An ability of how to read, interpret and critically assess academic research articles.An ability to present and lead academic discussions.

Content

The content of the course concerns the interplay between corporate governance systems and financial decisions made by the firm’s management. Topics that are dealt with include:

• International variations in ownership and corporate governance systems,
• Effects of the governance system on financial decisions (capital structure, payout and investment policies)
• The functioning and structure of boards of directors and their consequences
• The role and function of executive compensation systems

A considerable portion of the learning is associated with seminars where participants discuss assigned readings or cases. Students are encouraged to develop a critical way of thinking with regard to how financial decisions are and ought to be made. A study guide is available to participants prior to the initiation of the course.

Instruction

Teaching relies on lectures, seminars and project assignments. The course is taught in English.

Assessment

The student will get one single grade, equivalent to 7.5 credits.

Examination includes active participation in seminars including written as well as oral, assignments, done individually or in groups, and an individual written examination. The grade for the entire course is based on an assessment of all parts of the examination.

Grading criteria are presented in the study guide provided at the beginning of the course. The following grades will be used: pass with distinction (VG), pass (G), and fail (U). Examinations handed in late will not be assessed except under special circumstances. Any remaining supplemental work must be completed and handed in by the deadline specified in the study guide. Otherwise the entire course (all examinations included) must be retaken during subsequent course sections, pending availability of a place in the course.

Uppsala University does not accept cheating or plagiarism. Suspected incidents of cheating or plagiarism are reported to the Disciplinary Committee of the University, which may issue a formal warning to the student or suspend the student from studies for a designated period.

NOTE: Only completed courses can count toward a degree.

Other directives

The course substitutes/overlaps among other courses International Financial Management, 2FE609, 8FE609, 2FE766 and Investments and Finance in the Multinational Corporation, 2FE832, 8FE832.