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Jeff Flesher

The Financial Management capstone will provide a learning experience that integrates across all the courses within this specialization. You will analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan (for instance, a global company working in a specific geography chosen by students’ region or country of residence, or other consideration). You will design a deliverable to create value from the perspective of potential employers while achieving pedagogical and experiential goals.

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The Financial Management capstone will provide a learning experience that integrates across all the courses within this specialization. You will analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan (for instance, a global company working in a specific geography chosen by students’ region or country of residence, or other consideration). You will design a deliverable to create value from the perspective of potential employers while achieving pedagogical and experiential goals.

This course is part of the iMBA offered by the University of Illinois, a flexible, fully-accredited online MBA at an incredibly competitive price. For more information, please see the Resource page in this course and onlinemba.illinois.edu.

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Syllabus

Module 1 - Welcome and Course Overview
This Capstone course includes six modules. As you go through the modules, you will learn more about the case scenarios, and will have the opportunity to apply your learning from the Financial Management Specialization in support of practical business needs.
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Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Develops financial management plans and investment options which are core skills for management
Applies financial management principles to practical business needs
Provides a learning experience that integrates across all the courses within this specialization

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Reviews summary

Practical financial management capstone project

According to learners, this course serves as a highly effective capstone that successfully integrates material from the Financial Management specialization. Many found the acquisition case study to be realistic and engaging, providing a valuable opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to a practical scenario. Students particularly appreciated the chance to perform financial analysis on real-world companies. While the workload was noted as significant, reflecting the nature of a capstone, the challenging assignments were generally viewed as beneficial for solidifying understanding. The peer review process was a mixed experience for some, though others found it helpful. Overall, it's considered a worthwhile culmination of the specialization.
Experience varies among learners.
"The peer review quality was highly variable. Some reviews were insightful, others were clearly rushed."
"Getting feedback from peers was sometimes helpful, but grading others' complex work accurately was difficult."
"I learned a lot from reviewing others' submissions and seeing different approaches to the same problem."
"Dependence on peer grading can be frustrating if reviewers aren't thorough or understanding."
Demanding but rewarding assignments.
"Be prepared for a significant workload. This Capstone requires serious dedication, especially with the detailed analysis required."
"The assignments are challenging and require a lot of time, but completing them successfully feels very rewarding."
"It's a capstone, so naturally, it's demanding. Make sure you allocate enough time each week."
"The difficulty felt appropriate for an MBA-level course capstone."
Engaging and realistic acquisition scenario.
"The case study involving Lululemon and Walmart was well-chosen and felt very realistic, making the analysis relevant."
"I enjoyed working on the potential acquisition scenario; it was a good way to learn by doing."
"Analyzing real companies made the assignments much more interesting than purely theoretical problems."
"The case provided a solid framework to apply different financial models and concepts."
Successfully ties together prior learning.
"As a capstone, this course successfully integrated all the material from the previous courses in the Financial Management Specialization."
"It's a perfect culmination of the finance specialization, pulling together corporate finance, investments, and valuation."
"Really helped me see how all the different pieces of financial management fit together through the case study."
"It's not easy, but it forces you to use everything you learned before."
Excellent chance to apply finance theory to real case.
"This course provides an excellent opportunity to apply the concepts learned in the Specialization to a real-world case study."
"The Lululemon-Walmart acquisition scenario was fantastic. I felt like I was actually doing the job of a finance analyst."
"The Capstone truly brings together all the concepts from the previous courses. It was challenging but very practical."
"Applying financial analysis tools to a real company's data was incredibly valuable."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Financial Management Capstone with these activities:
Review 'Financial Intelligence' by Karen Berman and Joe Knight
Gain insights into the fundamentals of financial management by reading 'Financial Intelligence', which provides a comprehensive overview of key concepts and strategies.
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key concepts
  • Summarize the main takeaways from the book
  • Reflect on how the book's principles can be applied to your own financial decision-making
Module 6: Connect with a Financial Professional
Connecting with a financial professional will give you the opportunity to learn from someone who has experience in the field.
Browse courses on Financial Management
Show steps
  • Find a financial professional who is willing to mentor you
  • Meet with your mentor regularly
  • Ask your mentor for advice and guidance
  • Learn from your mentor's experiences
Advanced Excel for Financial Analysis
Enhance your proficiency in Excel by learning advanced techniques for financial analysis, data manipulation, and visualization.
Show steps
  • Explore advanced Excel functions and formulas for financial calculations
  • Learn to use pivot tables and charts for data summarization and visualization
  • Practice building complex financial models using Excel
Ten other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all 13 activities
Module 5: Discuss Financial Management Concepts
Discussing financial management concepts with your peers will help you to better understand the material and to see how it can be applied in different situations.
Browse courses on Financial Management
Show steps
  • Find a study group
  • Meet regularly to discuss the material
  • Share your insights and experiences
  • Help each other to understand the material
Review Leveraged Buyout Modeling
Reinforce your understanding of leveraged buyout modeling techniques to enhance your ability to analyze acquisition scenarios.
Browse courses on Financial Modeling
Show steps
  • Revisit concepts of discounted cash flow (DCF) modeling
  • Review case studies and examples of LBO transactions
  • Practice building LBO models using financial modeling software
Module 2: Analyze Financial Statements
Analyzing the financial statements of different companies will help you to gain a better understanding of how the principles learned in this course are applied in real-world situations.
Show steps
  • Choose a company to analyze
  • Download the financial statements for the past two years
  • Calculate key financial ratios
  • Compare the ratios to industry averages
  • Write a report summarizing your findings
Financial Ratio Analysis Practice
Improve your ability to interpret and analyze financial ratios to gain insights into a company's financial performance.
Browse courses on Financial Ratio Analysis
Show steps
  • Review key financial ratios and their significance
  • Practice calculating ratios using financial statements
  • Interpret ratios to assess a company's liquidity, profitability, and solvency
Case Study Discussions
Engage with peers to discuss and analyze real-world financial management case studies, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Browse courses on Case Studies
Show steps
  • Review case studies prior to the discussion
  • Participate in group discussions, sharing insights and perspectives
  • Develop recommendations and solutions to the case study problems
Module 3: Create a Financial Model
Creating a financial model will help you to develop the skills needed to make sound financial decisions.
Browse courses on Financial Modeling
Show steps
  • Choose a company to model
  • Gather the necessary data
  • Build the model
  • Validate the model
  • Use the model to make financial decisions
Module 4: Present a Financial Plan
Your final project for this course is to present a financial plan. To complete the project, you will need to develop a financial plan for a specific company and use the plan to make investment decisions.
Browse courses on Financial Planning
Show steps
  • Research the financial plan requirements for the course
  • Choose a company to analyze
  • Gather the necessary data
  • Create a financial plan
  • Present the financial plan to the class
Financial Modeling Competition
Challenge yourself by participating in a financial modeling competition, applying your skills to solve complex business problems in a competitive environment.
Browse courses on Financial Modeling
Show steps
  • Identify a competition that aligns with your interests
  • Form a team and develop a financial model
  • Present your model and recommendations to a panel of judges
Infographic on Financial Management Best Practices
Create a visually engaging infographic that summarizes key financial management best practices, reinforcing your understanding and enabling you to share insights with others.
Browse courses on Financial Management
Show steps
  • Identify key financial management best practices
  • Gather data and statistics to support the best practices
  • Design and create an infographic using a design tool
Financial Management Plan for a Small Business
Apply your financial management knowledge to develop a comprehensive plan for a small business, addressing key financial strategies and objectives.
Browse courses on Financial Management
Show steps
  • Analyze the business's financial situation and identify opportunities
  • Develop financial projections and forecasts
  • Create a plan for capital budgeting and investment
  • Outline strategies for managing cash flow, debt, and risk

Career center

Learners who complete Financial Management Capstone will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Investment Banker
Investment Bankers are business professionals who help companies raise money by issuing securities. Roles such as these may include advising companies on mergers and acquisitions and helping them to prepare for initial public offerings (IPOs). This course may be useful for Investment Bankers because it teaches how to analyze a potential acquisition and model investment options.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are business professionals who are responsible for the overall leadership of an organization. Roles like these may include developing corporate strategy, setting organizational goals, and managing financial resources. This course may be useful for CEOs because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are business professionals who are responsible for the overall financial health of an organization. Roles like these may include developing financial strategies, managing financial risks, and overseeing financial operations. This course may be useful for CFOs because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Credit Analyst
Credit Analysts are business professionals who assess the creditworthiness of individuals and businesses. Roles such as these may include making recommendations on whether or not to approve loans and setting credit limits. This course may be useful for Credit Analysts because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Risk Manager
Risk Managers are business professionals who identify and mitigate risks for organizations. Roles like these may include developing risk management plans and implementing risk management policies. This course may be useful for Risk Managers because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Management Consultant
Management Consultants are business professionals who help organizations improve their performance. Roles such as these may include developing business strategies, improving operational efficiency, and implementing new technologies. This course may be useful for Management Consultants because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Auditor
Auditors are business professionals who examine an organization's financial records to ensure that they are accurate and compliant with regulations. Roles like these may include conducting financial audits, operational audits, and IT audits. This course may be useful for Auditors because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Tax Accountant
Tax Accountants are business professionals who prepare and file tax returns for individuals and businesses. Roles such as these may include advising clients on tax laws and regulations and representing clients before tax authorities. This course may be useful for Tax Accountants because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Forensic Accountant
Forensic Accountants are business professionals who investigate financial fraud and other financial crimes. Roles like these may include conducting financial investigations, preparing expert witness reports, and testifying in court. This course may be useful for Forensic Accountants because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Financial Controller
Financial Controllers are business professionals who oversee the financial operations of an organization. Roles such as these may include preparing financial statements, managing cash flow, and developing financial policies. This course may be useful for Financial Controllers because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Chief Operating Officers (COOs) are business professionals who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of an organization. Roles such as these may include managing production, marketing, and human resources. This course may be useful for COOs because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Financial Analyst
Financial Analysts are business professionals who analyze how money can be managed to meet business goals. Roles like these may include making recommendations regarding investments, budgeting, and cash-flow management. This course may be useful for Financial Analysts because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs are business professionals who start and run their own businesses. Roles such as these may include developing business plans, raising capital, and managing financial resources. This course may be useful for Entrepreneurs because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Portfolio Manager
Portfolio Managers are business professionals who manage investments for individuals and institutions. Roles like these typically involve making investment decisions based on financial analysis and market research. This course may be useful for Portfolio Managers because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.
Financial Planner
Financial Planners are business professionals who help individuals and families plan for their financial futures. Roles like these may include developing retirement plans, saving for college, and managing investments. This course may be useful for Financial Planners because it teaches how to analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan.

Reading list

We've selected eight books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Financial Management Capstone.
This classic book provides timeless principles for long-term investing.
Provides an overview of behavioral finance, which is the study of how psychological factors influence financial decision-making.

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