This module develops students’ understanding of key topics in corporate finance in theory and practice. It transitions students from understanding financial accounting into being able to interpret and manipulate financial statements for company evaluation and leadership decision making purposes. The essence of the module is that corporate finance impacts most strategic leadership decisions, including maximising the value of a firm, managing risk and meeting governance, environmental and social requirements, as well as educating students in the language of the C-Suite.

The module centres on the financial decision-making processes of the modern corporation, providing students with the tools to evaluate corporate performance, support strategic financial decisions, and provide leadership in financially complex environments through advanced knowledge and interpretation of financial statements. Students will engage with working financial statements models to explore the three foundational pillars of corporate finance: • capital investment: assessing long-term investment opportunities and valuation • capital financing: determining optimal capital structure and financing strategies, and • capital returns: managing dividend policy and shareholder value creation. Students will also consider corporate goals, maintaining a going-concern through effective cash management, implementing effective capital structures for long term success and managing risk, crisis and change in volatile business environments.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: • Analyse financial statements and corporate performance data to identify trends, risks, and strategic implications for capital budgeting and financing decisions. • Critically evaluate alternative financing strategies and investment decisions with reference to corporate goals, risk appetite, market conditions, and stakeholder interests. • Formulate appropriate policies on capital structure and dividends that align with organisational strategy, optimise the cost of capital, and balance stakeholder interests

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: • Demonstrate a commitment to ethical financial decision-making by recognising the broader social and environmental responsibilities inherent in corporate finance practices. • Appreciate the role of financial insight in strategic decision-making and its contribution to effective, collaborative leadership within complex organisational settings. • Recognise the importance of long-term financial sustainability by aligning capital investment and financing decisions with organisational purpose and stakeholder interests.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: N/A

This module will be taught using a combination of interactive discussion-based lectures and experiential and problem-based learning workshops to facilitate the development of student skills and abilities. It adopts UL graduate attributes as its overarching learning goal with linked programme learning outcomes, module learning outcomes with clearly articulated assurance of learning. Graduate attributes will be developed in the following ways: Agile: Students are expected to be agile in their learning through independent study, self-directed learning and coursework; Articulate: Students will become articulate in expressing advice through the use of in-class discussions, presentations and written coursework; Courageous: Students will be required to participate openly in class discussions, group work and assessments that require them to step outside their comfort zone; Curious: Students will be encouraged to be curious in their acquisition of knowledge of through practical examples, coursework and in-class groupwork; Responsible: Students will develop a sense of responsibility through class discussions on various ethical and sustainable issues and challenges.