Finance in a global economy
Taught by the world's foremost authorities on global business and cross-cultural interaction, the courses in Thunderbird's MS in Global Finance program deliver insight into the intricacies of fiscal activity on an international scale – and how financial matters may be driven by cultural nuance. Study global finance as it relates to actual businesses across the world, including in leading and emerging markets like Canada, France, Denmark, Indonesia, the UK, China, Argentina and Puerto Rico. The program features core curriculum in global finance, including general management and global affairs, with a breadth of additional global finance electives for specialization.
Economics bootcampsDepending on your undergraduate background, you may be required to take an online economics bootcamp prior to beginning the program. Read more. |
English proficiencyDepending on your TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score (if applicable), you may be required to take “Business English Communications” course(s) prior to beginning the program. |
Sample course descriptions
Note: Not all courses shown here are taught at all times. This listing represents a sample of the courses available at Thunderbird, but is not meant to be all-inclusive. Please speak with an admissions representative to discuss the specific classes being offered in the next term.
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Course Number: GF-4221Credit Hours: 3.00
The CFA program has become the gold standard in the investment profession. The objective of this course is to prepare students who will be taking the CFA Level 1 exam. It will include a review of the key topics, and lots of opportunities to practice (mock questions and a six-hour mock exam.
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Course Number: GF-4670Credit Hours: 3.00
This course will focus on business opportunities and operational challenges facing organizations doing business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Of particular concern will be the sustainability of the growth and progress seen in Dubai over the last 20 years and the problems associated with managing a very diverse set of employees. Program content will focus on applied knowledge that will add to the student?s ability to manage organizations in a region which ahs experienced dynamic growth as well as the impact of the current financial crisis.
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Course Number: GF-4647Credit Hours: 3.00
This course provides students the opportunity to visit companies and meet executives to learn firsthand about doing business in South America. Meetings with government officials, as well as visits to important cultural centers and participation in cultural activities will further enhance students? understanding of the South American business environment.
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Course Number: CH-4100Credit Hours: 3.00
This course emphasizes the use of the target language in context, especially the lexicon of business. Readings from newspapers, journals, and books (although to a restricted degree in non-Latin alphabet languages) familiarize future international managers with issues in the areas of the world where the target language is spoken. Activities include small group discussions, oral and written projects, and grammar review.
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Course Number: CH-4026Credit Hours: 3.00
In Fundamentals II major emphasis continues to be on the development of speaking and listening proficiency, but increased attention is also given to reading and writing. Authentic materials in the target language reflect situations relevant to the international manager, except for non-Latin
based languages or Asian languages. -
Course Number: CH-4015Credit Hours: 3.00
This is an introductory course for beginning language learners. No prior knowledge is required. Students study language fundamentals such as pronunciations, vocabulary and grammar. The emphases are: a) establishing a solid foundation in pronunciations; b) building up vocabulary and sentence patterns in communicative contexts; c) introducing writing systems and preparing students to read characters. In addition, cultural and social information that go along with language use are also included in the teaching.
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Course Number: CH-4020Credit Hours: 3.00
This course is a continuation of Fundamentals I. It aims to help students further develop communicative skills in listening and speaking, with an additional emphasis on reading texts. The emphases of this course are: a) building up more vocabulary and grammatical structures for communications purposes, b) integrating the linguistic and cultural knowledge acquired in Fundamentals I with the new knowledge, c) introducing business content and terminology in instructions and activities.
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Course Number: CCC-4000Credit Hours: 3.00
This dynamic and interactive course provides managers with an effective framework for achieving their goals in global management settings. The course will assist students to prepare for and execute time-tested strategies for achieving communication competence with persons from different cultures. This course will also cover negotiating in the global context. It will not only examine theories of culture and communications, but will also place students in an experiential situation to gain valuable skills for overcoming obstacles in global management environments.
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Course Number: GM-4464Credit Hours: 1.50
This course explores the mix of organizational practices and people that can be the basis of sustainable competitive advantage in the contemporary global business environment. Topics covered include cross-cultural issues in managing people; traditional and emerging models of organizations; organizational culture; leadership; employee skills and motivation; reward systems; and change management.
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Course Number: GF-5804Credit Hours: 1.50
Economic development and social change can
offer tremendous business opportunities for global managers.
At the same time, the development process can lead to social,
cultural, economic, and political conflicts. This course
explores the roots of such conflicts, and methods of conflict
management such as negotiations and multicultural communications. -
Course Number: GF-5884Credit Hours: 1.50
As business enters the 21st century, a shift in thinking about business? role in society is underway. Society?s demands for social and environmental responsibility are growing dramatically and few managers have the requisite skills to respond effectively. This course is designed to give future business leaders the knowledge and tools needed to develop a CSR strategy that creates value, not only for society and the environment, but also competitive and financial value for the company.
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Course Number: GF-4110Credit Hours: 1.50
This course provides an in-depth analysis of corporate
financial reporting as a vehicle for communicating
information to the firm's stakeholders. Topics covered include revenue and expense recognition, quality of earnings issues, the analysis of cash flows, foreign currency ranslation, the valuation of debt instruments, derivatives and executive stock compensation. -
Course Number: GF-4402Credit Hours: 1.50
This course focuses on issues that define the scope of the firm and its competitive environment. Organization scope is impacted by a variety of factors such as ownership structure, country context, and firm-specific resource endowments. Consequently, this course will explore these influences within a multi-disciplinary perspective, drawing on research and practice from areas such as finance, industrial organization economics, organization behavior and organization theory.
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Course Number: GF-5703Credit Hours: 1.50
Global managers must be concerned with the
risks to their businesses posed by political, social, and financial
forces at work internationally and in specific regions and
countries. This course is centered around state-of-the-art
assessment models used by businesses and foreign investors.
Issues include methods of measuring and forecasting risk;
and methods of mitigating risk such as political risk insurance. -
Course Number: QUA-4002Credit Hours: 1.50
This course builds on material from the Quantitative Methods class. It introduces the use of computer simulation for scenario planning, covers regression analysis in depth, and covers the use of computerized techniques for optimization and linear programming. The course takes an applied business perspective, with examples drawn from operations management, finance, and marketing.
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Course Number: GF-4805Credit Hours: 1.50
Through an integrated set of experiences, discussions, assignments, readings and guest speakers, students will expand their knowledge of global healthcare delivery, with a focus on issues related to operations and project management. The hands-on nature of the course will help students appreciate the significance of healthcare delivery issues from a global perspective, and also put them in touch with possible employment opportunities.
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Course Number: GF-4707Credit Hours: 3.00
This course will take participants to Shanghai, Suzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur and Bangalore, where the program will explore the high-tech business environment and how to do business in one of the world?s most dynamic regions. Program content will focus on applied knowledge, such as intellectual property protection or managing high tech talent that will help prepare students to lead and manage effectively in this diverse and complex region.
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Course Number: GF-4643Credit Hours: 3.00
This course is designed to give a non-stop comprehensive, integrated view of environment for Panamanian, investment and business opportunities, while broadening overall management perspectives.
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Course Number: GF-5640Credit Hours: 3.00
This course offers the students the opportunity to study the business, political, and cultural environment of Chile, Peru and Argentina, and the opportunity to meet and interact with important representatives of the governmental, commerce and cultural sectors.
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Course Number: GM-1200Credit Hours: 0.00
All entering students begin their degree program with this mandatory, one-week course. Foundations Week introduces tools and insights necessary for success and career effectiveness on a global scale. The course presents key aspects of leadership, team building, motivation, ethics, and cross-cultural communication. It also offers self-assessment tools and opportunities to explore career management and job search strategies. The program?s action-learning approach includes case discussions, exercises, simulations, group discussions, presentations, lectures and videos.
