Vietnam National University – HCMC

International University
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

COURSE SYLLABUS1
BA051IU
International Finance Management

Note: The outline with specific venue and time, and updated learning
materials for the current semester will be provided to the enrolled students
by the lecturer
BA051IU VNU – International University
International Finance Management School of Business Administration

1. COURSE STAFF

Lecturer: Dr. Nguyen Kim Thu

Telephone:
E-mail: nkthu@hcmiu.edu.vn

Teaching Assistant: Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao

Room: 205
Telephone:
E-mail: ntpthao@hcmiu.edu.vn
Consultation Hours: TBA

Should the students wish to meet the staff outside the consultation hours, they are advised
to make appointment in advance.

2. COURSE INFORMATION

12.1 Teaching times and Locations

2
Lecture: TBA
Venue: TBA
1
22.2 Units of Credit
3
This course is worth 3 credits.

2.3 Parallel teaching in the course

There is no parallel teaching involved in this course.

2.4 Relationship of this course to others

BA016IU – International Finance Management is an upper level Finance class and

students should have already satisfactorily completed Fundamentals of Financial
Management – BA016IU.

2.5 Approach to learning and teaching

Employing the interactive learning and problem-based teaching approach, this course
emphasises the interaction between lecturers and students. The lecture materials will be
uploaded in Blackboard to help the students to preview the materials and to concentrate
on listening and critical thinking during the lecture. This will help students to interact
with the lecturer during the classroom. The sessions comprise chapter reviews and time to
understand the math as well. The Final presentation allows the teams to implement the
concepts they learn during the semester.

2
BA051IU VNU – International University
International Finance Management School of Business Administration

3. COURSE AIMS AND OUTCOMES

3.1 Course Aims

International Financial Management teaches students how to be effective global
financial managers. The text covers the fundamentals of the macroeconomic environment
of international financial management, discusses the financial environment in which the
multinational firm and its managers must function, and covers foreign exchange
management and financial management in a multinational firm.

3.2 Student Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, students should have developed skills in

 International Finance Vocabulary
 Finance (Math) skills in analyzing International Business topics
 Understanding Risk that is specific to the International Environment

3.3 Teaching Strategies

The learning system in this course consists of lectures and scheduled

presentations/discussions. Lectures elaborate the appropriate theoretical content in the
textbook and readings. Classes provide a more detailed and refined analysis of both
concepts and applied materials. Classes are strongly oriented towards interactive
discussion of the text and learning some difficult financial (math) concepts. In order to
gain the most from the lectures and class activities, the assigned text/reading should be
read before the lecture to participate in the discussions. Homework problems should be
done WEEKLY so that you can ask questions the following week,

4. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT

4.1 Workload

It is expected that the students will spend at least six hours per week studying this course.
This time should be made up of reading, research, working on exercises and problems,
and attending classes. In periods where they need to complete assignments or prepare for
examinations, the workload may be greater.

Over-commitment has been a cause of failure for many students. They should take the
required workload into account when planning how to balance study with part-time jobs
and other activities.

4.2 Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance at lectures and seminars is expected in this course.
University regulations indicate that if students attend less than eighty per cent of
scheduled classes they may be refused final assessment. Exemptions may only be made
on medical grounds.

3
BA051IU VNU – International University
International Finance Management School of Business Administration

4.3 General Conduct and Behaviour

The students are expected to conduct themselves with consideration and respect for the
needs of the fellow students and teaching staff. Conduct which unduly disrupts or
interferes with a class, such as ringing or talking on mobile phones, is not acceptable and
students will be asked to leave the class. More information on student conduct is
available at the university webpage.

4.4 Keeping informed

The students should take note of all announcements made in lectures or on the course’s
Blackboard. From time to time, the university will send important announcements to their
university e-mail addresses without providing a paper copy. The students will be deemed
to have received this information.

5. LEARNING ASSESSMENT

5.1 Formal Requirements

In order to pass this course, the students must:
 achieve a composite mark of at least 50; and
 make a satisfactory attempt at all assessment tasks (see below).

5.2 Assessment Details

Mid-Term Exam 30%

Group Assignment 15%
Class Quiz 15%
Final Exam 40%
Total 100%

5.3 Group assignment: topics will be announced in class.

5.5 Class participation and Presentation

A minimum attendance of 80 percent is compulsory. Besides, students should read the

assigned cases at home and be prepared to answer questions about the case in class.
Students who are well-prepared for the cases will be given bonus points in their quiz
grade.
1

5.6 Special Consideration

4
BA051IU VNU – International University
International Finance Management School of Business Administration

Request for special consideration (for final examination only) must be made to the Office
of Academic Affairs within one week after the examination. General policy and
information on special consideration can be found at the Office of Academic Affairs.

6. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the presentation of the thoughts or work of another as one’s own (definition
proposed by the University of Newcastle). Students are also reminded that careful time
management is an important part of study and one of the identified causes of plagiarism
is poor time management. Students should allow sufficient time for research, drafting,
and the proper referencing of sources in preparing all assessment items. The university
regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct, and has very strict rules regarding
plagiarism.1
7. STUDENT RESOURCES

7.1 Course Resources

Please note that it is very important to gain familiarity with the subject matter in the
readings and cases prior to attendance in classes.

Textbook:
Madura J. (2012), International Corporate Finance, 11th edition, South-Western,
Cengage Learning

Reference Books:
Recommendation reading: The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Business Week

Additional materials provided in Blackboard

The lecturer will attempt to make lecture notes and additional reading available on
Blackboard. However this is not an automatic entitlement for students doing this subject.
Note that this is not a distance learning course, and you are expected to attend lectures
and take notes. This way, you will get the additional benefit of class interaction and
demonstration.

Recommended Internet sites

UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)
WTO (World Trade Organization)
Business Week
The Economist
Fortune
Forbes

Recommended Journals

7.2 Other Resources, Support and Information

1
1

5
BA051IU VNU – International University
International Finance Management School of Business Administration

2Additional learning assistance is available for students in this course and will be made
available in Blackboard. Academic journal articles are available through connections via
the VNU - Central Library. Recommended articles will be duly informed to the students.

8. COURSE SCHEDULE
Week Topic Learning materials and
activities

PART 1:FOUNDATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

1 Overview of multinational financial management Chapter 1

In-class case discussion :
Blades, Inc.
2 Balance of Payment (B-O-P) Textbook, Chapter 2
Quiz
In-class case discussion:
Blades, Inc-Exposure to
international flow of funds
3 Foreign Exchange Market Textbook, Chapter 3
Quiz
In-class case discussion:
Blades, Inc-Decisions to
use international financial
markets

4 Exchange Rate Determination and Exchange Rate Textbook, Chapter 4&6

Management Systems

PART II: EXCHANGE RATE FLUCTUATION and CURRENCY DERIVATIVES

5 Relationships among interest rate, inflation and Textbook, Chapter 7 & 8

exchange rate Quiz
In-class case discussion:
Blades, Inc: Assessment of
purchasing power parity

6 Relationships among interest rate, inflation and Textbook, Chapter 8&9

6
BA051IU VNU – International University
International Finance Management School of Business Administration

exchange rate (Cont.) Quiz

Forecasting exchange rate
7 Tools for hedging exchange rate risk: Forwards, Textbook, Chapters 5
Futures and Options contracts
8 Tools for hedging exchange rate risk: Forwards, Textbook, Chapters 5
Futures and Options contracts (Cont.)

PART III: EXCHANGE RATE RISK MANAGEMENT

9 Forecasting exchange rates Textbook, Chapter 9

10 Measuring Exposure to Exchange Rate Fluctuation Textbook, Chapter 10
11 Foreign Exchange Exposure and Management: Textbook, Chapter 11
Management of Transaction Exposure
12 Foreign Exchange Exposure and Management: Textbook, Chapters 12
Management of Economic Exposure and
Translation Exposure

7
1