Bachelor Academic Program

Required courses

Your first stage finance courses are Grundlagen Finance (Vorlesung = VO) und Finance (Vorlesung verbunden mit Übung = VU). Grundlagen Finance (VO) introduces the different areas of Banking and Finance which you will systematically deepen over the further course of your studies. We will acquaint you with different types of financing and financial instruments, derive how finance interacts with accounting, and discuss the role of the financial system in an economy. You will study the economic functions of banks as traditional intermediaries, encounter more recent developments in financial intermediation such as fintech businesses and blockchain technology, and you will have your first encounter with financial derivatives.

Contact: vogl.finance@uni-graz.at

Finance (VU) will improve your ability to apply quantitative methods to solve investment and financing problems. You will get trained in applying various mathematical and statistical concepts in the context of return calculations, the valuation of fixed income claims, or in the risk analysis of portfolios. In addition, you will deepen your understanding of the functions and uses of financial instruments. Finally, you will learn how individuals make rational decisions.

Contact: claudia.fink@uni-graz.at

Specialization: Financial Markets and Institutions

The specialization covers both Corporate Finance and Banking.

The courses Financial Markets and Corporate Financial Management deal with the financing of companies. We will give you a comprehensive overview of the topic. You will learn about the choice between equity and debt financing when risk is priced in a market context and you will study the role of business risk in financing and in business operations in general. Moreover, we will cover mergers and acquisitions as well as companies’ rules of conduct. You will be introduced to current research questions and methods and will gain your first experience in carrying out scientific studies in the field of corporate finance.

The courses Banking Management und Financial Innovation deal with banking transactions and the role of banks in the financial system. We will pay particular attention to the transformation functions of banks. Following this, we will discuss the two biggest risks in banking: interest rate risks and credit risks. They will first be examined from a practical perspective, before we deal with the (empirical) approaches to determining these risks. In addition to traditional financial intermediation, you will also learn about decentralized finance in the form of peer-to-peer financing on the blockchain and will immerse yourself in the world of cryptocurrencies.

This specialization comprises the following courses:

• 333.100 KS Financial Markets
• 333.150 KS Corporate Financial Management
• 333.200 KS Banking Management
• 333.250 KS Financial Innovation