Commerce

Explores the entrepreneurship process as well as basic concepts and analytical tools that facilitate new-venture success with a focus on a start-up's ability to make money and its ability to generate attractive financial and personal returns for the entrepreneur compared to alternative career options. Examines various considerations for generating, screening, and evaluating new venture ideas, creating and presenting compelling business plans, acquiring early-stage funding and other required resources, as well as measuring value. Prerequisite: Fourth-year Commerce standing or instructor permission.

In the capstone course, approximately five teams comprising five students each attempt to commercialize business concepts (of their design and with faculty approval) through the "pre-money" stage of development. The course culminates in a New Venture Competition, the winners of which, as judged by Entrepreneurship Track professors and program donors, will receive modest seed money to continue exploration of their business concept. Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Entrepreneurship Track.

Explores the strong influence of culture on business practices and cultivates skills for developing and implementing strategies in multicultural environments. Topics include culture and its implications, interpersonal effectiveness, organizational systems, political and economic environments, and corporate social responsibility. Prerequisite: Fourth-year Commerce standing or instructor permission.

Provides an understanding of contemporary cash and derivative equity securities and markets. Both investment theory and its practical applications are considered. The primary perspective for most discussions is that of an institutional investor, although applications to personal finance are included. Both U.S. and international equity and fixed-income markets are discussed. Topics include asset allocation, portfolio theory, market efficiency, models of asset pricing, program trading, and equity options and financial futures. Prerequisite: Fourth-year Commerce standing or instructor permission.

This course covers corporate valuation and the restructuring of both non-distressed firms (for example, leveraged buyout transactions) and distressed firms. Prerequisite: fourth-year Commerce.

This course covers the traditional investment-banking functions of secruity design, issuance, and deal structure as well as risk-taking functions with emphasis on the market-making function. The course also covers current issues related to industry structure and regulation.Prerequisite: 4th Year Commerce

This course familiarizes students with the restructuring of financially distressed firms and distressed investing. We analyze credit documents, model credit risk, and survey restructuring methods. Throughout, we consider credit and distressed debt as asset classes and develop techniques and models for investing in credit and distressed instruments.

This course covers the valuation and use of derivative and fixed income securities in corporate finance and investment management. The securities covered include calls, puts, exotic options, forwards, futures, swaps, floating rate notes, credit derivatives, and other structured products.

This course is about how securities are traded. It focuses on the design, operation and regulation of trading processes and mechanisms. The intellectual framework for the material comes from economics, financial economics, and a newer subfield of financial economics known as market microstructure. In-class simulations play an important role in the learning process in this course. If you have not completed COMM 3720/4710, request Instructor Permission.

The course builds on the equity markets material in COMM 4710. We examine factor models, as used in practice, to both describe the risk vs. return trade-off in U.S. equity markets & to evaluate active equity portfolio managers. Given this framework, we define & examine a number of quantitative strategies including: value, momentum, low volatility (both long-only & long/short). Finally, we discuss the issue of interconnected portfolio strategies.

This course focuses on two questions. How do global macroeconomic conditions drive returns across asset classes? How do global investors use this information to build better portfolios? Topics will include issues in measuring economic data, the role of models in investing, portfolio analytics and allocation methods, factor-based investing, global growth, inflation and monetary policy, credit cycles, foreign exchange economics, and other timely topics in asset management.

Foundations of Global Commerce examines the global context of business, the evolution of that context, and the many business implications. The course covers the global macro-economy, application of an analytical framework, and important future trends. In addition to mastering a defined body of knowledge, the course emphasizes conceptual thinking and a commitment to curiosity, critical analysis, active participation and intellectual risk-taking.

This course will provide an overview of the entire "private equity cycle" running from fund formation through investment exit. Both theoretical and practical issues will receive attention with the balance tipping toward the latter. Students are to be prepared to discuss a case or other reading assignments during the first half of most class meetings. The second half of our meetings will most often include speakers with expertise in the subject. Pre-requisite: Fourth-year Commerce standing.

In this class you will apply quantitative tools to deconstruct each of the main asset classes, developing a more nuanced understanding of the risks one owns, and to evaluate a managers' returns for delivering those risks. You will also learn how to design and evaluate strategic asset allocations for specific goals through a case evaluating the portfolio of the University of Virginia Endowment.

Introductory course forms the background of concepts, tools and techniques. This course details the study and practice of real estate as it draws from a multitude of disciplines including architecture, urban and regional planning, building construction, urban economics, law, and finance. Prerequisites: Fourth-year Commerce standing.

Develops an analytical framework by which individuals and institutions can make optimal real estate investment and financing decisions. Emphasizes theory, concept building, financial modeling, and investment related real estate decisions. Uses the case method and industry experts to illustrate implementation of an analytical framework in evaluating both private equity and public (REIT) real estate investments. Prerequisites: Fourth-year Commerce standing or instructor permission.

This course addresses advanced, decision related issues within a value-based theory of real estate development, investment and finance. It facilitates student insights into the analytical techniques and theoretical perspectives relevant to such decisions. Uses the case method, industry experts, and site visits to illustrate implementation of an analytical framework in evaluating investments in established and development real estate projects.   Prerequisites: Fourth-year Commerce standing or instructor permission.

This course provides instruction in the foundations of sustainable commerce, that is, business activities designed for a finite and equitable planet. The course begins with a review of our pressing sustainability challenges, then describes how the fundamental business disciplines (strategy, accounting, marketing, operations, finance and management) are innovating, operating and facilitating commercial solutions to these issues.

This interdisciplinary course explores four critical areas at the intersection of business and sustainability: 1) Climate Finance, 2) Conservation Finance, 3) Circular Economy and 4) ESG Investing. In addition to acquiring an understanding of these key sustainability challenges, participants will gain skill in applying analytical tools and techniques to the evaluation of sustainable investment opportunities.

Aristotle maintained that the goal of life is to achieve well-being through wisdom. In this course we seek new understanding and tools as to how wisdom and sell-being apply to professional and personal situations. Emphasis is on marketing management and leadership. the course proceeds by way of readings, discussions, and exercises in addition to a culminating individual project for growth in career and/or personal life-planning.

The GCS thesis program takes place over 3 semesters. Registration for COMM 4839 does not guarantee admission to the program. Admission to the program is determined by a faculty advisor's willingness to take on the student's project. During the 1st semester students will focus on developing their research idea with their advisor. They are expected to meet with their advisor regularly. Students must make sufficient progress to remain in the program.

Students admitted to the GCS program will meet periodically with their advisor & other students & faculty members involved in the program. Over the course of the semester, students will first produce a literature review & then a research proposal that will serve as the roadmap for the thesis to be completed during the spring semester (Comm 4841). The proposal will be presented at the end of the semester before student & faculty of the program.Prerequisite: Must be admitted into the Global Commerce Scholar Program

Students will meet regularly with their advisor during the semester as they work to complete the independent research program developed in Comm 4840. Students will submit a preliminary thesis document for review prior to the end of the semester and will present the final thesis before the McIntire student community and faculty at the end of the semester.

Capitalizing on the leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities that students have fostered through courses in the Leadership Minor, students will complete an applied leadership project that focuses on providing solutions to a real problem facing a sponsor organization. In addition to the project, students will engage with leaders in the Charlottesville community to learn about the challenges leaders face in different contexts.

Cross Cultural Experience