Demystifying Finance
CSPL 150
Spring 2025
| Section:
01
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Finance is a widely spoken language, be it in newspapers, nonprofit boardrooms, investment banking, or personal finance. It sounds complicated, but many of the concepts are easily graspable. In this class, we will be exploring the following questions: What is finance? How do companies make money? What do "equity" and "debt" mean, and how do companies use them? What do investment banks actually do? What makes companies increase or decrease in value, and what determines the price of stocks? This course is designed to be a basic introductory course, and no prior knowledge of financial concepts is required. Guest lecturers will help bring financial concepts to life. Women, first generation low income students, and students of color are encouraged to take this course. Please submit a short (max two paragraphs) email to amartin@wesleyan.edu describing any background you may have (none required) in finance and stating your reasons for wanting to take the course. Please note that priority is given to first years and sophomores. |
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| Credit: .5 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS ALLB |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Credit/Unsatisfactory |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Podcasts, articles, videos, and chapters from several books will be linked through the syllabus. No textbook required.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Small group papers/assignments, course participation, one final group presentation |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Please send a short (<1 page) statement with your reasons for wanting to take
this course to the instructor, Anne Martin . |
| Instructor(s): Martin,Anne Times: .M..... 12:30PM-02:00PM; Location: ALLB304; |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 18 | Permission of instructor approval will be granted by the instructor during pre-registration through the Electronic Portfolio. Click "Add to My Courses" and "To request a POI electronically, click here" to submit your request. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 4 | 1st Ranked: 2 | 2nd Ranked: 2 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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