Master of Science in

Financial Engineering

MScFE 560
Financial Markets
Course Syllabus

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orleans, LA 70170

Phone: (504) 507-0840 Fax: (888) 845–2634
https://wqu.org
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Table of Contents

General............................................................................................................................................3
Credit Hour Policy .................................................................................................................................. 5

Graded Assessments and Grading Policies ...................................................................... 6

Graded Assessments and Deadlines ............................................................................................... 6
Grading Criteria and Points Distribution........................................................................................ 7
Grade Percentage................................................................................................................................... 7
Satisfactory Academic Progress ........................................................................................................ 8

Course Structure, Student Expectations, and Requirements .................................... 8

Attendance ............................................................................................................................................... 8
Multi-media Content and Reading Assignments ....................................................................... 8
Quiz Assignments................................................................................................................................... 8
Collaborative Review ............................................................................................................................. 9
Posting Questions for Live Lectures ................................................................................................ 9
Group Work Project and Grading Rubric....................................................................................... 9

Academic Policies .................................................................................................................... 11

Academic Integrity ............................................................................................................................... 11
Code of Conduct .................................................................................................................................. 11
Prohibited Conduct ............................................................................................................................. 12

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 2 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

General
COURSE CODE MScFE 560
COURSE TITLE Financial Markets
CREDITS 4 semester credit hours
COURSE The Financial Markets course serves as an introduction to the field of Financial
DESCRIPTION Engineering. It covers foundational topics such as the history of Financial Markets and
Insurance; Market Regulation; Money Markets; Bond Markets and Trading, among
others. The aim of the course is to expand students’ understanding of financial
markets, analysis of market events and ability to perform valuations of financial
instruments. Additionally, the course will incorporate discussions on recent
developments such as High Frequency Trading and the Dodd-Frank Act.
COURSE Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:
LEARNING CLO 1: Understand financial markets and their components
OUTCOMES
CLO 2: Perform analysis on market events and instruments
CLO 3: Perform valuations of simple financial instruments (bonds, options)

MODULE Upon completion of each module in the course, you will be able to:
OBJECTIVES
Module 1: Introduction to Financial Markets
• Understand the elements that make up a financial market
• Evaluate various market events
• Understand the role and potential impact of risk within financial markets
Module 2: Market Regulation
• Understand the purpose of financial regulation
• Identify the various regulatory role players
• Provide insight into the consequences of financial regulation
• Understand the basic processes of regulatory formation through to
implementation
• Understand the cases for both regulation and deregulation within financial
markets
Module 3: Interest and Money Markets
• Understand different money market instruments.
• Identify and assess risk associated with money market products.
• Describe factors that affect instrument valuation.
• Evaluate money market products, according to pricing, interest rates, and
discount factors.
Module 4: Fixed Income and Bond Market
• Understand the distinctions between equity- and debt-based funding
• Identify risks related to fixed-income investments, in particular
• Provide a detailed explanation of the bond valuation process

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 3 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Module 5: Stock and Equity Markets

• Understand what equity is and how it applies to financial markets
• Identify and describe various types of equity instruments
• Display basic share valuation capabilities
• Identify and apply risk mitigation techniques according to the investment
strategy
Module 6: Futures, Options, and Derivatives
• Define derivative instruments, and specifically define common types
• Understand the various features of these common derivatives, and the
associated terminology
• Understand the functions that derivatives can serve and the risks they carry, and
how these arise from the nature of the derivatives themselves
• Have a basic knowledge of derivative valuation
Module 7: Market Making and Trading
• Define and show their understanding of several key terms, such as the buy side,
the sell side and a market maker
• Describe the fundamental structure of the financial markets in terms of different
types of entities involved in trading
• Demonstrate sound understanding of the concerns that face different role
players in the financial markets

- Lecture notes posted in the online course room

COURSE - Optional references posted in the online course room
MATERIALS - Free online resources to amplify existing course content as indicated by your
faculty
METHODS OF Video lectures, live lectures, guest lectures, reading assignments embedded in the
INSTRUCTION online course room, posted references
METHODS OF
Quizzes, collaborative review assignments, group work project
ASSESSMENT
PREREQUISITES None
CURRICULUM
January 2, 2019
REVISION DATE
FACULTY Faculty contact information is posted in the “Course Announcements” section of
CONTACT your online course room.

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 4 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Credit Hour Policy

WorldQuant University awards semester credit hours. A 4-semester credit hour course requires
students to spend approximately 180 hours engaged in coursework. Coursework includes 60
hours of academic engagement (I.e., instructor-led activities such as watching video lectures,
participate to interactive discussions via online) and 120 hours of preparation (i.e., completing
reading assignments, conducting research, completing projects). Note that these are average
times, derived from generally accepted average standards.

4 Credit Hour Course (7 weeks)

Estimated hours
Activity Average hours
per course
Watching video lectures and guest lectures 2 h/week 14
Seeking clarification about course content 2 h/week 14
Interacting with/watching online multimedia content 1 h/week 7
Academic
Interacting in Q&A sessions with faculty and classmates
Engagement 2 h/week 14
via live sessions or discussion forums
Completing quizzes 2 h/week 14
63 hours
Total
(60 hours target)

Completing required reading in published notes and

1 h/week 7
mastering concepts
Completing and mastering further reading from free
1 h/week 7
resources as indicated by the instructor
Reviewing and mastering further multimedia content
1 h/week 7
available in the online course
Preparing for 7 quizzes 4 h/quiz 28
Preparation Completing 3 collaborative-review essays 4 h/essay 12
Reviewing 6 essays from peers 1 h/essay 6
Completing research and development of work group
3 h/page 36
project (12 pages/average)
Collaborating with teammates via discussion forums to
2.5 h/week 21
complete the work group project
124 hours
Total
(120 hours target)
Total hours students should expect to spend per week = 25.7 hours

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 5 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Graded Assessments and Grading Policies

Graded Assessments and Deadlines
The chart below lists the graded assessments that are required for completion, and the deadlines
for submission. Keep in mind that in each week of this 7-week course you will complete 1 module,
for a total of 7 modules. “M” in the table below stands for ‘Module’ (e.g., M1 is Module 1).

Week Assessment Deadline

Quiz M1
Week 1 End of Week 1
Collaborative Review Task M1 (Submission)
Quiz M2
Week 2 Collaborative Review Task M2 (Submission) End of Week 2
and M1 (Assessment)
Quiz M3
Week 3 Group Work Project - Submission 1 End of Week 3
Collaborative Review Task M2 (Assessment)
Quiz M4
Week 4 End of Week 4
Collaborative Review Task M4 (Submission)
Quiz M5
Week 5 Group Work Project - Submission 2 End of Week 5
Collaborative Review Task M4 (Assessment)

Week 6 Quiz M6 End of Week 6

Quiz M7
Week 7 End of Week 7
Group Work Project - Submission 3

*The week starts on a Tuesday (Day 1) and ends on a Monday (Day 7)

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 6 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Grading Criteria and Points Distribution

Graded assessments are reflected in your final course grade as follows:

Graded Assessment Points Percentage

Quiz M1 20
Quiz M2 20
Quiz M3 20
Quiz M4 20
Quiz M5 20
Quiz M6 20
Quiz M7 20
Quiz Assignments Total 140 35%
Collaborative Review Task M1 (Submission) 20
Collaborative Review Task M1 (Assessment) 6
Collaborative Review Task M2 (Submission) 21
Collaborative Review Task M2 (Assessment) 6
Collaborative Review Task M4 (Submission) 21
Collaborative Review Task M4 (Assessment) 6
Collaborative Review Total 80 20%
Group Work Project – Submission 1 45
Group Work Project – Submission 2 45
Group Work Project – Submission 3 90
Group Work Project Total 180 45%
Course Total 400 100%

You can view your progress (points earned and percentage towards final grade) by clicking
‘Grades” on top left of your online course room.

Grade Percentage
The table below shows how your final grade percentage will be evaluated:

Grade Percentage Explanation

85-100 Excellent
70-84 Proficient
65-69 Satisfactory
0-64 Unsatisfactory
Withdrawal* W
* Students may withdraw from a course before the end of the third (3rd) week by notifying the support team.

To receive a “Certificate of Completion” for this course, you must earn a final grade of 65% or above.

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 7 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Satisfactory Academic Progress

In order to earn the Master of Science in Financial Engineering, you must:
• Maintain a cumulative average score of 70% or above
• Complete the program within the Maximum Time Frame (MTF) of 150% (3 years) of the
scheduled program length of two (2) years.

Course Structure, Student Expectations, and Requirements

The content for each week-long module is released on a Tuesday (Day 1) and ends with the
weekly live lecture on the following Monday (Day 7). Make sure you plan your studies carefully
to maintain a manageable amount of learning each day.

Attendance
Regular attendance and participation are crucial elements for a successful learning experience.
You are required to access the online course room at least once each week, complete all of the
activities listed in the “Graded Assessments and Deadlines” table, and participate in discussion
forums.

Multi-media Content and Reading Assignments

Learning materials are published in the online course room and consist of recorded video lectures,
supplementary notes, and short case studies. Text-based notes are downloadable for offline
studying. You may also be directed to additional videos and articles elsewhere on the web by
faculty. You should use these materials to master the topics and complete the graded
assessments.

Quiz Assignments
Every week, you will be required to complete one quiz consisting of 15 multiple choice questions.
The goal of these quizzes is to assess your understanding of the current week’s content. To
promote mastery of the concepts encountered during the week, two attempts are allowed for
each quiz; the highest score will count towards your final grade. Quiz assignments are
automatically graded, and the grade is readily available to you in your online gradebook.

Your grades for the quiz assignments will comprise 35% of your final grade.

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 8 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Collaborative Review
In Week 1, 2, and 4, you are required to complete a short assessment for collaborative review
based on the current week's work. After submitting it online by the end of Sunday (Day 6), you
are required to assess two of your peers’ assignments as well as your own. Your review is based
on four criteria included in the rubric posted online. For each criterion, select one of the four levels
of evaluation as follows: “Excellent”, “Proficient”, “Satisfactory”, or “Unsatisfactory”.

You will have until the following Sunday to assess these assignments. The grade you obtain for
your collaborative-reviewed assignments will comprise 20% of your final grade.

Posting Questions for Live Lectures

Throughout the week, if you have any questions regarding the core learning content or
assessments, you can post them on the Student Community Forum located in the Overview
section of your online classroom. Key topics will be addressed in the live lecture every Monday
(Day 7) in addition of being answered in the forum. All live lectures are recorded and will be made
available on the WQU platform for you to access at any time.

Group Work Project and Grading Rubric

For the duration of each course, you will be required to work on a group project together with
four of your peers. The topic will encapsulate the relevant coursework, and your group will be
required to submit three drafts – in weeks 3, 5, and 7 – for instructor’s assessment. Within a week
of each submission, your group will receive feedback from the instructor, enabling you to
implement changes ahead of the second and final submission.

You will use a group discussion forum open only to your group members to collaborate in the
project. Your grades for the three submitted drafts will comprise 45% of your final grade.

The instructor will use the grading rubric in the following page to evaluate the three submissions
(drafts) of the group work project.

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 9 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Assessment Excellent Proficient Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Percentage Points Points

Criteria 85-100%
Knowledge The group presents a clear,
of the coherent and noteworthy paper
Content that demonstrates full
understanding of their subject
matter. They have answered most
of the questions applying critical
thinking. Their chosen evidence is
thorough, relevant and clearly
presented.
70-84%
The group produces a strong
paper that demonstrates that they
understand the subject matter.
They have answered most of the
questions applying critical
thinking. The group demonstrates
awareness of the literature they
refer to.
65-69% 0-64% of Overall Possible Possible
Grade (Drafts 1 - 2) (Draft 3)
The group has produced an The group has produced a weak
adequate paper, reflecting some paper that needs considerable
knowledge of the subject matter. revision. The paper lacks in
The paper has some content, and content, and not all the
some critical thinking has been questions have been answered. 30% 14 27
applied to answer the questions. Overall, the paper reflects a poor
The group may struggle in understanding of the topic.
relating references to their
argument.

Research The group has demonstrated
strong skills in their selection and
use of peer-reviewed resources to
present original ideas in the
context of the selected
references.
Methods The group has demonstrated to
and be able to analyze their argument
Analysis and draw logical and valid
conclusions based on their
research.
If applicable: the code
accompanying the paper is very
well commented and easy to
follow. The executed program
provides the expected results and
meets all the given specifications.
Argument The group has structured a clear
and and coherent argument, including
Conclusions introduction, body, and
conclusion.
Writing The group has presented their
Components assignment in a clear and
and coherent manner, with consistent
Formatting formatting and clear referencing.
The work is free of grammar
errors and typos.
The group has referenced reliable
peer-reviewed resources to
support their argument.
The group has demonstrated to
be able to analyze their argument
and draw logical conclusions for
the most part. Their analysis may
be somewhat derivative and/or
may lack deeper insight.
If applicable: the code
accompanying the paper is
commented and is fairly easy to
follow. The executed program
provides acceptable results and
meets most of the specifications.
The group has structured an
argument and included an
introduction, a body, and a
conclusion.
The group has presented their
assignment in a clear and
coherent manner, with sufficient
formatting and clear referencing.
The work may have a few
grammar errors and typos.
The group has used some peer-
reviewed resources however the
selected resources have only been
partially incorporated in their
argument.
The group has demonstrated poor
ability to analyze their argument
and draw logical conclusions.
Their analysis is weakly supported
by their research.
If applicable; the code
accompanying the paper is poorly
commented and is not easy to
follow. The program provides
results however it does not meet
most of the specifications.
The group has included the main
elements of an argument:
introduction, body and
conclusion; however, they make a
weak/unclear argument.
The group has presented their
assignment adequately, with some
consideration of formatting and
referencing. There are some
grammar errors and typos.
The group has only used
Internet resources (i.e.,
Wikipedia) or similar non-
academic resources to support
20% 9 18
their argument. Referencing is
scant.
The group has not been able to
analyze their argument. Their
analysis is vaguely connected to
their research.
If applicable: the code
accompanying the paper is not
sufficiently commented and it is
20% 9 18
difficult to follow. The program
does not provide the expected
results and does not meet the
specifications.
The group has nominal
introduction and conclusion, but
this does not build to a 20% 9 18
coherent, logical argument. The
paper may be contradictory.
The group has presented their
assignment with poor formatting
and inadequate referencing.
There are several grammar
10% 4 9
errors and typos.
Total 100% 45 90

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 10 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Academic Policies
This section includes a portion of the policies enforced at WorldQuant University. A complete list
of the academic policies is included in the University Catalog.

Academic Integrity
Commitment to the principles of academic honesty and integrity is essential to the mission of
WQU.

All work submitted in a course must be the student’s own work. The knowing submission of
another’s work represented as that of the student without properly citing the source of the work
will be considered plagiarism. Consequences for plagiarism include: receiving a failing grade on
the assignment and being placed on academic probation, receiving a failing grade in the course
and being placed on academic probation, or being dismissed from WQU. The consequences will
be determined by and at the discretion of the Academic Dean in consultation with the CEO and/or
faculty members.

In making this determination, WQU may conduct an investigation to review past homework
assignments submitted by the student and reserves the right to change past grades if plagiarism
is subsequently found in previous assignments. The submission of the same work to multiple
courses violates academic integrity unless substantially changed or cited as previous work. The
submission of work completed by others violates academic integrity.

Students who are accused of academic dishonesty can appeal the determination to the Academic
Dean. Appeals must be made in writing and include supporting documentation. The Academic
Dean will review the appeal and documentation in consultation with the President and/or faculty
members, as needed, and make a final decision on the academic dishonesty determination within
five (5) days. Students will be notified of the decision on appeals in writing and all documentation
will be added to the student’s record.

Code of Conduct
The Student Code of Conduct sets forth the standards of conduct expected of students at WQU.
This code is not exhaustive, and students may be subject to disciplinary actions for other behavior
and/or activities deemed unacceptable or disruptive to the goals and mission of WQU and the
expectation of professionalism in the online learning environment.

Students who violate these standards will be subject to disciplinary actions including, but not
limited to, issuance of a warning, probation, termination, or permanent expulsion. Any and all
disciplinary action will be recorded in the student’s academic record.

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 11 of 12
 MScFE 560 FM
Course Syllabus
Revised: 1.2.19

Prohibited Conduct
All forms of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating, fabrication, plagiarism,
and engaging in or facilitating academic dishonesty, republishing or redistributing any course
materials, your work, or another student's work, including uploading content to websites or
linking to it through services, is prohibited. Assignments, notes, assessments, audio or video
recordings, and other documents and information within a course are the property of WQU unless
explicitly noted.

• Plagiarism is defined as representing words, ideas, or other works of another individual

or entity as your own without giving proper credit to the original author or source.
• Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information,
study aids, or computer-related information.
• Self-Plagiarism is defined as submitting previously submitted course work that may or
may not have received academic credit, without prior approval of faculty.
• Poor scholarship is defined as an incorrect attempt to give credit to or document the use
of an external source.
• Misrepresenting academic engagement is defined as intentionally logging onto the
learning management system without meaningfully engaging in academic activities for
the purpose of demonstrating attendance.
• Impersonation of another, using another person’s identity, or furnishing materially false
information, including manufacturing or possession of false identification.
• Forgery, fabrication, falsification, unauthorized alteration, or misuse of university
documents, records, or identification.

201 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 2500, New Orléans, LA 70170 Page 12 of 12