Financial Strategy

Financial Strategy

About the Financial Strategy Certificate

Financial strategists working in corporations and firms are responsible for making key financial assessments on behalf of the organisation. On a day to day basis, a financial strategist must analyse sets of financial data in order to make educated recommendations about the best way to handle a business’ funds and generate profit.

During the course of the qualification, learndirect’s students will complete six engaging modules. These online home study units have been designed build on a student’s pre-existing financial knowledge and familiarise them with all of the key issues and concepts in the field. Altogether, the course should take approximately 120 hours to complete.

Who should study this course?

This home learning course has been designed to build on our finance and accounting course. However, as there are no entry requirements for this course, it is not essential that students complete this course first.

As long as students have an interest in financial strategy, the motivation to engage in independent home study, and a way to access our interactive e-learning materials, then they are free to enrol today.

What happens after the course?

On successful completion of this financial strategy course, students will have a broader understanding of how strategic financial analysis works. They will also feel more comfortable working with and discussing corporate finance and strategy.

Those who want to work as a financial strategist will first need to gain a higher level qualification, such as financial strategy degree course. This course will certainly give students a head start in their studies and could eventually lead them to a career in:

• Financial strategy
• Accounting
• Investments

For more information about this course, give us a call on this number: 01202 006 464

Modules

Unit 1: Introductory Issues and Concepts

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Role of the financial manager
• The finance decision
• Concept of value
• Value determinants
• Risk-return trade-off
• The accountant versus the strategist
• Delivering value
• Limitations on value-creating behaviour
• Corporate governance
• Summary

Unit 2: Company Valuation

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Valuation of quoted companies
• Valuing unquoted companies using alternative valuation techniques
• Shareholder value analysis (SVA)
• Summary

Unit 3: Investment Decisions

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Investment decisions and appraisal methods
• Investment appraisal techniques
• Discounting methods/discounted cash flow (DCF)
• Applications of project appraisal
• Risk and uncertainty in project appraisal
• Summary

Unit 4: Financing Decisions

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Financial planning
• Working capital management
• Sources of long-term finanace
• Summary

Unit 5: Required Return on Investment

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Cost of debt
• Cost of equity (Return required by shareholders)
• Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
• Required rate of return when equity and debt are combined
• Gearing and company value
• Summary

Unit 6: Delivering Value

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Total shareholder return (TSR)
• Theories of dividend policy
• Evaluation of the irrelevance argument
• Objections to divided irrelevence
• Divided policy: key determinants
• Share buy-backs
• Summary

For a more detailed syllabus on this course, click here

Entry Requirements

There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 24 months.

Assessment Method

After each lesson there will be a question paper, which needs to be completed and submitted to your personal tutor for marking. This method of continual assessment ensures that your personal tutor can consistently monitor your progress and provide you with assistance throughout the duration of the course.

On successful completion of your course you will receive the learndirect Certificate of Completion of Training in Financial Strategy.

Your course certificate will also state the number of CPD points/hours the course is eligible for.

View a sample of the certificate (opens in new window)

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