Advanced Topics in Finance 7.5 credits

This course presents a mix of selected topics in finance at the advanced level. Its main purpose is to provide students with knowledge that is central to academics and professionals in finance, and to serve as a preparation for writing a thesis in finance at the advanced level. Students will complete assignments, where the application of empirical methods in various contexts is necessary, introducing students to applied research in finance. In the assignments, students will get familiar with academic and professional papers in finance, with retrieving financial information from common databases, and with applying empirical methods using that information. Topics that are commonly covered in the course lie within (but are not restricted to) the following: - Introduction to statistical softwares and common databases - Asset valuation - Asset pricing - Market efficiency - Risk management - Financial stability - Macro-finance - Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring - Financial institutions **Connection to Research and Practice** Financial theories are presented in connection with empirical work and real-world problems. The course is also related to research and practice as students write assignments which review key academic papers on the various topics covered in the course, identify the relevant theoretical and empirical frameworks to be used, apply the relevant empirical methods using data retrieved from common databases, and identify avenues for more in-depth applied research in finance.