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UoPX
Business (Graduate)
3 credits

UoPX FIN/571: Corporate Finance

FIN/571 is the MBA corporate finance course, covering financial statement analysis, time value of money, valuation, capital budgeting, and capital structure in six weeks. It has a long-standing reputation as the quantitative gatekeeper of the UoPX MBA.

Fennie is independent and not affiliated with University of Phoenix. This is an unofficial study guide.

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What makes it hard

It's widely called the hardest course in the program, especially for students without a finance background. Time value of money underpins everything from week two on, and the six-week pace means there's no time to relearn it mid-course. Excel competence is assumed; students fighting both the formulas and the spreadsheet at once fall behind fast.

What you'll cover

  • • Financial statement analysis
  • • Time value of money
  • • Stock and bond valuation
  • • Capital budgeting (NPV, IRR)
  • • Risk and return
  • • Capital structure and WACC

The FIN/571 study guide

How to study for UoPX FIN/571, step by step.

  1. 1

    Arrive with time value of money working

    Before week one, be able to compute present and future values confidently. Everything in FIN/571 from week two on assumes it, and the six-week pace leaves no time to relearn fundamentals mid-course.

  2. 2

    Get Excel-fluent before the formulas need it

    Practice NPV, IRR, PV, and FV functions on toy problems early. Students fighting the spreadsheet and the finance at the same time are the ones who fall behind fast.

  3. 3

    Do problems daily, in every unit

    This course's reputation as the MBA's quantitative gatekeeper comes from students who read instead of solved. Valuation and capital budgeting are skills — built by reps, not review.

  4. 4

    Rebuild worked examples from a blank sheet

    After studying an example, close it and reproduce the full analysis — inputs, formula choice, interpretation. If you can't run an NPV analysis without the example open, you can't run it on the assessment.

  5. 5

    Connect every calculation to the decision

    Graduate rubrics want the 'so what': does the project clear the hurdle rate, should the firm issue debt or equity. End each problem with the managerial conclusion in a sentence.

  6. 6

    Front-load the foundation with Fennie

    Upload the FIN/571 syllabus and Fennie's Daily Plan drills time value of money solid in week one — because every later week depends on it — with practice problems generated from the actual course material. Free to start.

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How Fennie helps with FIN/571

Fennie's Daily Plans front-load FIN/571's foundation — time value of money drilled solid in week one, because every later week depends on it. Chat steps through valuation and capital budgeting problems with the reasoning shown, and practice problems confirm you can run an NPV analysis without a worked example open.

FAQ

Is FIN/571 the hardest course in the UoPX MBA?

It has that reputation, especially for students without a finance or accounting background. The math is the barrier: time value of money, valuation, and capital budgeting are cumulative and the 6-week pace is unforgiving. Strong weekly practice habits get students through.

How do I prepare for FIN/571?

Brush up on time value of money and basic Excel before week one. If you can compute present and future values confidently on day one, the rest of the course builds logically; if not, you'll be relearning fundamentals while new material piles on.

How much math is in FIN/571?

Constant applied math — formulas, spreadsheet models, and multi-step problems — but nothing beyond algebra. The difficulty is conceptual setup and volume under time pressure, not advanced mathematics.

Pass FIN/571 with a plan, not a cram

Upload your FIN/571 materials and Fennie generates a Daily Plan paced to your deadline — plus chat, flashcards, and quizzes built from the actual course content.

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More UoPX courses

MGT/521 — Management

MGT/521 is a core MBA course covering management theory and practice — planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, plus organizational culture, strategy basics, and change management. It's often one of the first courses in the MBA sequence.

ACC/561 — Accounting

ACC/561 is the MBA accounting course, spanning financial statements, ratio analysis, and managerial accounting topics like budgeting and cost behavior in six weeks. Alongside FIN/571, it forms the quantitative core of the UoPX MBA.