One of the lessons learned during COVID is the importance of clear communications. Effective public health communications saves lives; bad communications creates fear, uncertainty and worse. Good communications can also make better health policy and expand budgets, saving even more lives.
But too often, senior executives in the public, private or non-profit sector expect that their good works alone are sufficient to gain the support of others, maintain funding, or advance a critical policy agenda. Unfortunately, it isn’t so. In an age of media oversaturation, rapid technology advances that continually atomize people’s attention, and intense competition among interest groups for decisionmakers’ hearts, minds and budgets, successful health professionals must include issue advocacy and communications in their arsenal of weapons to keep their interests relevant and compelling, to move others to action, or to affect public policy.
This course focuses on the practical aspects of issue advocacy and public health communications. It is designed to give the public health professional an introduction to issue advocacy and public health communications, and an understanding of the critical components of developing and implementing such campaigns.
Nutrition has rapidly become a focus for US and International Health Policy as well as scores of non-governmental Public Health Programs. This course introduces students to the landscape of Nutrition policy and initiatives worldwide, as well as the deeply entwined relationship between Nutrition and international trade and agriculture. Through a variety of guest lectures, students will encounter diverse and cutting-edge perspectives on international nutrition policy and practice. Students will offer their own presentations and complete four papers but will not be given exams. Students may take this course for 2 or 3 credits.
This course addresses the main global macroeconomic risks faced by businesses and governments in the present post-financial crisis era. Some of the questions that we examine include: What are the risks of future financial crises and what are the consequences of new financial regulation? Are the large government debts in the industrialized world going to be problematic over the longer term? What are the main risks with the path of current monetary policies in different nations? How are technological innovation and globalization structurally changing the labor market? And how should companies, government, and workers respond? How is the growth of emerging economies changing energy and other commodity markets and how is this impacting the environment? Is the US dollar declining in importance as the worlds reserve currency? The class will address these topics as a conversation through which the two faculty members will highlight the linkages between theory and practice. Since the course draws heavily from current events, it is critical for students to stay informed about current macroeconomic news, and active class participation throughout the term is very important and highly encouraged.
The field of global health has changed dramatically in recent years, with many new institutions, financing arrangements, and ways of working together. This course will analyze innovation in global health policy through case studies of initiatives ranging from new financing mechanisms to new incentives for drug and vaccine development to new ways to get these medicines to those who need them. Each case study will examine not only the design and impact of the initiative but also the path it took from idea to implementation—in this way the course will study how policy innovation happens and the factors that influence whether promising ideas succeed or fail. Through lectures, group presentations, and class discussions, we will examine the problems that these new initiatives sought to solve, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and assess the political context in which they were developed and realized
Understand the art of deal-making and business development in Africa from a leading practitioner, with an emphasis on Sub Saharan Africa. This course will be relevant to students with an interest in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors in Africa, and emerging markets more broadly.
Students will gain a deep understanding of the dynamic business ecosystems across Africa and the macroeconomic policies shaping the continent’s future. We will dissect case studies of prominent deals, local success stories and failures, profiles in leadership, economic policy, and the experience of multinational firms in Africa. Students will gain applied practice in building a business in Africa, in investment analysis, learn how to originate and pitch a transaction to an important Africa-based client, and deliver arguments to a global multinational demonstrating why investing in Africa promises superior risk weighted returns.
What “prize” does Africa offer businesses and investors from its’ exploding population, and what is the consequence for the world if Africa fails to deliver resources to its’ people? What is the future for “engine room” countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia? Which companies have “made it”, what are the “traps” for firms, and how can entrepreneurs structure businesses and deals to mitigate risk? How do we compare and contrast the impact of different economic policy models on private sector development in emerging markets? How are the USA and China fairing in their battle for Africa?
Students will learn the latest trends across industries in Africa, from consumer, energy, fintech and industrial processes and how technology is revolutionizing Africa, helping to leapfrog from traditional processes to efficient, fast moving and transformative processes. Develop a clear understanding of the forces driving the continent, and where the opportunities by country and industry lie. Learn the regulatory traps, and how they impact business development. And experience firsthand how negotiating the public–private interface, networking, and sensitivity to subtle language, cultural and historical references can make the difference between success and failure when doing business in Africa. As Africa enters the age of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, prepare yourself for the world’s last largely untapped market.
Understand the art of deal-making and business development in Africa from a leading practitioner, with an emphasis on Sub Saharan Africa. This course will be relevant to students with an interest in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors in Africa, and emerging markets more broadly.
Students will gain a deep understanding of the dynamic business ecosystems across Africa and the macroeconomic policies shaping the continent’s future. We will dissect case studies of prominent deals, local success stories and failures, profiles in leadership, economic policy, and the experience of multinational firms in Africa. Students will gain applied practice in building a business in Africa, in investment analysis, learn how to originate and pitch a transaction to an important Africa-based client, and deliver arguments to a global multinational demonstrating why investing in Africa promises superior risk weighted returns.
What “prize” does Africa offer businesses and investors from its’ exploding population, and what is the consequence for the world if Africa fails to deliver resources to its’ people? What is the future for “engine room” countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia? Which companies have “made it”, what are the “traps” for firms, and how can entrepreneurs structure businesses and deals to mitigate risk? How do we compare and contrast the impact of different economic policy models on private sector development in emerging markets? How are the USA and China fairing in their battle for Africa?
Students will learn the latest trends across industries in Africa, from consumer, energy, fintech and industrial processes and how technology is revolutionizing Africa, helping to leapfrog from traditional processes to efficient, fast moving and transformative processes. Develop a clear understanding of the forces driving the continent, and where the opportunities by country and industry lie. Learn the regulatory traps, and how they impact business development. And experience firsthand how negotiating the public–private interface, networking, and sensitivity to subtle language, cultural and historical references can make the difference between success and failure when doing business in Africa. As Africa enters the age of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, prepare yourself for the world’s last largely untapped market.
This is the first of four didactic courses that discuss techniques for anesthetic administration and related technologies in the context of various surgical and diagnostic interventions in diverse anesthetizing locations. Focus is assessment and management of monitoring modalities and other techniques in the perioperative environment. Cultural humility will be incorporated into care plans to develop anesthetic management individualized to patient identities and cultures while including an emphasis on social and cultural health disparities.
This lab is the first of three lab/simulation courses. Focus is placed upon essential technology and procedures utilized in the management of the patient during the preoperative, intraoperative, and the postoperative period. The course activities promote a synthesis of lecture content obtained in Principles & Practice of Nurse Anesthesia I course. Lab/simulation experiences will develop the psychomotor skills and critical thinking inherent to the practice of nurse anesthesia. Specific procedural skills must be safely demonstrated. Cultural humility will be incorporated into care plans and simulations to develop anesthetic management individualized to patient identities and cultures while including an emphasis on social and cultural health disparities.
Individual projects in composition.
The course seeks to bridge two intimately related studies that currently exist within the Film Program: 1. intensive academic analysis of filmmaking practices/principles and, 2. the practitioner’s creative/pragmatic application of those practices/principles in their own work. Students will study, through screenings, lectures and personal research, an overview of various directing forms/methodologies (conventional coverage, expressive directing, comedy directing, subjective directing, objective directing, multiple-protagonist narrative, etc.) with a primary focus on the Western classic narrative tradition. The visual grammar, axiomatic principles, structural necessities of a variety of directing forms/genres will be analyzed and compared with works of art from other disciplines (poetry, painting, sculpture, etc.) and cultures. The ultimate goal is student implementation of these principles in their own work, exposure to and examination of some works of the established canon, as well as a greater understanding of the context in which creation occurs.
This is the fourth didactic course that discusses the various methods and techniques of anesthesia administration with an emphasis on the physiological basis for practice. Alterations in homeostatic mechanisms and advanced anesthetic management throughout the perioperative continuum of patients undergoing advanced, complex surgeries and procedures are emphasized. Cultural humility will be incorporated into care plans to develop anesthetic management individualized to patient identities and cultures while including an emphasis on social and cultural health disparities.
Controversial topics include, the quality of voters’ electoral decision-making, the responsiveness of policy to voter preferences, inequalities in political representation, the engines driving voter polarization, whether efforts to increase voter turnout would result in different election outcomes, plus more.
This class is not about debates and controversies about politics but rather, controversies within political science, largely about causal inference in the study of US politics.
Macroeconomics is in the news every day. Anyone who pays attention to the news knows that the crash in the US housing market in 2008 caused dramatic perturbations to financial markets all around the world. This, in turn, triggered very strong responses by governments in the US (in particular the Federal Reserve and the Treasury), as well as in other countries. This meltdown in financial markets and the interventions from policymakers raise a number of key questions about the health and the future of the economy in the US and abroad, which we will address in the Global Economic Environment II course.This course is a sequel to the core course Global Economic Environment. Building on the fundamentals introduced in that course, we develop a conceptual framework to explain the complex interactions between macroeconomic policy, asset prices, and business cycle fluctuations. In particular, we examine macroeconomic forecasting, determinants, and implications of budget deficits, the conduct and implementation of monetary policy, and the determinants of inflation in the U.S. and other market economies around the world. Special attention is given to the interactions between macroeconomic forces and asset prices.Since an important goal of this course is for students to become informed and sophisticated consumers of economic news, the issues discussed in this course draw heavily from current events and real-world examples.
Note I: The core course GEE while recommended is not a pre-requisite for taking GEEII. Students who expect to exempt from the core course GEE are recommended to take GEEII instead.
This course will examine the linkages between urban governance structures and an economically successful democratic city. We will consider the particular policy challenges that confront both developed and developing cities in the 21st century. It will be important to understand the institutional political causes of urban economic decline, the unique fiscal and legal constraints on city governments as well as the opportunities that only cities offer for democratic participation and sustainable economic growth. The course will draw on case material from primarily American cities and from other developing and developed cities around the globe. It is important to keep in mind that creative policy solutions to the problems of urban economic sustainability may be found in small towns, in rural areas, in private businesses or in other global cities. The utility of importing ideas and programs rests on a practical understanding of politics in that city or community and an effective implementation strategy. Our objective in this course is not simply to understand the challenges to governing the 21st century city but also the policies that promote effective urban governance and economic sustainability.
The course is intended to help students understand the role that financial markets and monetary policy play in the global economic environment that they will have to face in the future. It also provides an understanding of the underlying institutions, both political and economic, that either make financial markets work well or that interfere with the efficient performance of these markets. The course develops a series of applications of principles from finance and economics that explore the connection between financial markets and the macro economy. In addition, given the instructor’s prior position as a governor of the Federal Reserve, the class also provides an inside view on how the most important players in financial markets, central banks, operate and how monetary policy is conducted. The course will have a strong international orientation by examining monetary policy and financial crises in many countries and possible reforms of the international financial system. We will also focus on current events reported in the financial press with an extensive and open-ended discussion of 20-30 30 minutes in every class in which we will use the analytic frameworks developed in class to help us to understand these developments.
Technological innovation has been transforming the financial services industry, and further disruption is almost a certainty. Financial Technology (“FinTech”) start-ups are tackling many realms of consumer financial services, including mobile payments, foreign exchange, marketplace (peer-to-peer) lending, saving and investing, financial advice (robo-advisers), and property-casualty, health and life insurance.
The goal of this course is to understand the economic and technological forces driving this change and to learn how to harness them in a responsible way. The curriculum is organized by product areas within consumer financial services, and for each area we’ll cover the underlying economics, the technology, the public policy issues, the competition, and the potential for collaboration between start-ups and the incumbents. Note that we will not cover in depth the topics of cryptocurrencies and blockchain - if these are your primary interests, there are other courses offered focusing specifically on these topics.
A key component of the course is a collaborative team student project: each team will propose and develop a prototype for a new fintech venture. At the end of the semester each team will present its project to the class, and a guest from an NYC venture capital firm will join us and provide feedback.
Data analysis in economics, or "econometrics" as it is called by practitioners, has moved away from mathematical complexity and towards simpler tools that are accessible to businesses and can be applied easily to big data. This course will provide students with an understanding of three widely used techniques in modern econometrics: randomized control trials, regression discontinuity, and differences-in-differences. After learning how these tools provide superior analytic results than traditional regression techniques in making inferences about the real world, students will gain the practical knowledge to wield them successfully and make better decisions with data.
Are Google search practices anticompetitive? Should Facebook be broken up? Does Amazon have too much market power? The course will present the economic rationale for competition policy and provide students with an understanding of the practice of competition law. Through the examination of prominent antitrust actions, we will review the economic theories underlying competition law and we will discuss how competition policy places limits on firm behavior and affects firm strategies and managerial choices. The course will start with an overview of the institutional framework of competition policy in the U.S. and in the E.U. and an economic analysis of welfare implications of market power. Then, it will address different types of actions that are the focus of competition policy enforcement: mergers, collusions, and unilateral conducts. These actions will be analyzed through the study of well-known antitrust actions in the U.S. and in the E.U. In particular, the course will focus on recent cases in the digital economy.
The purpose of the course is to help students understand, predict, adapt to and shape the evolving world of political economy from the various vantages they will hold during their careers. Part One examines the foundations of modern political economy laid by the grand masters Smith, Marx, Keynes and Schumpeter. Part Two examines development in American political economy during the 20th century. Part Three examines whether events so far in the 21st century signal sea changes in American and international political economy.
This course aims to familiarize graduate students with the different methods and approaches that US and European scholars have used to study gender and sexuality in other societies generally, and the way they study them in the context of the Arab World specifically. The course will also explore how Arab scholars have also studied their own societies. We will survey these different approaches, both theoretical and empirical, outlining their methodological difficulties and limitations. Readings will consist of theoretical elaborations of these difficulties and the methodological and empirical critiques that the field itself has generated in order to elaborate how gender and sexuality in the Arab World have been studied, or more accurately, not studied, and how many of these methodological pitfalls can be avoided.
Explores the different types of television and the ways in which producing is defined differently from theatrical narratives. Covers series television (both scripted and unscripted), made-for-TV movies, mini-series and other forms of television; the roles of the writer/producer, the show runner, and the director in different forms of television; how television is developed; and the implications of changing business models. Open to all SoA students.
This course provides a primer on analyzing investment grade corporate bonds. It takes an investor perspective (to evaluate / quantify risk-reward across various IG corporate industries and companies) and a management perspective (to identify optimal capital structure/credit ratings). The course incorporates guest speakers from various functionalities on the buy side (portfolio managers, analysts, and traders), the sell side (underwriters, sales/trading/research), and the management side (treasurers). It will include an overview of “crossover” corporate bonds (falling angels/rising stars), LBO targets, ESG instruments such as green bonds and sustainability-linked bonds, and “corporate-adjacent” bonds (ABS, CMBS, munis). Students will gain exposure to both top-down and bottom-up approaches to IG corporate
bond research and analysis.
As human populations continue to expand, concurrent increases in energy and food will be required. Consequently, fossil fuel burning and deforestation will continue to be human-derived sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The current annual rate of CO2 increase (~0.5%) is expected to continue with global atmospheric concentrations exceeding 600 parts per million (ppm) by the end of the current century. The increase in carbon dioxide, in turn, has ramifications for both climate change but also for plant biology. In this course, our focus will be on how CO2 and climate change alter plant biology and the subsequent consequences for human health.
Overall, the course will have three main components. We begin with an overview of interactions between the plant kingdom and human health, from food supply and nutrition to toxicology, contact dermatitis, aero-biology, inter alia. In the second section, we segue to an overview of rising CO2 and climate change, and how those impacts in turn, will influence all of the interactions related to plant biology and health with a merited focus on food security. Finally, for the remainder of the course, our emphasis will be on evaluating preventative strategies related to mitigation and adaptation to climate change impacts specific to potential transformations of plant biology’s traditional role in human society.
The course is appropriate for students who are interested in global climate change and who wish to expand their general knowledge as to likely outcomes related to plant biology, from food security to nutrition, from pollen allergens to ethnopharmacology.
This 15-week course during the second term of the DPT curriculum is a clinical science course with an emphasis on building foundational patient care skills as they pertain primarily to the acute care and inpatient rehabilitation settings.
This course focuses on developing basic knowledge and skills required to deliver physical therapy services in the earliest stages of recovery, from critical care to inpatient rehabilitation. Students will learn to combine data from multiple sources (including patient history, laboratory results, and patient examination) to produce a diagnosis and prognosis and develop an individualized plan of care. Students learn basic patient handling skills they will utilize throughout the remainder of the DPT curriculum, and they practice and demonstrate proper selection and use of common assistive devices. There is a concurrent focus on physical therapy documentation and the use of functional goal-writing to support clinical decisions and justify skilled care. Clinical decision-making is developed through role-playing, case study, and review of scientific literature. Emphasis will be placed on the physical therapist acting as part of an interdisciplinary team of providers, and the important role of patient-centered care.
Public health dimensions of climate change are of growing concern in both developing and developed countries. Climate-related health impacts may arise via heat waves, air pollution, airborne allergens, compromised ecological services, water- or vector-borne diseases, and shifts in agricultural productivity. Our ability to identify, understand, predict and ameliorate public health impacts of climate change will depend on how effectively we assimilate and synthesize information and tools from a range of disciplines, including atmospheric sciences, climate modeling, epidemiology, ecology, risk assessment, economics, and public policy. The overall objective of P8304, Public Health Impacts of Climate Change, is to lay a foundation for this cross-disciplinary perspective by engaging graduate students drawn from across the University in topical lectures, group exercises and discussions built around the emerging knowledge base on the public health dimensions of climate change.
Fossil fuel burning and deforestation will continue to be human-derived sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This increase in CO2 and other infra-red trapping gases is of consequence to human health—but for two reasons. The first is one you are all familiar with—climatic change—and the consequences from heat to air pollution, from water quality to migration. The second reason is that CO2 is the source of carbon for plants—and hence for all living things. And that increase, of and by itself, will also impact human health—directly (allergic dermatitis) and indirectly (human nutrition, medicine). All living things will be affected. How they will be affected, the nature of the changes, and finally, the ways and means that we can begin to address the consequences with respect to human health are the core of this course. Ways and means will not only refer to academic or scientific approaches, but a focus on communication. How we can begin to explain the science and the consequences, the uncertainties and the likely outcomes in a way that will illicit change. During this course, students will become knowledgeable about the science of anthropogenic climate change and the consequences as they relate to public health. They will develop practical skills and tools to address impacts in their future careers, including an overview of mitigation and adaptation. The course is designed to not only provide an overview of climate and health, but to foster and develop a means of how to begin to address solutions at different societal levels. Further, this course is designed to nurture a mindset of inquiry and group learning--to communicate those evaluations simply and understandably to a lay audience. The course is appropriate for students who are interested in global climate change and who wish to expand their general knowledge as to causes, outcomes, response and concerns as they relate to public health.
This is a first course in capital markets and investments. The course has three principal goals: To introduce the principles of asset valuation from an applied perspective. The majority of the class is concerned with the valuation of financial securities. The valuation issues to be discussed are heavily used in portfolio management and risk management applications. To introduce the following concepts: Arbitrage. The term structure of interest rates. Portfolio theory, risk-control, and diversification. Equilibrium asset pricing models; the CAPM. Efficient and inefficient markets. Performance evaluation. Pricing and hedging basic derivative securities (futures and options) To provide sufficient background knowledge for students seeking an overview of capital markets and an introduction to advanced finance courses.
Formerly known as Advanced Corporate Finance develops the art and science of optimal strategic decision-making by applying corporate financial theory to cases of financial policy, financial instruments and valuation. In particular, the following topics are studied: cost of capital and capital budgeting, discounted cash flow valuation and financial multiples, payout policy, equity and debt financing, option pricing theory and applications, corporate control and recapitalizations. The classes are structured to maximize the synergy between theory and practice, providing students portable, durable and marketable tools for their internships and careers.
This 8-week course, during the second term of the DPT curriculum, applies the concepts learned in Gross Anatomy, Kinesiology & Biomechanics I, Examination & Evaluation, and Applied Physiology into therapeutic exercise interventions for patient/client care. This course is constructed to introduce basic movement patterns, the common impairments/dysfunctions associated with these patterns, and an introduction to the concepts of patient/client therapeutic exercise design, implementation, and re- evaluation.
The Concepts in Therapeutic Exercise course introduces the student to the underlying frameworks and constructs for normal and dysfunctional movement assessments, and the development of individualized exercise programs as part of the patient management model. Exercise applications that are utilized throughout lifespan that address identified impairments; activity and participation limitations are emphasized. Students will apply clinical decision-making strategies to practice, design, modify and progress exercise programs with proper biomechanical alignment, and proper muscle balance for optimal performance that may include range of motion, postural stabilization, progressive resistive exercise, flexibility, pain, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, closed and open chain exercise applications, and proprioception/balance strategies. These underlying concepts are applied to disorders of the upper quarter, lower quarter, and spine. Video/Case studies presenting with a variety of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, integumentary and cardiopulmonary impairments will be used to develop clinical decision-making and therapeutic exercise design for a variety of clinical disorders. Patient-practitioner interaction as well as patient instruction will be integrated throughout the series.
Successful investing in Equities Markets requires more than just picking stocks given the wide
array of products at a portfolio manager's disposal. Through a combination of lectures, a case
study and guest speakers, this course is intended to provide firsthand experience on how
products like Options, Swaps, Futures, ETFs, and Structured Notes, and are structured, valued,
and used. Although most of the course relates to Equities, there will be some content on
Derivatives on other Asset Classes
Prerequisites: ECON G6411 and G6412. Students will make presentations of original research.
This course focuses on financial stability monitoring and evaluation as an essential discipline for macroeconomic, financial and prudential policymakers. We begin by defining financial stability, examining the dynamic behavior of macroeconomic models with developed models of the financial sector, and considering conceptual frameworks for assessment of threats to financial stability. From there, we identify key signatures of financial instability, how they can be measured and combined in a monitoring system, and how such measurement systems signal changes in the level of systemic risk. Through case studies, class participation and two assignments, you will interpret these measures, develop questions for further investigation and assess the nature and extent of systemic risk. You will be asked to write two policy memoranda: the first proposing and justifying a small set of financial stability indicators for monitoring; and the second assessing the risk of financial instability in indicators for that (or another) country, in indicators of vulnerabilities with strong network effects, and in unconventional risks such as cyber or widespread trade tensions. Both assignments emphasize developing timely and persuasive analysis that prompts policymakers to consider the need for action to preserve financial stability.
Whether you realize it or not, policies over which you have little or no control dictate the nutritional content of the foods you consume. Are these policy decisions well informed by solid scientific evidence? In developing countries where such policies do not exist there is a disproportionately higher prevalence of malnutrition – is there sufficient scientific evidence to warrant implementation of new policies abroad? The overarching goal of this course is to provide a framework for students to become proficient in translational aspects of nutritional science, using a case-studies approach to allow for a very broad, but also in-depth, comprehensive evaluation of a select number of major nutritional issues that are currently being heatedly debated on both local and global scales. The primary focus of the course is on engaging students in the critical appraisal of the continuum between basic research, applied research, and programs and policy decisions related to nutrition. The “cases” in our case-studies approach will use as paradigms a set of emerging international issues related to nutrition and health.
The course is appropriate for students who are interested in expanding their general knowledge base in nutritional sciences and who wish to improve their proficiency in skills necessary to become effective, well-informed consultants for program leaders and policy makers on nutrition-related topics, with broader applications in public health.
As a student and professional focused on Investment Management, you will be asked to repeatedly ramp-up on businesses, to create a variety of analyses and to synthesize your findings in stock pitch. This process can be incredibly daunting when you first try it (and even for experienced, full-time professionals) due to the sheer volume of information available.
The key is ensuring maximum return-on-time in your investment research. In this class, you’ll learn to avoid the typical early-career equity analyst mistakes that waste time and how to zero in on the critical variables that drive the company you’re researching.
You’ll also learn how to connect qualitative and quantitative factors throughout your research process to create a persuasive thesis supported by proprietary research, grounded in detailed financial analysis and presented through compelling visuals that convey your ideas in a succinct, cogent fashion.
In the end, the goal of this course is to help you maximize your efficiency and effectiveness of your research process from the initial ramp-up to the final pitch.
This 7-week course during the fifth term of the DPT curriculum, focuses on the physical therapy management of individuals with: (a) lymphedema and (b) impairments to their skin and its associated structures including the hair, nails, and glands.
This course presents the physical therapy diagnosis and management of clients with lymphedema and integumentary impairments with an emphasis on open wounds. Principles of skin anatomy, wound healing physiology, and factors affecting wound repair provide the foundational knowledge necessary for understanding the principles of integumentary impairments. Physical therapy examination (patient, skin, and wound) and interventions (setting up a sterile field, sharp debridement, management of infection, dressing selection, compressive wrapping, and modalities available for adjunctive care) are covered. Wound etiologies including acute surgical wounds, burns, pressure, vascular and neuropathic ulcers encountered in the clinical arena and current treatment that facilitate wound healing and closure are delineated. The principles of lymphedema pathophysiology, including classification by level of tissue involvement, and treatment are covered. Course content is framed in a biopsychosocial model that explores interprofessional collaboration and psychosocial factors influencing care delivery through cased-based learning strategies.
This short course will start with a brief overview of the post-crisis reforms and focus on the gap that macroprudential policy was meant to fill: the lack of a system-wide perspective on financial stability. It will explore the conceptual and practical difficulties in defining financial stability and setting an operational target for policy; provide a high-level overview of the tools for monitoring systemic risk, including stress tests, as well as of the various macroprudential policy instruments available to mitigate it; and discuss the governance challenges in setting up an institutional framework for macroprudential policy. The course will review how the major advanced economies (US, UK, Euro area) have tackled these issues, as well as discuss aspects of macroprudential policy specific to emerging market (EM) and developing countries. Lastly, the course will examine recent and emerging challenges to financial stability, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, cyber risk, and the transition to a low-carbon economy; discuss the experience so far with macroprudential policy responses to these challenges; and assess the adequacy of the existing tools to address them.
This course will have a practical focus, emphasizing the perspective and actual experience of policymakers. By the end of this course, students should have a good understanding of the concepts of financial stability and systemic risk and their measurement, as well as how they are applied in the real world; the difference between the micro- and macro-prudential approach to financial regulation; the architecture and working of macroprudential policy in a variety of country circumstances; the role of central banks and the associated political economy challenges; and emerging risks to financial stability. Students will be encouraged, including through class discussions and assignments, to approach these issues from the standpoint of policymakers.
“Accuracy is fundamental to genealogical research. Without it, a family’s history would be fiction.” (Genealogy Standards)
With the emergence of autofiction, creative non-fiction, and the transformation of the memoir as a genre, along with the explosion of amateur online genealogy, social media, and before it, reality television and video game avatars, the concept of the individual in their minutiae has never been so evident. But even with all this self-portraiture, autobiography, documentation of daily life, surrogates, and general oversharing—are we any closer to really knowing the truth about ourselves or our species?
Using ourselves and our art as starting points, we will explore throughout this course other artists’ lives and how autobiography and genealogy play a role in art and fiction and vice versa. During this “lives of lives” genealogical adventure, surprises, micro-histories, and secrets will be discovered and divulged with accuracy and abundance.
A variety of media and content will be covered including the work of Hilton Als, Gloria Anzaldúa, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, Edmund de Waal, Percival Everett, Amy Fung, Henry Louis Gates, Saidiya Hartman, Todd Haynes, Siri Hustvedt, Derek Jarman, Fenton Johnson, Nella Larsen, Kiese Laymon, Li Young Lee, Audre Lorde, Édouard Louis, Helen MacDonald, Brian O’Doherty/Patrick Ireland, Gordon Parks, George Perec, Sharifa Rhodes-Pitt, Dorothea Tanning, Yoko Tawada, and Agnés Varda. Course guests and field trips will include professionals working in the fields of art, autobiography, fiction, and genealogy.
Lecture and in-class practice to help develop the skill to analyze experimental data and evaluate literature reports regarding toxicokinetic aspects of chemical exposure. Emphasis on the ability to solve real problems. Topics cover the concept of compartment, analysis of blood and urine data, absorption kinetics, multi- or noncompartment analysis, PBPK modeling and risk assessment, and factors affecting toxicokinetic parameters of environmental toxicants. Midterm exam and final presentation.
In this class, students will be introduced to a variety of hybrid public/private equity investing strategies and situations, including (pre-IPO) crossover funds, tactical opportunity funds, SPACs, PIPEs, take-privates, and more. We will discuss the key similarities and differences between public and private investing, highlighting areas of synergy (and dis-synergy) in the investment process. Teaching methods will include an upfront review of hybrid investment frameworks, hands-on analysis of case studies and real-life situations, and insights from many guest speakers.
Pre-Req: B8306 - Capital Markets & Investments
In most business circumstances, managers and organizations take decisions that affect each other. We call such situations games." Game Theory provides a framework for analyzing and predicting behaviors and outcomes in situations of strategic interaction. The goal of this course is to provide students with the essential tools of game theory, and demonstrate their use by applying them to a variety business situations and cases."
Prerequisites: G6215 and G6216. Open-economy macroeconomics, computational methods for dynamic equilibrium analysis, and sources of business cycles.
What happens when we reject the classic hero’s journey in favor of new myths? From folktales to franchises, this course from the Digital Storytelling Lab will explore transportive worlds and the methods used to create them. Collectively, we will deconstruct the idea that World-Building is a private practice and instead, uplift the notion that it is a creative tool to strengthen stories and expand ideas. As Author and activist Clarice Lispector writes: “Creating isn't imagination, it's taking the great risk of grasping reality,” but what happens when we use World-Building to shift the systems that govern our reality?
Leveraging storytelling techniques of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) and Role Playing Games (RPGs), we will collectively build a world that transcends the classroom and moves into the outside world, ultimately bringing participants together to tackle complex issues and redefine solo authorship as a collaborative space. This course culminates in the collective experience of each other’s worlds and the Alternate Reality experiences therein. There are no prerequisites for this course.
This course addresses the current structure of deployed applications on the blockchain and the structure of communication across protocols and blockchains. It will begin by covering the fundamental building blocks of on-chain activity: AMMs, borrow/lending protocols, oracles, and bridges. The course will then shift toward analysis of these protocols, including previous hacks/exploits, risk evaluation, and implications for both crypto and financial markets structure
This course provides students with an overview of recent and emerging topics in private equity that influence industry decision-makers and capital providers. Understanding the political, regulatory, and macroeconomic issues covered in the course is critical for private equity practitioners’ success in their deal evaluation, valuation, asset allocation, and post-deal integration activities. Discussion and analysis of these topics also ensure that students entering the private equity industry are prepared for conversations about critical topics with their colleagues. The topics for this term are:
? Allocating private equity in the institutional investor’s portfolio and changes to risk and return.
? Blurring the lines between public and private equity: new fund structures and emerging regulation.
? Private equity as venture capital: growth equity and the changing investment model.
? Private equity in emerging markets.
? Does private equity matter? Exploring the impacts of private equity in firms and industries.
We invite an expert guest speaker each week to provide their experience and expectations and the topic. Their participation is paired with lecture material and/or a case discussion. Course materials include background readings, news articles, and academic work on private equity. The course deliverables include case memo writeups – a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis -- and a final project that requires student groups to analyze an emerging topic not covered in the course.
Students are expected to have a mastery of the “mechanics” of private equity, including fund structure, deal structuring options, valuation techniques, the role of operational changes, etc. This mastery is assumed with a student’s completion of the prerequisite course Foundations of Private Equity or with professor's review of a student’s career experience in private equity.
Before taking this course, students are recommended to take B8457 (Foundations of PE I) and B8306 (Capital Markets & Investments).
As the course title implies, we will familiarize students with the tax principles that must be considered by corporate managers and their advisers with respect to transactions that result in a re-alignment of the corporations business activities or its capital structure. In most respects, the course will be taught from the perspective of the outside adviser engaged to provide guidance regarding a major corporate transaction or financing decision. The student will, once the course is completed, secure an ability to recognize common re-structuring/financing scenarios confronting management and be positioned to propose viable solutions to these problems in a manner that minimizes tax outlays, consistent with prudent and, above all, ethical business practice.The course features a final examination and a term paper; typically, but not necessarily, the paper is prepared on a group basis. The readings for the course consist, primarily, of Lehman Brothers Tax and Accounting" Research Reports and "The Willens Report" research pieces and articles from professional taxation journals as well as decided cases and I.R.S. pronouncements.We will supply all such reading materials on the first day of class."
This essential course for EHS professionals introduces the student to the field of Industrial Hygiene and Safety Engineering and the application of their principles in the protection of workers and public. EHS Managers, Researchers, Engineers and Consultants will all find the course of benefit. It provides information on contaminants, hazardous work procedures, exposure monitoring, personal protective equipment, site testing and the equipment used to perform work which has the potential to expose workers above permissible levels. The course curriculum integrates the training requirements for certification by OSHA necessary to conduct basic EHS field activities and allows the student to test for and obtain certification. The OSHA training certificate is an industry recognized continuing education certificate that is accepted by EHS employers.
Superfund sites, environmental investigations, and any other work operation requiring sampling or field research of toxic substances at uncontrolled sites is subject to compliance requirements under OSHA. At the completion of the course the participant will be eligible to take an examination for certification under the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 standard as an “Occasional Site Worker.” Successful completion of the exam and course will give the certificate holder the ability to access hazardous sites to conduct Environmental Health Investigations.
Climate Tech refers to a broad range of technologies designed to mitigate the drivers and impacts of climate change. Development and commercialization of these technologies is essential if humanity is to maintain global prosperity while also avoiding catastrophic climate change. This immersion course provides students with the opportunity to work on a real-world technology to address climate change.
Students will be placed in teams of four, composed of two CBS students and two SEAS engineering students. Student teams will be matched with venture capital funds actively financing climate tech that have identified an innovative technology for mitigating or adapting to climate change. Students will meet virtually with their assigned venture fund at the beginning of the course, during a mid-point check-in, and at the end of the course for the final presentation.
Each team will be tasked with assessing their assigned technology on (i) technical viability, (ii) commercial opportunity, and (iii) impact on mitigating or adapting to climate change. The final course deliverables are a presentation to classmates, a presentation to each team’s assigned investment fund, and a written report or presentation deck for the investment fund. Students are also required to complete a reflections assignment at the conclusion of the course. During weeks 4 – 11 students will spend up to nine hours every week doing independent research, collaborating with the fund, and completing assignments.
The purpose of this immersion course is for students to learn to work in teams across different skill sets and disciplines, combining expertise in business and engineering, with the objective of learning how to evaluate technology solutions to climate change. This course is designed to replicate the real-world experience in which collaborative teams use a multi-disciplinary approach to assess the opportunities, challenges, and impacts of new technology solutions to climate change.
This class, will primarily focus on the challenges of interpreting and performing Shakespeare.
The goal of this course is to give students a stronger theoretical foundation on data science and a provide them with a technical toolkit. This course will prepare students with skills they will need to undertake research that relies on strong quantitative and data science foundations and will help prepare students to excel in other Data Science-focused course offerings in the department of Biostatistics and Environmental Health Science (EHS). This course will build on the first half of P6360 Analysis of Environmental Health Data, which introduces coding in R and the basic framework for conducting EHS-related data analysis across EHS disciplines (e.g., toxicology, epidemiology, climate and health). This course will cover both conceptual and practical topics in data science as they relate to environmental health sciences. Each session will be divided into two parts. In the first hour of the class there will be a lecture. Following a brief 5-minute break, the last two hours of the class will be spent on a lab project where students will apply the methods they learned in the lecture.
This is the first of three consecutive courses focusing on utilizing a systems and developmental approach in primary care. This course will focus on the differential diagnosis and comprehensive care management of commonly encountered acute and chronic physical and mental health illnesses as they affect individuals across the lifespan. For each system studied, health assessment, diagnostic findings, and multi-modal management will be highlighted.
This course was designed to provide a foundation in major topics in Environmental Health, aimed at MPH students in EHS. The course explores fundamental principles of environmental health that are not provided in the other departmental required courses; Risk Assessment, Analysis of Environmental Health Science Data and Fundamentals of Toxicology. Lectures will expand on topics introduced in the Environmental Determinants of Health core course, as well as introducing additions topics deemed central to an MPH student in EHS. This will be team taught and use both didactic and case based approaches to learning. Students will also engage in scientific writing and critical analysis of research in topics relevant to environmental health sciences.
This course explores foundational environmental health laboratory approaches and techniques that cannot be taught in a classroom setting. It provides the necessary hands-on lab experience to supplement theoretical and case-study examples taught in the classroom. Students are exposed to a wide variety of experimental approaches and techniques used in Environmental Health Sciences. Laboratory exercises are flexible and directed, in part, by students’ interests and expertise but may include DNA and/or RNA purification from various biological samples, forensic analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), epigenetic modification/DNA methylation studies, gel electrophoresis, ELISA, heavy metal analysis by MS-ICP, cell culture analysis of potential neurotoxins, radiochemistry, Western blotting, microbial contamination, and others. Students will be expected to read relevant foundational manuscripts and relevant methods papers, as well as keep an accurate and detailed laboratory notebook with their experimental notes, findings and subsequent data analysis. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the material with either written or oral final exam presentations.
This course is designed to be an applications oriented course and will draw heavily upon real world change of control case studies. The course builds on the prior courses in corporate finance. The course will not introduce significantly new finance principles or analytical techniques other than those to which the student has been exposed to previously in the prerequisite introductory courses in finance at Columbia. The course will seek to apply basic finance principles and analytical techniques to actual problems likely to be encountered by senior management of major corporations or those who are the advisors to such management in the context of an M&A transaction. At the conclusion of the course, the student will have gained an appreciation for the role M&A plays on today's corporate landscape and have formed an opinion as to whether or not an M&A transaction makes sense" for the firm. The student should expect at the conclusion of this course to have gained a level of competency in M&A commensurate with an entry-level investment banking associate in M&A. Whether or not the student "practices" M&A, the course will afford the student with an insider's look into what is an undeniable major force on today's corporate landscape. Accordingly, students who are interested in investment banking, consulting, equity research, corporate development, corporate lending, strategic planning, private equity, leveraged finance, or proprietary trading many wish to consider this course."
This course is designed to prepare public health professionals to identify, analyze, and address Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns in the development and implementation of policy and practice related to environmental health, land use, and environmental protection. We will begin by establishing a firm grounding in the theory and evidence behind the American EJ movement through study of the seminal research literature as well as government assessments and case studies of touchstone events. From that point of departure, we will examine existing health disparities and emerging EJ issues, emphasizing the tools available to public health policy makers, researchers, and advocates. We will assess the progress the movement has made in its 30-year history, evaluate the limitations of “first-generation” advocates’ toolbox, explore new approaches that would fully realize EJ goals, and the application of EJ analysis to environmental and health policy. When appropriate, individual class meetings will incorporate interactive exercises, such as role play, aimed at building the students’ ability to analyze issues from different perspectives.
This course studies the evolution of the high yield bond and loan markets, and the behavior of market participants from
peak to trough and back again through various credit cycles. Through lectures, case studies, and guest speakers, we
discuss through-cycle changes in valuation, structure, capital raising, liquidity and other investor considerations.
To provide context, we will use the Caesars/Harrah’s 2006 leveraged buyout as a case study that illustrates each phase
of the credit cycle. Four other case studies (HCA, NXP, Realogy and a contemporary case, TWTR) will be used to highlight
the two extremes of the cycle (“feast” and “famine”), and how they build on the calmer (some might even say boring)
phases of the credit cycle.
Students should leave the course with an understanding of the concept of the credit cycle and the ability to identify peak
and trough conditions and behaviors.
This course presents an in-depth analysis of issues relating to water, sanitation and hygiene in both the developed and developing worlds. Students will become familiar with the hydrologic cycle, the major causes of enteric morbidity and mortality, and the design, financing and implementation of sanitation systems. This course is designed for both engineering and public health students and is intended to foster dialog between the two communities. Class meets once per week for 3 hours, and consists of lecture, discussion of assigned reading, break-out work and student presentations. Student requirements include assigned readings, in-class participation in break-out work, group presentations and a final term paper. Each student will be assigned a break-out group that will work together both during and outside class on a variety of water and sanitation problems. Each group will pick two cities, one in the developed world and one in the developing world, on which they will focus their efforts throughout the term.
The course focuses on the set of concepts and techniques used to analyze and finance income-producing real property. It starts with the characteristics that make real property different, including cash flow uncertainties, debt sources and tax features. It then considers the available strategies and structures of real estate finance, including capital structure choices for construction and permanent financing. Extensive use is then made of cases to illustrate the range of choices and outcomes.
This is the third course of three consecutive courses focusing on a systems and developmental approach in primary care with emphasis on risk assessment, comorbidities and acuity to determine the most appropriate level of care. This course will focus on the differential diagnosis and comprehensive management of commonly encountered acute and chronic physical and mental health illnesses as they affect individuals across the lifespan.
This course will introduce advanced methods and tools commonly used in Environmental Health Sciences. These topics include advanced regression techniques especially pertinent to environmental health, methods to quantify and correct for exposure measurement error, mixtures methods, etc. Each class will have two components: a lecture and a coding lab. Although other courses in the School and other Departments might also present some of the methods covered here, the emphasis of this course will be on applications in EHS specifically and the appropriateness, assumptions, strength, limitations and interpretation of results in the EHS framework. Air pollution will be primarily used in class as the example exposure of interest (as many of these methods were first used in air pollution health studies), but not exclusively. R will be used for all coding.
We are exposed to thousands of chemicals in the air, on our food, and as part of consumer products with many hundreds more new chemicals brought to market every year. Yet, only a very small proportion of these have been comprehensively tested for safety. Existing toxicological methods are often insufficient to test every new or existing product due to various constraints including economics, relevance, politics, and ethics. The advent of computational strategies, with high-throughput in vitro and in vivo toxicology data, now permits predictive approaches to a priori, predict potential health risks of chemicals which have not be tested in the laboratory. These strategies range from predicting cellular toxicity based on similarities of chemical structure with chemicals of known toxicity, to forecasting human cellular toxicity from pesticides on food and other exposures using high-throughput cellular assays. Integrating publicly available “omics” data, environmental and personal monitoring data, and bioinformatics, is empowering innovative discovery about exposure-outcome relationships. The goal of this course will be to expose students to the various data sources and approaches that are used to predict toxicity and introduce innovative data manipulation and display strategies that are increasingly needed in data heavy disciplines. This is a hands-on course; students will be required to mine publicly accessible data and perform their own analyses, regularly presenting their work in the classroom. Students will be evaluated on their ability to integrate the material and apply it to real data in order to garner thoughtful, novel insight into predictive or integrative toxicity.
The Real Estate Project Class provides students who intend on pursuing careers in real estate the opportunity to learn how to analyze and execute value-add investments and presentations of same under the guidance of an experienced professor and practitioner, as well as a veteran real estate owner/investor/intermediary sponsor. The course will include instruction in investment conceptualization, analysis, strategy, research and execution. Presentation skills, both oral and written, are integral to the course and project. Two student groups, each group consisting of three or four students, will work with an outside project sponsor to create a transaction presentation based on a real-world sponsor investment.
Personal laptops will NOT be permitted in class. CBS iPads will be permitted only.
Either B8332 RE Transactions or at least 1-year experience of real estate/ transactions experience with instructors permission is required for this course.
The Real Estate Project Class provides students who intend on pursuing careers in real estate the opportunity to learn how to analyze and execute value-add investments and presentations of same under the guidance of an experienced professor and practitioner, as well as a veteran real estate owner/investor/intermediary sponsor. The course will include instruction in investment conceptualization, analysis, strategy, research and execution. Presentation skills, both oral and written, are integral to the course and project. Two student groups, each group consisting of three or four students, will work with an outside project sponsor to create a transaction presentation based on a real-world sponsor investment.
Personal laptops will NOT be permitted in class. CBS iPads will be permitted only.
Either B8332 RE Transactions or at least 1-year experience of real estate/ transactions experience with instructors permission is required for this course.
Real estate development is the physical and financial process by which society fulfills its spatial needs. Housing, office buildings, hotels, industrial space, retail; all of these are created by private developers who have the vision and capacity to manage the risks of development. This course will provide an understanding of the real estate development process and its role in value creation for investors and the surrounding community. Topics will include project envisioning; location and site selection and evaluation; highest and best use analysis; zoning and land use regulation; building design and construction; capital stack (debt and equity; developer compensation); ownership structures; marketing, leasing, and asset management; and exit strategies. The class will also cover non-traditional development (e.g., adaptive re-use, affordable housing, modular and pre-fab), as well as the opportunities for entrepreneurs in this space. The class will include prominent guest speakers who will share their experience from the trenches. There will be one or two site visits to projects currently underway. Real Estate Finance or demonstrated financial work experience is a pre-requisite of this class.
Real estate development is the physical and financial process by which society fulfills its spatial needs. Housing, office buildings, hotels, industrial space, retail; all of these are created by private developers who have the vision and capacity to manage the risks of development. This course will provide an understanding of the real estate development process and its role in value creation for investors and the surrounding community. Topics will include project envisioning; location and site selection and evaluation; highest and best use analysis; zoning and land use regulation; building design and construction; capital stack (debt and equity; developer compensation); ownership structures; marketing, leasing, and asset management; and exit strategies. The class will also cover non-traditional development (e.g., adaptive re-use, affordable housing, modular and pre-fab), as well as the opportunities for entrepreneurs in this space. The class will include prominent guest speakers who will share their experience from the trenches. There will be one or two site visits to projects currently underway. Real Estate Finance or demonstrated financial work experience is a pre-requisite of this class.
High-stakes real estate M&A transactions require consummate deal-making skills and a thorough understanding of the underlying business, legal, tax, financial and strategic frameworks. This case study oriented Workshop will explore, in particular, the relevant financial advisory and legal skills needed to consummate these transactions, and will also highlight these skills in a combination of relevant class discussions, exercises/assignments and guest lectures.
Volatility and inconsistency between publicly traded REIT and REOC prices and the underlying net asset value of these assets have and will continue to create M&A opportunities in the publicly traded real estate sector, whether through strategic combinations, privatizations, hybrid public and private transactions or sophisticated and complex public/private joint ventures. Capital flows into the U.S. real estate sector continue to be robust, which makes for a more interesting M&A dynamic. Thanks in part to the efforts of NAREIT (the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts) there continues to be legislative improvement in the tax scheme that governs REITs. This has provided REITs with greater operating and transaction flexibility, and recent legislative changes have improved the ability of foreign persons to invest in publicly traded REITs. On the other hand, as the Federal corporate tax rate has declined from 35% to 21%, the tax advantage of the REIT dividends paid deduction has lessened.
This Workshop will take a multi-disciplinary approach, based on the premise that effective transaction advisors must understand the business, financial and tax goals and implications of the deal and, similarly, that an effective business or finance executive must also have a solid grasp of the financial, structural, legal, and tax underpinnings for the transaction.
High-stakes real estate M&A transactions require consummate deal-making skills and a thorough understanding of the underlying business, legal, tax, financial and strategic frameworks. This case study oriented Workshop will explore, in particular, the relevant financial advisory and legal skills needed to consummate these transactions, and will also highlight these skills in a combination of relevant class discussions, exercises/assignments and guest lectures.
Volatility and inconsistency between publicly traded REIT and REOC prices and the underlying net asset value of these assets have and will continue to create M&A opportunities in the publicly traded real estate sector, whether through strategic combinations, privatizations, hybrid public and private transactions or sophisticated and complex public/private joint ventures. Capital flows into the U.S. real estate sector continue to be robust, which makes for a more interesting M&A dynamic. Thanks in part to the efforts of NAREIT (the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts) there continues to be legislative improvement in the tax scheme that governs REITs. This has provided REITs with greater operating and transaction flexibility, and recent legislative changes have improved the ability of foreign persons to invest in publicly traded REITs. On the other hand, as the Federal corporate tax rate has declined from 35% to 21%, the tax advantage of the REIT dividends paid deduction has lessened.
This Workshop will take a multi-disciplinary approach, based on the premise that effective transaction advisors must understand the business, financial and tax goals and implications of the deal and, similarly, that an effective business or finance executive must also have a solid grasp of the financial, structural, legal, and tax underpinnings for the transaction.
This case-based course addresses and, where possible, simulates complex problem solving applied to real estate. The emphasis is on strategic decision making and the types of issues that principals and investors face in acquiring, financing, owning, managing, developing, and restructuring real estate. Using cutting-edge case materials developed for the Columbia MBA Real Estate Program, the course focuses on analyzing complex problems and developing a recommended course of action based on in-depth analysis, both quantitative and qualitative. The course aims to develop your understanding of and appreciation for the multiple dimensions - economic, financial, and institutional - that shape the decision-making environment for real estate investment. Drawing upon the participation of case principals in the classroom, the course also addresses the issues and tactics of how the various industry actors - pubic companies, private equity funds, and individuals - execute their strategies, including dynamics that constrain actors and organizations in the real estate business. The course is designed to challenge students with complex situations so that they can not only hone their analytical skills, but also develop effective means of communicating their analytical insights and conclusions to different audiences: investors, lenders, clients, and joint-venture partners.
The course "Private Equity Finance" focuses on the essential aspects of corporate finance relevant to the private equity industry. It covers topics that are critical for interviews and practice in PE investing. The course follows the "private equity cycle" of selection, valuation, and harvesting. Initially, students learn to evaluate a target company from the perspective of a private equity firm, keeping in mind the needs of investors and management. The course then delves into funding negotiations, deal structuring, and private equity investment management. Classic valuation techniques such as DCF, comparables, and APV are reviewed, along with models specific to private equity transactions (for example, the LBO model). Additionally, students will gain insight into the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern private equity finance and the ethical considerations that arise in this field. Finally, the course concludes with a study of investment exit strategies.
By the end of the course, the student will understand the language of private equity, the solutions available for valuation and deal structure, and the economic frictions that must always be addressed. This course provides a comprehensive overview of private equity finance and prepares students for careers in this exciting and dynamic industry.
This course is an applications-oriented course requiring the student to solve actual problems. After the 2023-24 academic year, this course is a pre-requisite for all 2nd year PE electives offers in the curriculum. The 2023-24 course is not available to students who have enrolled in Foundations of PE I as half of the course material has significant overlap.
What is entrepreneurial finance? In short, it is a course designed to learn how to evaluate, finance, and capitalize on new business opportunities. More generally, we know that finance studies valuation and the allocation of resources under uncertainty. Indeed, fundamental topics in finance (e.g., valuing cash flows, assessing the cost of capital, choosing among suppliers of funds, and aligning incentives for value maximization) are as important for entrepreneurial firms as for more established firms. However, the capital market for financing entrepreneurial activities, and private equity investing more generally, differs fundamentally from capital markets considered in standard corporate finance. New and growing firms likely to have less information about their future prospects. Investments in private companies are also often illiquid and under-diversified, hence difficult decisions about financial contracting have to be made.
This course will examine the impact that the current social and racial justice awakening (or reckoning), at the intersection of race and gender, is having on the US politics and policy. We will look at this along several dimensions, including politics, voting rights and voter suppression, governing and philanthropy. Ultimately, political change is the natural consequence of social and economic disruption, but will the change that is to come be of the kind that activists in movements such as the Me Too movement, Black Lives Matter, and gender equity leaders have envisioned? If the US has yet to fulfill the promise of a truly representative government, what solutions might there be to address systemic barriers to power its citizens face on the basis of race and gender? There is an opportunity to influence the broader national conversation with the very best ideas and work to implement them, but this unique moment in history and the opportunity that comes with it will not last forever. Our goal will be to critically examine and explain these systemic barriers to political power found along racial and gender lines. We will look at the causes and consequences of racial, economic and social inequality, and how that plays out in different systems, policies and spaces. In addition to readings, students will benefit from the practical knowledge of guest lecturers drawn from the political sphere. This course will help prepare policy makers and elected officials in their efforts to create an equitable government for all citizens regardless of race or gender.
The primary objective of this course is to provide you with a comprehensive
understanding of the significant economic, strategic, and regulatory aspects involved in financing
innovations within the healthcare industry. In the ?first half of the course, you will be introduced
to the risk-return pro?les and market failures specific to the biopharma industry. Additionally, we
will explore the integral roles played by various ?financing channels, including government funding,
non-pro?t organizations, venture capital, and mergers and acquisitions, in driving the innovation
process. The second half of the course will focus on examining the distinctive ?financial characteristics of U.S. hospitals and analyzing how external financing impacts healthcare quality and
technology adoption.