FINS2624 Portfolio Management

Subject Code

FINS2624

Study Level

Undergraduate

Commencing Term

Term 1

Total Units of Credit (UOC)

Delivery Mode

On Campus and Online

School

Banking & Finance

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1. Course Details

Summary of Course

All investors – from the largest wealth funds to the smallest individual investors – face common concerns in investing: how to decide where to invest, and how much risk to take on. This course will serve as a primer in learning how to think about and address these investment questions. You will acquire the theoretical knowledge underlying optimal portfolio construction (Markowitz portfolio theory and Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)) and how to measure and price risk and exploit mispriced securities. You will learn the practical skills necessary to apply this theoretical knowledge to construct optimal portfolios in iLabs.

You will also learn about investment strategies and performance evaluation and discuss best practices in portfolio performance evaluation. You will explore different evaluation techniques such as style analysis and attribution analysis, and apply them to evaluate different investment strategies.

The course will also cover the basic analytical framework necessary to understand the pricing of bonds and their investment characteristics (introducing fundamental concepts such as duration, yield, and term structure).

Teaching Times and Locations

Please note that teaching times and locations are subject to change. Students are strongly advised to refer to the Class Timetable website for the most up-to-date teaching times and locations.

View course timetable

Course Policies & Support

The Business School expects that you are familiar with the contents of this course outline and the UNSW and Business School learning expectations, rules, policies and support services as listed below:

Program Learning Outcomes
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Student Responsibilities and Conduct
Special Consideration
Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts
Student Learning Support Services

Further information is provided in the Assessment and Policies and Support sections.

Students may not circulate or post online any course materials such as handouts, exams, syllabi or similar resources from their courses without the written permission of their instructor.

Course Aims and Relationship to Other Courses

Portfolio Management is one of four core courses in finance. This course extends and applies knowledge in financial mathematics acquired from FINS1613 and/or ECON 1202 to price bonds and options; portfolio theory from FINS1613 to rank and select portfolios; linear programming and calculus from ECON 1202 to determine the composition and attributes of a portfolio; frequency distribution, measures of central tendency, mean and dispersion, the normal distribution, point estimation of population parameters and confidence intervals from ECON 1203 to understand investment risk, expected return and option pricing models; hypothesis testing, t-distributions, and bivariate regression from ECON1203 to study the CAPM.

This course also covers the assumed knowledge required by finance courses in the area of funds management (FINS3640 and FINS3641); real estate finance (FINS3633); risk management (FINS3631, FINS3635 and FINS3636); and the honours program (FINS3775).

Student Learning Outcomes

The Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) are what you should be able to demonstrate by the end of this course, if you participate fully in learning activities and successfully complete the assessment items.

CLOs also contribute to your achievement of the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), which are developed across the duration of a program. PLOs are, in turn, directly linked to UNSW graduate capabilities. More information on Coursework PLOs is available under Policies and Support. For PG Research PLOs, including MPDBS, please refer to the UNSW HDR Learning Outcomes.

The following table shows how the CLOs for this course relate to the overall PLOs and indicates where each CLO and PLO is assessed:

Course Learning Outcomes	Program Learning Outcomes	Course Assessment Item
On successful completion of the course, you should be able to:	This course helps you to develop the following Program Learning Outcomes:	This learning outcome will be assessed in the following items:
Price fixed income securities and analyse the level of investment risk by using term structure of interest rates and duration in real-world scenarios .	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving	Ongoing Contribution Online Quiz iLab Final exam
Identify violations of a no-arbitrage equilibrium and outline a trading strategy to exploit arbitrage opportunities.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving	Ongoing Contribution Online Quiz Final exam
Practically demonstrate knowledge of portfolio theory by constructing optimal portfolios, measuring and pricing risk, and identifying and exploiting mispriced securities.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving	Ongoing Contribution Online Quiz iLab Final exam
Evaluate the performance of managed investments and identify ethical considerations relating to performance reporting and evaluation.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 5: Responsible business practice	Ongoing Contribution Online Quiz Final exam
Describe the efficient market hypothesis, discuss potential reasons behind the presence of anomalies and market inefficiencies and apply related findings in designing investment strategies.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving	Ongoing Contribution Online Quiz Final exam
Draw links between portfolio management theory and real-world application by reflecting on learnings throughout the course and their relevance to your future career.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 7: Leadership development	Ongoing Contribution

2. Staff Contact Details

Position	Title	Name	Email	Location	Phone	Consultation Times
Lecturer-in-charge	Dr	Wesley Deng		Room 311, UNSW Business School building - Ref E12	–	By appointment

If you have questions outside the lecture and consultation hours, please raise them in the relevant Moodle forum. A full list of tutors will be posted on Moodle.

3. Learning and Teaching Activities

Use of your Webcam and Digital Devices: If you enrol in an online class, or the online stream of a hybrid class, teaching and associated activities will be conducted using Teams, Zoom, or similar a technology. Using a webcam is optional, but highly encouraged, as this will facilitate interaction with your peers and instructors. If you are worried about your personal space being observed during a class, we encourage you to blur your background or make use of a virtual background. Please contact the Lecturer-in-Charge if you have any questions or concerns.

Some courses may involve undertaking online exams for which your own computer or digital devices will be required. Monitoring of online examinations will be conducted directly by University staff and is bound by the University's privacy and security requirements. Any data collected will be handled accordance with UNSW policies and standards for data governance. For more information on how the University manages personal information please refer to the UNSW Student Privacy Statement and the UNSW Privacy Policy.

Approach to Learning and Teaching in the Course

The philosophy underpinning this course is best summarized by the following list of guidelines extracted from Guidelines on Learning that inform teaching at UNSW.

Effective learning is supported when students are actively engaged in the learning process.
Students become more engaged in the learning process, if they can see the relevance of their studies to professional, disciplinary and/or personal contexts.
Clearly articulated expectations, goals, learning outcomes, and course requirements increase student motivation and improve learning.
Effective learning is facilitated by assessment practices and other student learning activities that are designed to support the achievement of desired learning outcomes.
Meaningful and timely feedback to students improves learning.

We believe that a disciplined approach to learning is important for effective learning. Students should engage in the learning process through regular class attendance, and regular staff or peer consultation to resolve any learning issues.

We also believe that a well-organized and structured course is important for effective learning and teaching. Besides designing a coherent lecture and tutorial program to present and discuss the syllabus, we will:

Use actual examples and research findings in lectures to demonstrate the relevance of the subject to the finance profession, and;
Give students a variety of questions to practice and apply concepts.

The teaching strategies and assessments that we formulate below are due entirely to the learning outcomes and the philosophy underpinning this course.

Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies

In lectures, we introduce you to investment theories and securities pricing. Whenever a finance theory is discussed we give it a thorough theoretical motivation, explain its merits and applications, and use practical examples to relate the theory to the real world. We believe that this logical sequence of discussions can help you to assimilate knowledge due to understanding rather than memorization.

To gain a deeper understanding of the materials taught, you need to revise the lesson soon after each lecture by studying the prescribed readings, the lecture slides, and the notes you took in class. In addition to the face-to-face mode of consultation with the lecturers, we will open a discussion forum for students to post questions and seek peer assistance. By sharing the questions and responses in the forum, the discussion forum should benefit the whole class and is the preferred mode of communication. If you email individual instructors questions about the course, you are likely to be asked to post it in the discussion forum instead, so please try to post your question there directly.

The tutorials, problem sets, and extra exercises are used to help you improve your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and to prepare you for the ilab assignment and exams.

Learning will not be completed without feedback.

The problem sets will be discussed formally in tutorials. We value your active participation to ask and answer questions. The tutor will correct any misunderstandings and help you to understand the approach we use to solve the problem.

The tutors will monitor and participate in the discussion forum during their consultation times to complement the peer assistance.

4. Assessment

Formal Requirements

In order to pass this course, you must:

achieve a composite mark of at least 50 out of 100;
meet any additional requirements described in the Assessment Summary section.

You are expected to attempt all assessment requirements in the course.

Assessment Structure

Assessment Task	Weighting	Length	Due Date
Assessment 1: Ongoing contributions Online Quiz 20% Weekly Problem Sets 10% Forum Contribution 5% Reflection 5% (BCom students: myBCom course points for PLO7)	40%		Online Quiz on Saturday, Week 7 Throughout the term (Excluding Flexibility week)
Assessment 2: iLab	10%	1.5 hours (week 5) 1.5 hours (week 9)	Weeks 5 and 9
Assessment 3: Final Exam (BCom students: myBCom course points for PLO5)	50%	2 hours	UNSW final exam period
Total	100%	–	–

Assessment Summary

You should complete the Working with Academic Integrity module before submitting any written assessment by the due date. Non-compliance with the UNSW Student Code may result in disciplinary action.

Weekly problem sets (10%)

Students must go to their enrolled tutorial classes (as per myUNSW) for attendance keeping. Students are expected to be prepared for the tutorials, participate actively in tutorial discussion, and show respect to their classmates and the tutor by arriving on time, paying attention, and staying for the entire duration of the tutorial.

Students will be asked to complete a total of 8 problem sets. There are no tutorials or problem sets due in week 1 or in flexibility week (week 6). The first 7 problem sets have to be submitted in person at the start of the tutorial sessions. Problem set number 8 (in week 10) does not have to be submitted. The solution to problem set 8 will be posted on Moodle, and the tutors will explain the solution during the last tutorial session (tutorial 8 in week 10). A total of 10 marks will be allocated to the problem sets plus your tutorial contribution. Problem sets in one week will be based on the material covered in previous week's lecture.

To get the full mark for each tutorial, you must: 1) attend and participate in the tutorial for the whole duration; and 2) honestly attempt the problem set and turn in suggested solutions (hard copy) for the problem set on Moodle. The problem set solution needs to be hand-written and signed. The solutions need not be correct, but they need to constitute an honest attempt. Zero marks will be given for a tutorial if you do not meet BOTH of the two criteria above.

Students are permitted 2 absences out of the 9 tutorials in the term. If you are absent more than 2 times, you need to apply for Special Consideration or participation marks will be deducted at 1% per additional absence.

Special consideration:

If a student is unable to sit in a tutorial in the designated tutorial class with justifiable reasons, he/she should contact the tutor before or on the date of tutorial class to seek permission to sit in another tutorial class offered by the same tutor in the same week. The student should provide a relevant medical certificate or other proof documents. The tutor should evaluate each application and decide on a case-by-case basis whether to allow the student to sit in another tutorial class. Under very special and justifiable cases, where attending an alternative class is impossible, the attendance may be waived, but the student is still required to email the tutor the scanned copy of his/her problem set solutions by the end of the week. The tutor has full discretion in his/her decision.

Forum Contribution (5%)

Forum contribution aims to develop an online learning community and facilitate student engagement.

Students are required to contribute to the online forums in Moodle in a meaningful way at least three times during the term. What is meant by meaningful way will be discussed in detail at the beginning of the course with examples and the video recording will be made available.

Reflection (5%)

The purpose of reflective writing is to help you critically reflect on your learning experience and the knowledge and skills you acquire. It will help you to make connections between your in-class learning with the broader context of real-world finance.

Tied in with the Problem sets, you will reflect throughout the course on guided questions designed to link your learning experience to your future interests. A detailed rubric and tutorial discussions will be provided to guide you through this process.

This reflective piece will be due in week 9. Further relevant details will be made available on Moodle in due time.

iLab (10%)

There will be a practical simulation exercise using Factset and actual security data. This will be completed in the iLab in two sessions in weeks 5 and 9 and will encompass both individual and group work.

Further details for the iLab assessment item will be lodged on Moodle early in the term.

Online Quiz (20%)

There will be an Online Quiz on the Saturday of week 7. The exam will cover lectures 1 to 5. The exact time and format of the exam will be clarified in due time.

Special consideration:

Applications for special consideration must be lodged online through myUNSW. Please follow the link provided on the first page of this course outline about the application procedure and policies. Applications for special consideration in relation to the mid-term exam will be considered by the STU Special Consideration team. If a special consideration is granted for a student, he/she will need to attend a supplementary exam.

Final exam (50%)

The final exam will cover all the materials discussed in the lectures from week 1 to week 10. We will not specify the questions in advance. You must observe the exam rules and regulations set by the university. The format of the final exam will be specified in due time.

Assignment Submission Procedure

All details will be provided early in the term.

Assessment Feedback

Feedback on student performance from formative and summative assessment tasks will be provided to students in a timely manner. Assessment tasks completed within the teaching period of a course, other than a final assessment, will be assessed and students provided with feedback, with or without a provisional result, within 10 working days of submission, under normal circumstances. Feedback on continuous assessment tasks (e.g. laboratory and studio-based, workplace-based, weekly quizzes) will be provided prior to the midpoint of the course.

Special Consideration

You can apply for special consideration when illness or other circumstances beyond your control interfere with your performance in a specific assessment task or tasks, including online exams. Students studying remotely who have exams scheduled between 10pm and 7am local time, are also able to apply for special consideration to sit a supplementary exam at a time outside of these hours.

Special consideration is primarily intended to provide you with an extra opportunity to demonstrate the level of performance of which you are capable. To apply, and for further information, see Special Consideration on the UNSW Current Students page.

Special consideration applications will be assessed centrally by the Case Review Team, who will update the online application with the outcome and add any relevant comments. The change to the status of the application immediately sends an email to the student and to the assessor with the outcome of the application.

Please note the following:

Applications can only be made through Online Services in myUNSW. Applications will not be accepted by teaching staff. The lecturer-in-charge/course coordinator will be automatically notified when your application is processed.
Applying for special consideration does not automatically mean that you will be granted a supplementary exam or other concession.
If you experience illness or misadventure in the lead up to an exam or assessment, you must submit an application for special consideration, either prior to the examination taking place, or prior to the assessment submission deadline, except where illness or misadventure prevent you from doing so.
If your circumstances stop you from applying before your exam or assessment due date, you must apply within 3 working days of the assessment or the period covered by your supporting documentation.
Under the UNSW Fit To Sit/Submit rule, if you sit the exam/submit an assignment, you are declaring yourself well enough to do so and are cannot subsequently apply for special consideration.
If you become unwell on the day of – or during – an exam, you must stop working on your exam, advise your course coordinator or tutor and provide a medical certificate dated within 24 hours of the exam, with your special consideration application. For online exams, you must contact your course coordinator or tutor immediately via email, Moodle or chat and advise them you are unwell and submit screenshots of your conversation along with your medical certificate and application.
Special consideration requests do not allow the awarding of additional marks to students.

Further information on Business School policy and procedure can be found under “Special Consideration” on the Policies and Support page.

Late Submission Penalties

For assessments other than examinations, late submission will incur a penalty of 5% per day or part thereof (including weekends) from the due date and time. An assessment will not be accepted after 5 days (120 hours) of the original deadline unless special consideration has been approved. An assignment is considered late if the requested format, such as hard copy or electronic copy, has not been submitted on time or where the ‘wrong’ assignment has been submitted.

For assessments which account for 10% or less of the overall course grade, and where answers are immediately discussed or debriefed, the LIC may stipulate a different penalty. Details of such late penalties will be available on the course Moodle page.

The School of Banking and Finance supports the concept to leave the course lecturer-in-charge to stipulate a penalty of 0 to 10% of the percentage weight of the assessment component or part thereof per day. Details of such penalties will be available on the course Moodle page.

Applications for extension are restricted to cases of serious illness, bereavement or misadventure and students must provide documentary evidence. Decisions on such applications will be based on policies that are consistent with the policies adopted by UNSW Business School for such cases.

Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts

UNSW students have the right to view their final exam scripts, subject to a small number of very specific exemptions. The UNSW Business School has set a protocol under which students may view their final exam script. Individual schools within the Faculty may also set up a local process for viewing final exam scripts, so it is important that you check with your School. Further school-specific information may be included below.

Further to the Business School protocol for viewing final exam scripts:

A student must lodge a request to view his or her final exam script within 3 days immediately following the official release of overall course results. Applications must be made by completing the online form.
The School may fix a time at which all students wishing to see their exams will be permitted to do so, and the School may fix a time for each course on that day. The School may refuse to allow access to the exams at other times.

Protocol for Viewing Other Exam Scripts is the similar to that of viewing final exam scripts except the working days are defined with reference to the release date of specific assessment result.

Quality Assurance

The Business School is actively monitoring student learning and quality of the student experience in all its programs. A random selection of completed assessment tasks may be used for quality assurance, such as to determine the extent to which program learning goals are being achieved. The information is required for accreditation purposes, and aggregated findings will be used to inform changes aimed at improving the quality of Business School programs. All material used for such processes will be treated as confidential.

5. Course Resources

The website for this course is on Moodle.

Students are expected to log in to the course website regularly to download course materials, read course announcements, and participate in the discussion forum.

There are two alternative textbooks for the course. Student may choose either of the following:

Investments, by Z. Bodie, A. Kane, and A. Marcus, 12th Ed., McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2020 (or earlier version such as 10th or 11th Ed)
The custom version of Bodie et al called FINS2624 - Portfolio Management, prepared by Robert Bishop.

The difference between these books is that the former is the full, standard textbook and the latter contains only the chapters from that book that are used in this course. The advantage of the full book is that students may find it useful (and required) in other courses. The advantage of the latter book is that it is cheaper. We recommend students that intend to major in finance buy the full textbook and students that do not intend to take further finance courses buy the custom version. For the purpose of this course there is no difference between the two. There are also older editions of the textbooks. These do not exactly correspond to the books we’re using. However, the differences between editions are typically small.

6. Course Evaluation & Development

Feedback is regularly sought from students and continual improvements are made based on this feedback. At the end of this course, you will be asked to complete the myExperience survey, which provides a key source of student evaluative feedback. Your input into this quality enhancement process is extremely valuable in assisting us to meet the needs of our students and provide an effective and enriching learning experience. The results of all surveys are carefully considered and do lead to action towards enhancing educational quality.

7. Course Schedule

Note: for more information on the UNSW academic calendar and key dates including study period, exam, supplementary exam and result release, please visit: https://student.unsw.edu.au/new-calendar-dates

Week	Activity	Topic	Assessment/Other
Week 1: 13 February	Lecture	Bond Pricing; Term Structure of Interest Rates I	No tutorial Reading: Course outline, BKM 14 (14.1-14.3), BKM 15 (15.1)
Week 2: 20 February	Lecture	Term Structure of Interest Rates II; Duration	Tutorial 1 (Problem set 1) Online assessment exercise Reading: BKM 15 (15.2 - 15.5), BKM 16 (16.1 - 16.3)
Week 3: 27 February	Lecture	Markowitz Portfolio Theory	Tutorial 2 (Problem set 2) Reading: BKM 5 (5.4 - 5.5), BKM 6 (6.1, 6.5), BKM 7 (7.1 - 7.2, 7.4, Appendix B)
Week 4: 6 March	Lecture	Optimal Portfolios	Tutorial 3 (Problem set 3) Reading: BKM 6 (6.2 - 6.6), BKM 7 (7.3 - 7.4)
Week 5: 13 March	Lecture	CAPM	Tutorial 4 (Problem set 4) Reading: BKM 9 (9.1)
Week 5: 13 March	iLab	First iLab session	Task I - individual exercise (submission due date as announced on Moodle)
Week 6: 20 March	Lecture	No Lecture (flexibility Week)	No Tutorial (flexibility Week)
Week 7: 27 March	Lecture	Factor models and Performance Measures	Tutorial 5 (Problem set 5) Reading: BKM 8 (8.1 - 8.5), BKM 10 (all sections), BKM 24 (24.1-24.5)
Week 7: 27 March	Quiz	Online Quiz	Online Quiz
Week 8: 3 April	Lecture	Efficient Market Hypothesis and Behavioural Finance	Tutorial 6 (Problem set 6) Reading: BKM 11 (11.1-11.5), BKM 12 (12.1)
Week 9: 10 April	Lecture	Overview of Option Trading	Tutorial 7 (Problem set 6) Reading: BKM 20 (20.1-20.4)
Week 9: 10 April	iLab	Second iLab session	Task II - individual exercise (submission due date as announced on Moodle)
Week 10: 17 April	–	Option Valuation	Tutorial 8 (Problem set 8) Reading: BKM 21 (21.1, 21.3)
Study Period: 24 April	–	–	–
Exams: 1 May	–	–	–

8. Policies and Support

Information about UNSW Business School program learning outcomes, academic integrity, student responsibilities and student support services. For information regarding special consideration, supplementary exams and viewing final exam scripts, please go to the key policies and support page.

Program Learning Outcomes

The Business School places knowledge and capabilities at the core of its curriculum via seven Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs). These PLOs are systematically embedded and developed across the duration of all coursework programs in the Business School.

PLOs embody the knowledge, skills and capabilities that are taught, practised and assessed within each Business School program. They articulate what you should know and be able to do upon successful completion of your degree.

Upon graduation, you should have a high level of specialised business knowledge and capacity for responsible business thinking, underpinned by ethical professional practice. You should be able to harness, manage and communicate business information effectively and work collaboratively with others. You should be an experienced problem-solver and critical thinker, with a global perspective, cultural competence and the potential for innovative leadership.

All UNSW programs and courses are designed to assess the attainment of program and/or course level learning outcomes, as required by the UNSW Assessment Design Procedure. It is important that you become familiar with the Business School PLOs, as they constitute the framework which informs and shapes the components and assessments of the courses within your program of study.

PLO 1: Business knowledge

Students will make informed and effective selection and application of knowledge in a discipline or profession, in the contexts of local and global business.

PLO 2: Problem solving

Students will define and address business problems, and propose effective evidence-based solutions, through the application of rigorous analysis and critical thinking.

PLO 3: Business communication

Students will harness, manage and communicate business information effectively using multiple forms of communication across different channels.

PLO 4: Teamwork

Students will interact and collaborate effectively with others to achieve a common business purpose or fulfil a common business project, and reflect critically on the process and the outcomes.

PLO 5: Responsible business practice

Students will develop and be committed to responsible business thinking and approaches, which are underpinned by ethical professional practice and sustainability considerations.

PLO 6: Global and cultural competence

Students will be aware of business systems in the wider world and actively committed to recognise and respect the cultural norms, beliefs and values of others, and will apply this knowledge to interact, communicate and work effectively in diverse environments.

PLO 7: Leadership development

Students will develop the capacity to take initiative, encourage forward thinking and bring about innovation, while effectively influencing others to achieve desired results.

These PLOs relate to undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs. For PG Research PLOs, including Master of Pre-Doctoral Business Studies, please refer to the UNSW HDR Learning Outcomes

Business School course outlines provide detailed information for students on how the course learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessment/s contribute to the development of Program Learning Outcomes.

UNSW Graduate Capabilities

The Business School PLOs also incorporate UNSW graduate capabilities, a set of generic abilities and skills that all students are expected to achieve by graduation. These capabilities articulate the University’s institutional values, as well as future employer expectations.

UNSW Graduate Capabilities	Business School PLOs
Scholars capable of independent and collaborative enquiry, rigorous in their analysis, critique and reflection, and able to innovate by applying their knowledge and skills to the solution of novel as well as routine problems.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 3: Business communication PLO 4: Teamwork PLO 7: Leadership development
Entrepreneurial leaders capable of initiating and embracing innovation and change, as well as engaging and enabling others to contribute to change	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 3: Business communication PLO 4: Teamwork PLO 6: Global and cultural competence PLO 7: Leadership development
Professionals capable of ethical, self-directed practice and independent lifelong learning	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 3: Business communication PLO 5: Responsible business practice
Global citizens who are culturally adept and capable of respecting diversity and acting in a socially just and responsible way.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 3: Business communication PLO 4: Teamwork PLO 5: Responsible business practice PLO 6: Global and cultural competence

While our programs are designed to provide coverage of all PLOs and graduate capabilities, they also provide you with a great deal of choice and flexibility. The Business School strongly advises you to choose a range of courses that assist your development against the seven PLOs and four graduate capabilities, and to keep a record of your achievements as part of your portfolio. You can use a portfolio as evidence in employment applications as well as a reference for work or further study. For support with selecting your courses contact the UNSW Business School Student Services team.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Academic Integrity is honest and responsible scholarship. This form of ethical scholarship is highly valued at UNSW. Terms like Academic Integrity, misconduct, referencing, conventions, plagiarism, academic practices, citations and evidence based learning are all considered basic concepts that successful university students understand. Learning how to communicate original ideas, refer sources, work independently, and report results accurately and honestly are skills that you will be able to carry beyond your studies.

The definition of academic misconduct is broad. It covers practices such as cheating, copying and using another person’s work without appropriate acknowledgement. Incidents of academic misconduct may have serious consequences for students.

Plagiarism

UNSW regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct. UNSW has very strict rules regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism at UNSW is using the words or ideas of others and passing them off as your own. All Schools in the Business School have a Student Ethics Officer who will investigate incidents of plagiarism and may result in a student’s name being placed on the Plagiarism and Student Misconduct Registers.

Below are examples of plagiarism including self-plagiarism:

Copying: Using the same or very similar words to the original text or idea without acknowledging the source or using quotation marks. This includes copying materials, ideas or concepts from a book, article, report or other written document, presentation, composition, artwork, design, drawing, circuitry, computer program or software, website, internet, other electronic resource, or another person's assignment, without appropriate acknowledgement of authorship.

Inappropriate Paraphrasing: Changing a few words and phrases while mostly retaining the original structure and/or progression of ideas of the original, and information without acknowledgement. This also applies in presentations where someone paraphrases another’s ideas or words without credit and to piecing together quotes and paraphrases into a new whole, without appropriate referencing.

Collusion: Presenting work as independent work when it has been produced in whole or part in collusion with other people. Collusion includes:

Students providing their work to another student before the due date, or for the purpose of them plagiarising at any time
Paying another person to perform an academic task and passing it off as your own
Stealing or acquiring another person’s academic work and copying it
Offering to complete another person’s work or seeking payment for completing academic work

Collusion should not be confused with academic collaboration (i.e., shared contribution towards a group task).

Inappropriate Citation: Citing sources which have not been read, without acknowledging the 'secondary' source from which knowledge of them has been obtained.

Self-Plagiarism: ‘Self-plagiarism’ occurs where an author republishes their own previously written work and presents it as new findings without referencing the earlier work, either in its entirety or partially. Self-plagiarism is also referred to as 'recycling', 'duplication', or 'multiple submissions of research findings' without disclosure. In the student context, self-plagiarism includes re-using parts of, or all of, a body of work that has already been submitted for assessment without proper citation.

To see if you understand plagiarism, do this short quiz: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism-quiz

Cheating

The University also regards cheating as a form of academic misconduct. Cheating is knowingly submitting the work of others as their own and includes contract cheating (work produced by an external agent or third party that is submitted under the pretences of being a student’s original piece of work). Cheating is not acceptable at UNSW.

If you need to revise or clarify any terms associated with academic integrity you should explore the 'Working with Academic Integrity' self-paced lessons available at: https://student.unsw.edu.au/aim.

For UNSW policies, penalties, and information to help you avoid plagiarism see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism as well as the guidelines in the online ELISE tutorials for all new UNSW students: http://subjectguides.library.unsw.edu.au/elise. For information on student conduct see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/conduct.

For information on how to acknowledge your sources and reference correctly, see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/referencing. If you are unsure what referencing style to use in this course, you should ask the lecturer in charge.

Student Responsibilities and Conduct

Students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to university policies in relation to class attendance and general conduct and behaviour, including maintaining a safe, respectful environment; and to understand their obligations in relation to workload, assessment and keeping informed.

Information and policies on these topics can be found on the 'Managing your Program' website.

Workload

It is expected that you will spend at least ten to twelve hours per week studying for a course except for Summer Term courses which have a minimum weekly workload of twenty to twenty four hours. This time should be made up of reading, research, working on exercises and problems, online activities and attending classes. In periods where you need to complete assignments or prepare for examinations, the workload may be greater. Over-commitment has been a cause of failure for many students. You should take the required workload into account when planning how to balance study with employment and other activities.

We strongly encourage you to connect with your Moodle course websites in the first week of semester. Local and international research indicates that students who engage early and often with their course website are more likely to pass their course.

View more information on expected workload

Attendance and Engagement

Your regular attendance and active engagement in all scheduled classes and online learning activities is expected in this course. Failure to attend / engage in assessment tasks that are integrated into learning activities (e.g. class discussion, presentations) will be reflected in the marks for these assessable activities. The Business School may refuse final assessment to those students who attend less than 80% of scheduled classes where attendance and participation is required as part of the learning process (e.g. tutorials, flipped classroom sessions, seminars, labs, etc.). If you are not able to regularly attend classes, you should consult the relevant Course Authority.

View more information on attendance

General Conduct and Behaviour

You are expected to conduct yourself with consideration and respect for the needs of your fellow students and teaching staff. Conduct which unduly disrupts or interferes with a class, such as ringing or talking on mobile phones, is not acceptable and students may be asked to leave the class.

View more information on student conduct

Health and Safety

UNSW Policy requires each person to work safely and responsibly, in order to avoid personal injury and to protect the safety of others.

View more information on Health and Safety

Keeping Informed

You should take note of all announcements made in lectures, tutorials or on the course web site. From time to time, the University will send important announcements to your university e-mail address without providing you with a paper copy. You will be deemed to have received this information. It is also your responsibility to keep the University informed of all changes to your contact details.

Student Support and Resources

The University and the Business School provide a wide range of support services and resources for students, including:

Business School Learning Support Tools
Business School provides support a wide range of free resources and services to help students in-class and out-of-class, as well as online. These include:

Academic Communication Essentials – A range of academic communication workshops, modules and resources to assist you in developing your academic communication skills.
Learning consultations – Meet learning consultants who have expertise in business studies, literacy, numeracy and statistics, writing, referencing, and researching at university level.
PASS classes – Study sessions facilitated by students who have previously and successfully completed the course.
Educational Resource Access Scheme – To support the inclusion and success of students from equity groups enrolled at UNSW Sydney in first year undergraduate Business programs.

The Nucleus - Business School Student Services team
The Nucleus Student Services team provides advice and direction on all aspects of enrolment and graduation. Level 2, Main Library, Kensington 02 8936 7005 / https://nucleus.unsw.edu.au/en/contact-us

Business School Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
The Business School Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee strives to ensure that every student is empowered to have equal access to education. The Business School provides a vibrant, safe, and equitable environment for education, research, and engagement that embraces diversity and treats all people with dignity and respect. BUSEDI@unsw.edu.au

UNSW Academic Skills
Resources and support – including workshops, individual consultations and a range of online resources – to help you develop and refine your academic skills. See their website for details.
academicskills@unsw.edu.au

Student Support Advisors
Student Support Advisors work with all students to promote the development of skills needed to succeed at university, whilst also providing personal support throughout the process.
John Goodsell Building, Ground Floor.
advisors@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

International Student Support
The International Student Experience Unit (ISEU) is the first point of contact for international students. ISEU staff are always here to help with personalised advice and information about all aspects of university life and life in Australia.
Advisors can support you with your student visa, health and wellbeing, making friends, accommodation and academic performance.
International.student@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

Equitable Learning Services
Equitable Learning Services (formerly Disability Support Services) is a free and confidential service that provides practical support to ensure that your health condition doesn't adversely affect your studies. Register with the service to receive educational adjustments.
Ground Floor, John Goodsell Building.
els@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

UNSW Counselling and Psychological Services
Provides support and services if you need help with your personal life, getting your academic life back on track or just want to know how to stay safe, including free, confidential counselling.
Level 2, East Wing, Quadrangle Building.
counselling@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 5418

Library services and facilities for students
The UNSW Library offers a range of collections, services and facilities both on-campus and online.
Main Library, F21.
02 9065 9444

Moodle eLearning Support
Moodle is the University’s learning management system. You should ensure that you log into Moodle regularly.
externalteltsupport@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 3331

UNSW IT
UNSW IT provides support and services for students such as password access, email services, wireless services and technical support.
UNSW Library Annexe (Ground floor).
02 9385 1333

Support for Studying Online

The Business School and UNSW provide a wide range of tools, support and advice to help students achieve their online learning goals.

The UNSW Guide to Online Study page provides guidance for students on how to make the most of online study.

We recognise that completing quizzes and exams online can be challenging for a number of reasons, including the possibility of technical glitches or lack of reliable internet. We recommend you review the Online Exam Preparation Checklist of things to prepare when sitting an online exam.

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Accreditation

FINS2624 Portfolio Management - 2023

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1. Course Details

Summary of Course

Teaching Times and Locations

Course Policies & Support

Course Aims and Relationship to Other Courses

Student Learning Outcomes

2. Staff Contact Details

3. Learning and Teaching Activities

Approach to Learning and Teaching in the Course

Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies

4. Assessment

Formal Requirements

Assessment Structure

Assessment Summary

​Weekly problem sets (10%)

Forum Contribution (5%)

Reflection (5%)

iLab (10%)

Online Quiz (20%)

Final exam (50%)

Assignment Submission Procedure

Assessment Feedback

Special Consideration

Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts

Quality Assurance

5. Course Resources

6. Course Evaluation & Development

7. Course Schedule

8. Policies and Support

UNSW Graduate Capabilities

Plagiarism

Cheating

Workload

Attendance and Engagement

General Conduct and Behaviour

Health and Safety

Keeping Informed

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Weekly problem sets (10%)