Join an online corporate finance course you can study flexibly around work.
Enhance your empirical and theoretical knowledge of modern corporate finance.
In this Masters-level online short course, you’ll investigate how the value of corporate liabilities, such as shares and bonds, is affected by corporate actions.
With expert guidance, you’ll also examine:
- corporate “real” investment decisions, for example, when a company invests in a new plant, new machinery, or designs a new product
- corporate “financing” decisions, for example, when companies choose capital structure
- dividend payouts and debt policy, and
- the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the value of corporations.
We’ll help you view and understand corporate actions in a global context, using many real-world examples to enhance your knowledge and expertise.
Who can join this online corporate finance course?
This course is ideal for anyone who wants to understand the workings of modern corporate finance.
It’s designed to help your career progression within finance, management, and development-related roles in companies.
Build credits towards a Masters degree
This course is part of our online:
You can use the credits you earn on this short course towards this MSc qualification.
What you’ll study
You’ll cover the following topics in this course:
- Company valuation
- Corporate financing
- Capital structure
- Debt policy
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Corporate governance
- Financial puzzles.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to...
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Explain why it’s reasonable to assume that financial securities are fairly priced.
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Describe the major types of financial securities that are issued by companies.
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Explain payout policy and the differences between dividend payout and stock repurchases.
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Understand how investors interpret information about changes to dividend payout, and why companies find stock repurchases more flexible.
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Discuss why payout policy does not affect shareholder value when financial markets are perfectly competitive and informationally efficient.
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Show how frictions in markets, such as the different tax treatment of dividends and capital gains, can influence corporate financing policy.
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Identify the conditions under which change to capital structure does not increase total firm value when markets are perfectly competitive and informationally efficient.
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Explain why the tax treatment of interest expense on debt affects the value of interest tax shields, and why this encourages mergers.
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Analyse and calculate the weighted average cost of capital, with and without taxes, where the interest payment on debt is a tax-deductible expense.
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Discuss and synthesise evidence on topics such as payout policy, debt policy, mergers and corporate governance.
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Explain why corporations merge, and describe the gains and costs of mergers.
Choose the University of Aberdeen for online corporate finance courses
Top 4 for Accounting and Finance
We ranked 4th in the UK for Accounting and Finance in the Guardian University Guide 2025.
We’re EQUIS accredited
Join a Business School that’s EFMD EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions.
Earn as you learn
We fit around full-time work, so you can earn qualifications while you keep earning a salary.
How you’ll study
Online learning
This distance-learning corporate finance course is delivered flexibly, 100% online.
You can learn anywhere, with no need for a study visa, and manage your hours to suit you.
Your teaching
This course is taught at Masters level.
Teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
Course materials are carefully planned and structured. You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources at your fingertips, including:
- videos
- video lectures
- live online webinars
- quizzes
- reading materials
- discussion forums with your peers and tutors
- the online resources of our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library.
Live online webinars
Across the course, you’ll have eight live webinar sessions with academic staff. These live online webinars support the main learning material and are central to your learning. Your participation in them will count towards your final grades.
Ahead of each live webinar, you’ll be asked to study the online materials provided, post questions to your tutor online, undertake multiple-choice quizzes and other tasks. You may also be asked to work in small groups to prepare for some of the live sessions.
Your tutors
You’ll learn from experienced academics and researchers from the University of Aberdeen Business School.
Your course coordinator
Dr Zeyu Zhang
Zeyu is a Lecturer in Finance in our Business School who focuses on financial markets. Zeyu’s research topics include market microstructure, high-frequency trading, dark pools, and frequent batch auctions.
View Zeyu’s profileWhere this will take you
Towards a Masters
You’ll earn 15 credits at Masters level (SCQF Level 11) with this course. You can use these credits towards our:
Online MSc Finance
Earn your Masters flexibly, 100% online.
Gain a deeper knowledge of core financial theory.
Develop your skills in corporate finance, portfolio analysis, asset valuation, derivatives and risk management.
View MSc FinanceCareers
You’ll leave this course with enhanced:
- knowledge of modern corporate finance
- financial analysis skills, and
- expertise in the use of financial statements.
In-demand skills for careers in finance
The skills you’ll build in this course are valuable for careers in:
- finance
- management, and
- development-related roles in companies.
Academic pathways
Besides progression into our MSc Finance, this course can be helpful preparation for future Master of Research (MRes) and Doctoral (PhD) studies in finance or management.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Your employer or professional institute may recognise this course for CPD hours. Talk to your employer or institute to find out more.
Free career support
Access our free careers service while you study.
- 1:1 appointments
- CV checks
- Interview prep
- Job opportunities
Entry requirements
This course has no formal entry requirements. You decide if it’s suitable for you.
The course is delivered at Masters level. At this level, you’d usually have at least:
- an undergraduate degree at UK honours level, or equivalent.
Apply for this course
