| Course | BUSI 538 Investments and Derivatives (BUSI538) |
|---|---|
| Credit hours | 3 |
| Program | MBA |
| Length | 8 Module/Weeks, online |
| Weeks with written work | 5 of 8 |
| Samples on this site | 5 week sample papers |
| Sources | Liberty's 2026-2027 catalog and the published BUSI 538 course guide |
| Updated | October 2026 |
What BUSI 538 covers
Bodie, Kane and Marcus's Essentials of Investments is read two chapters a week, each with Connect homework and a quiz, from investment background and asset classes through risk and return, efficient diversification, CAPM and arbitrage pricing, market efficiency and behavioral finance, bonds, equity valuation, financial statements, options, performance evaluation and globalization.
The discussion boards have topics printed in the course guide: the first relates the parable of the talents to money market instruments, bonds, stocks, mutual funds and options; the second asks for four other Scriptures applied to investing and the student's retirement strategy. The investment project is a PowerPoint and a 10- to 15-minute Kaltura video in which each student is the client.
This course explores the framework from which a company makes investment decisions, provides a foundation for the study of derivative products, and how companies may effectively use investments and derivatives to make wise financial decisions.
BUSI 538 week by week, with the sample for each
| Week | Written work in the course guide | Points | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Connect homework and quizzes, chapters 1 and 2 (Course Requirements Checklist and Class Introductions also due) | No written paper this week | |
| Week 2 | Connect homework and quizzes, chapters 3 and 4 | No written paper this week | |
| Week 3 | Discussion Board 1: Main Post (Connect work for chapters 6 and 7 also due) | 50 | Read the Week 3 sample |
| Week 4 | Discussion Board 1: Reply Posts (Connect work for chapters 8 and 9 also due) | 30 | Read the Week 4 sample |
| Week 5 | Discussion Board 2: Main Post (Connect work for chapters 10 and 11 also due) | 50 | Read the Week 5 sample |
| Week 6 | Discussion Board 2: Reply Posts (Connect work for chapters 13 and 14 also due) | 30 | Read the Week 6 sample |
| Week 7 | Investment Project: PPT Presentation and Kaltura Video (Connect work for chapters 15 and 16 also due) | 200 | Read the Week 7 sample |
| Week 8 | Connect homework and quizzes, chapters 18 and 19 | No written paper this week |
Where BUSI 538 papers lose points
BUSI 538 work loses points when a main post skips one of the five investment types or one of the four required Scriptures, when posts run outside 500 to 750 words or replies outside 450 to 600, when Scripture is quoted without analysis, and when the investment project leaves out any of the nine policy statement components or gives objectives without numbers.
Using a BUSI 538 sample well
The samples draw on research about mutual fund persistence, individual investors' trading, long-term bonds for long-horizon investors, expected option returns, automatic saving escalation, naive diversification in retirement plans and financial literacy, with Bodie, Kane and Marcus, an IRS release and Scripture.
BUSI 538 questions, answered
What are the BUSI 538 discussion boards?
Two boards with printed topics: the first relates the parable of the talents to five types of investments, the second applies four other Scriptures to investing and retirement; main posts run 500 to 750 words and the replies that follow a week later 450 to 600.
What is the BUSI 538 investment project?
A PowerPoint and a 10- to 15-minute Kaltura video in Module/Week 7, each worth 100 points, presenting the student's own investment management process and investment policy statement from chapter 22.
What textbook does BUSI 538 use?
Bodie, Kane and Marcus's Essentials of Investments with Connect, which carries the chapter homework and quizzes for 16 chapters.
Ask for a custom BUSI 538 sample
Request a BUSI 538 sample · All courses · How the library works