EXC 3651 Shipping Finance

EXC 3651 Shipping Finance

Course code: 
EXC 3651
Department: 
Finance
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Siv Jønland Staubo
Course name in Norwegian: 
Shipping Finance
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
BBA - Specialisation in Shipping
Semester: 
2025 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Bachelor
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

The task of this course is to help understand the economics of the shipping industry. What makes it so special is the great volatility in the industry and it is a perfect market for blending theory and practice. Because shipping is such an old and international industry, with a history of continuous change, we have a unique opportunity to learn from the past.

The essence of business administration includes corporate finance (i.e. investment and financing). Good knowledge within these areas is a necessary prerequisite to understand the economic content of investment and financing decisions. There is vital knowledge for people working in the shipping industry. Further it is important to be able to obtain decision-relevant information, discuss and assess alternatives, make correct decisions and convey relevant and useful information.

The aim of this course in corporate finance in the shipping industry is to provide the students with essential knowledge and skills, so that they can take part in discussions on problems in finance and carry out simple analyses within the field, make correct and sustainable decisions and communicate the results of the analyses in a comprehensible manner.
The course focuses mainly on capital structure in general, and capital structure in the shipping industry in particular and being able to make sustainable decisions.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

After completed course, the students shall have learned:

  • Classic corporate finance theory
  • Capital structure decisions in different tax regimes.
  • Capital structure decisions and the impact of volatility, which is essential for the shipping industry.
  • How this industry change to more digital operations.
  • To be able to make sustainable decisions in a worldwide industry.
Learning outcomes - Skills

After completed course, the students shall be able to:

  • Differentiate between the advantages and/or disadvantages of different financing instruments.
  • Explain key concepts and give an account of the tools used in analyses of corporate finance problems in general, and corporate finance problems in the international shipping industry in particular.
  • Explain from the toolbox: valuation methods, sustainable decision making.
  • Give written answers to questions so that the readers understand the applied methods and conclusions.
General Competence

After taking the course, the students shall be able to ask critical questions and reflect on crucial assumptions and theories within the field of corporate finance. Understand the importance of sustainability in an international industry.

Course content
  1. Cost, Revenue and Cash Flows in the Shipping Industry
  2. Project analysis
  3. Modiglian and Miller*s theory
  4. Investment, Strategy and Economic Rents
  5. Risk, Return and Shipping Company Economics
  6. Does Deby Policy matter?
  7. Financing Ships and Shipping Companies
  8. Financing and Valuation
  9. Economics of maritime business
  10. Sustainability and the shipping industry
Teaching and learning activities

The course will include a combination of lectures and tutorials where the students learn how to analyze and explain solutions to exercises. There are two voluntary tests during the semester.

The students are responsible for obtaining any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/It's learning or the textbook. 

Excel spreadsheet models are highly recommended for problem-solving. 

Software tools
Software defined under the section "Teaching and learning activities".
Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification

Disclaimer

Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this

Required prerequisite knowledge

EXC2110 Basic Financial Management

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Submission PDF
Exam/hand-in semester: 
First Semester
Weight: 
100
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 4)
Duration: 
72 Hour(s)
Comment: 
All exams must be passed to obtain a final grade in the course.
Exam code: 
EXC 36512
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination every semester
Exam category: 
School Exam
Form of assessment: 
Structured Test
Exam/hand-in semester: 
First Semester
Grouping: 
Individual
Support materials: 
  • BI-approved exam calculator
  • Simple calculator
  • Bilingual dictionary
Duration: 
1 Hour(s)
Comment: 
Multiple choice. All exams must be passed to obtain a final grade in the course.
Exam code: 
EXC 36513
Grading scale: 
Pass/fail
Resit: 
Examination every semester
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
30 Hour(s)
Feedback activities and counselling
30 Hour(s)
Review of assignments in plenary
Group work / Assignments
75 Hour(s)
Preparation for lectures and plenary tutorials and work on two voluntary hand-in assignments
Student's own work with learning resources
65 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.