Course

Business Mathematics

Faculty
Commerce & Business Administration
Department
Finance
Course code
FINC 1231
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 Weeks X 4 Hours per Week = 60 Hours
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course will provide an understanding of time value of money and its applications. Relevant mathematical concepts will be used to solve business problems. After a basic review of underlying mathematical and algebraic methodology, the course covers the mathematics of merchandising, linear break-even analysis, simple and compound interest, annuities, amortization, sinking funds, bonds and investment decisions.
Course content
  1. Pertinent mathematics and algebra review: ratios, proportions, percent, fractions, exponents, problem-solving logic, logarithms and weighted average.
  2. Application of linear functions to a variety of business problems, including percent change, payroll and return on investment, discounts, mark-up, mark-down.
  3. Cost Volume Profit Analysis: linear break-even by quantity, dollar amount, percent of capacity.
  4. Simple interest:  time value of money, equivalent values, promissory notes, T-bills, commercial paper, demand loans.
  5. Compound interest:  present, future and equivalent values, equivalent and effective interest rates, using differing compounding and payment periods, bond valuations.
  6. Annuities:  annuities, loan amortization, mortgages, sinking fund provisions, perpetuities.
  7. Business investment decisions using net present value and internal rate of return.
Learning activities

Material will be presented within an interactive lecture and seminar format.

Means of assessment
Term Exams (2-4)       40-60%
Final Exam 30-40%
Assignments 5-20%
Participation 0-5%
Total 100%

Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the successful student should be able to:

  1. demonstrate mathematical and algebraic skills and use of logic to solve business-related problems;
  2. solve mathematics of merchandising problems, including cash and trade discounts, mark-up and mark-down;
  3. demonstrate competence in solving financial problems involving the calculation of simple and compound interest, annuities, investment and management decisions; and 
  4. solve basic linear problems in two variables and determine break-even positions in business.
Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students

1. Hummelbrunner, Halliday, Coombs, Contemporary Business Mathematics, latest Canadian Edition, Pearson Education

or Jerome, Ernest F. Business Mathematics in Canada, latest edition, McGraw Hill

or alternate textbook approved by the Department.

2. Calculator: Texas Instruments BA II Plus OR as approved by the Department.
 

Requisites

Prerequisites

Pre-Calculus 11 (C or higher) or Foundations of Math 11 (C or higher) or MATU 0410  (C or higher) or an approved substitute,

OR currrently active in the PDD in Financial Analysis, PDD International Business Management, PDD Financial Planning, PBD International Supply Chain Management, PBD Accounting and Finance, or PBD Finance.

Corequisites

Nil

Equivalencies

FINC 1230

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for FINC 1231
Acsenda School of Management (ASM) ASM BADM 120 (3)
BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) BCIT OPMT 1110 (4)
Camosun College (CAMO) CAMO FIN 110 (3)
Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU BADM 102 (3)
College of the Rockies (COTR) COTR OFAD 157 (1.5)
Coquitlam College (COQU) COQU BUSI 110 (3)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU BUQU 1130 (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG MATH 1119 (3)
North Island College (NIC) NIC BUS 132 (3)
Okanagan College (OC) OC MATH 114 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU BUS 2XX (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU MATH 1XXX (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU MATH 101 (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) No credit
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) No credit
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV BUS 249 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) No credit
Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU FNCE 1st (3)

Course Offerings

Fall 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
35
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
21
Building
Anvil Office Tower
Room
626
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
14:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
35
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
11
Building
Anvil Office Tower
Room
626
Times:
Start Time
14:30
-
End Time
16:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
34
Remaining seats:
1
On waitlist
8
Building
Anvil Office Tower
Room
609
Times:
Start Time
15:30
-
End Time
18:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
31
Remaining seats:
4
On waitlist
0
Building
Anvil Office Tower
Room
625
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
32
Remaining seats:
3
On waitlist
0
Building
Anvil Office Tower
Room
607
Times:
Start Time
15:30
-
End Time
18:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
9
Remaining seats:
26
On waitlist
0
Building
Anvil Office Tower
Room
707
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
21
Remaining seats:
14
On waitlist
0
Building
Anvil Office Tower
Room
707
Times:
Start Time
18:30
-
End Time
21:20