I took the postgrad version of this subject, FINC6022. This is a course that moves away from the more standard subjects you will take in your BCom or MCom finance major to incorporate the ways in which real world decisions deviate from the decisions that standard finance models (i.e. mean-variance analysis, factor models such as CAPM) predict. If you have some real-world trading experience you are likely to recognise that many of the behavioural biases presented have probably impacted your trading decisions. I immediately recognised the 'disposition effect' as a trading mistake I had made many times (realising small gains too soon to lock in a profit, while holding losers in the hope of 'just getting back to par'). If you've ever been a fan of the horses or casinos, you'll also recognise the behavioural bias that makes you double down on the last race to try and win back what you've already lost. The students who will get the most out of this subject are those who already have some real world investing experience, either professionally or personally. I came 1st in FINC6022 when I took it in 2013 (only semesters from 2020-2023 were available in the drop-down list below) and the course content remains very similar. I am therefore well-placed to help students taking it. The course is typically taught by one of my PhD supervisors, Andrew Grant.

Read all the other 1 star reviews - I concur. The subject was a complete mess and terribly executed - hope it's just because of COVID-19.

dont take this subject ever. such a disappointment

This course is horrendous. Behavioural finance is sold to students wanting to take up this elective as a theory-heavy unit that provides an opportunity to study the psyche of the trader and public at large and the potential effects this has on the market to create arbitrage opportunities or explain losses. This concept sounds inherently interesting and is what draws many students in. However the course is in fact something completely different, and at times feels more akin to a sequel to BUSS1020 with its ridiculous assignment that required more statistical analysis than I have done since first year. But this only alludes to the crux of the issue of this course, and that's the massive disconnect between staff and the student body. One that is simply shameful. Not only is the perception of what his unit is going to be utilised to mislead students into this course, but the teaching body appears to relish in the difficulty that thus befalls upon students. After a disgustingly difficult mid-sem exam they refused to release how the cohort went as a whole due to the exams ridiculously high failure rate then has the audacity to say the final exam was going to be tailored to a similar difficulty. This may be made up for amazing teaching techniques, but its not. Lectures are at the best of times unclear, and asking for assistance on Ed will provide you with the vaguest one-liner you could hope for, leaving lost students directionless. Simply put, do FINC3014

Never have I studied so hard for an exam (mid sem), opened it and had a panic attack. The mid semester questions were completely rogue and different to anything we'd ever been given. Then the assignment was basically IPM (FINC3017), even though it was not a pre-requisite. This subject has killed me mentally.

This subject is the worst subject I've taken. Honestly the worst. The absolute worst. Terrible teaching, impossibly hard mid sem, medium level assignment and useless tutors. I don't know if this is punishment for COVID 19 online studying and the lecturer is just acting out or in a bad mood, but this semester has been awful. I truly have never commented, but the amount of hate I feel for the way this subject has been taught is so strong, I needed to review. Good luck for those taking it, I do hope the lecturer and tutors are in better moods and more fair next time round.

Possibly the worst subject I’ve ever done. Midsem was nigh on impossible - the majority of the cohort failed and 20% of the questions in it didn’t even have right answers (it was multis...). The assignment was the worst worded thing i’ve ever read, extremely ambiguous and response from the tutors about the vagueness was also vague, and throughout the term there’s been this sort of “youre just bad, it’s not our fault it’s really hard” from the tutors, especially Tobias. When the majority of the cohort thinks your subject is too hard, it probably is. This subject does not foster any sort of teaching environment, seems like they want to just destroy my mental health.

I'm honestly not sure what's happened to this subject since the high ratings it used to receive. It's pretty laughable as a third year finance unit at a supposedly top business school. The subject itself gives impressions of a theoretical and interesting behavioural focus, and is then heavily tilted towards calculations that assume knowledge not taught in the course. Andrew is a good lecturer, but there is a clear lack of communication and efficiency from a structuring perspective, and some of the tutors, notably tobias, are shocking in their lack of respect and care for the students, who are of course paying his wages. The midsem exam was nothing like the practice questions or course content, and despite studying for it more than any other subject I've taken this semester I still failed (before they gave everyone 4 extra marks for questions being wrong). Notably, they never apologised for the incorrect questions that took up a lot of time trying to solve. The assignment was the worst written assignment I've ever seen, and this was clearly a shared sentiment across the cohort with mass confusion about what to actually do. In fact, a quick look at the Ed discussion board will show how unhappy everyone is with the course, and yet only tobias seems to monitor this and provides sarcastic and nonchalant replies to clear student concerns of failing the subject. Andrew the lecturer seems to have no involvement with Ed. I've never seen such hostility and anger shared across a cohort, which means you can effectively eliminate the assumption that it's just a few students having a whinge, and more reflects a cohort-wide discontent with the quality of teaching and course structure. Very disappointed to end my studies with a subject like this. Please do better for future students.

Taking this course in Semester 1 2020 and by far the worst subject I have done at uni. Assignment and midsem have questions that are nothing like what is taught in the course. Tutors are condescending and incredibly arrogant @tobias. Midsem average seems to be a fail mark despite them refusing to release the average (which would make the teaching staff look bad). Same midsem had at 4 incorrect questions in it.

Really interest subject, not your traditional finance material, a lot of focus on psychology and applying that to financial markets