Finance

Finance Major

The finance major provides a broad-based, analytical program for students anticipating a career in the management of both large and small organizations. Finance provides a good background for students seeking general careers in business. Finance majors can elect to take courses in the following areas that prepare them for entry and advanced careers in financial management of corporations, management of financial institutions, investments, financial services, insurance, and real estate.

• Curriculum Guide
  • Corporate Finance Concentration
  • Investment Analysis Concentration
  • Real Estate Concentration
    
    
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What Kinds of Jobs are There for Finance Majors?

A career in finance can be both financially and intellectually rewarding. Most finance majors ultimately will find employment in banking, corporate finance, financial services, or investments but these are not the only industries where a finance degree can lead to a fulfulling career.

Careers in banking offer many opportunities. One is in commercial lending, which involves working with business clients to analyze their financial statements and help them secure loans to expand their firms. Another possibility is in bank branch management where you would work with individual customers to supply a wide range of banking services. Still another option is in trust management, where you would help clients with estate problems and the management of their wealth.

Jobs in corporate finance help firms make decisions about what assets to acquire and how to finance them. As corporate finance specialist, you might also find yourself heavily involved in determining a firm's working capital position. With the development of many new corporate securities in recent years, there is a real need for people who understand the complexities of these instruments.

Financial services is a rapidly growing area where a wide variety of positions are available. Financial planners advise individuals and business clients on ways to accumulate wealth and help them in constructing appropriate portfolios and selecting individual investments. There are also many opportunities available in finance related sales which include stock brokerage, insurance, and real estate.

Career opportunities in investments typically follow one of two paths: security analysis or portfolio management. Security analysts usually work for brokerage firms, investment management firms, or maybe mutual fund management companies. They analyze different publicly held companies and make recommendations to their clients regarding the purchase of the bonds and stocks issued by those companies. Portfolio managers acquire securities to form portfolios that will meet their client's risk and return needs.