Finance Comprehensive Major, 75 hours: B.S.-No Minor Required

CIP: 520801

Finance directly affects the lives and well-being of every person and organization, whether financial or non-financial, public or private, profit or non-profit. These individuals and organizations earn or raise money and spend or invest money. The processes and decision-making methods to carry out these activities are the purview of finance, which has been defined as the art and science of managing money. The study of finance is concerned with the processes, institutions, markets, and instruments involved in the transfer of money between individuals, businesses, and governments. The major areas of finance can be divided into four broad categories: financial services, corporate finance, insurance, and real estate. The goal of the finance faculty is to prepare graduates for all the categories in the world of finance.

The Corporate Finance Option provides students with the tools to work within the corporate structure under the chief financial officer, where accounting and financial information are used to make corporate decisions. Students will communicate with both the financial and accounting personnel and identify accounting information and financial models for decision making.

The Financial Management Option permits students to prepare for a position in management rather than a staff position in finance under the corporate treasurer. This option blends the knowledge of finance and management to better prepare the student in making management decisions that require a solid understanding of finance. Almost all decisions in business require a balance of interests from all functional business areas, using the decision-making process and the tools of finance to guide the corporation to achieve its goal.

The Financial Services Option prepares students for the financial services industry. This comprises the professions of brokerage, insurance, real estate, and banking. In this business sector students will need to understand the products customers purchase and how to relate this information to the customer.

Students choosing a comprehensive major in Finance must complete and earn a minimum grade of C for each of the courses in the Common Professional Component  and the required courses in the major.