The major in Finance offers students the necessary skills to work in all areas of finance, in both the private, corporate and public sectors. Careers include those in asset management; commercial and investment banking; corporate financial management; venture capital; mergers and acquisition; risk management and insurance; actuarial science; and real estate. In addition, concentrating in finance equips students well for careers in law and government.
Finance majors must complete the core computer language requirement by taking FI 389 Financial Analysis & Modeling. Finance majors are required to select a concentration, a second major or an approved (business or non-business minor.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Major Courses | ||
| EC 308 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3 |
| EC 309 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FI 301 | Intro Financial Inst. & Mkts | 3 |
| FI 410 | Intermediate Financial Mgt | 3 |
| FI 412 | Money & Capital Markets | 3 |
| FI 414 | Investments | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 18 | |
| Concentration, Second Major or Approved Minor | 9-18 | |
| Total Hours | 27-36 | |
Concentrations
The Banking and Financial Services concentration provides undergraduate students the background of the institutional and regulatory environment, and management issues facing financial institutions. Students will learn the basic theories of financial intermediation and will be able to distinguish the various services financial institutions provide. Students will also learn how to identify and analyze the different types of risks faced by financial institutions (focusing on interest rate risk, market risk, liquidity, and credit risk). Theories and techniques available for measuring and managing these risks will be studied. The sequence of courses aims to develop a knowledge of the banking and financial services such to prepare the students for entry-level positions within the financial services sector. The Banking and Financial Services concentration is restricted to Finance majors only.
| Banking & Financial Services Concentration | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| AC 352 | Corporate Financial Reporting | 3 |
| FI 435 | Fund. of Risk Mgt. & Ins. | 3 |
| FI 421 | Bank Administration | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
The Financial Engineering concentration equips students with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to measure and manage various market risks, including foreign exchange, interest rate, equity price, commodity price, as well as many others. Students in this concentration will learn state-of-the-art quantitative techniques for efficiently and effectively managing market risks. With these capabilities, students will be able to contribute to optimal management of a host of entities, including global corporations, municipalities, pension funds, endowments, among the others. The Financial Engineering concentration is restricted to Finance majors only.
| Financial Engineering Concentration | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required: | ||
| MATH 125 | Calculus I | 4 |
| FI 419 | Financial Derivatives | 3 |
| Choose 1 course from the following list: | 3 | |
| Corporate Financial Reporting | ||
| Financial Analysis - Investing | ||
| Choose 2 courses from the following list: | 6 | |
| Econ Forecasting & Analysis | ||
| Advanced Investment Topics | ||
| Financial Econometrics | ||
| Statistical Inference I | ||
| Statistical Inference II | ||
| Total Hours | 16 | |
The Value Investing concentration provides students with a strong foundation for examining the critical aspects of investing decisions, including generating good ideas, conducting fundamental business and industry research, analyzing financial statements, and credibly estimating what businesses and companies are worth. The focus is on practical applications. Students will be prepared for a broad range of business careers, including investment management, investment banking, private equity, management consulting, corporate business development, corporate finance and entrepreneurship. The Value Investing concentration is restricted to Finance majors only.
| Value Investing Concentration | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| AC 444 | Financial Analysis - Investing | 3 |
| FI 317 | Intro to Value Investing | 3 |
| FI 422 | Value Investing Principles | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Finance/Economics Double Major
The double major in finance and economics is for students looking to combine the two fields. The double major includes a Finance elective and an additional Economics elective, because of the extensive overlap between the Finance and Economics majors. Students completing this curriculum earn two majors, not two degrees, since both are part of Culverhouse College of Business.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Major Courses: | ||
| EC 308 or | Intermediate Microeconomics (C- or better required in EC 308 or EC 310) | 3 |
| EC 310 | Honors Intermediate Microeconomics | |
| EC 309 or | Intermediate Macroeconomics (C- or better required in EC 309 or EC 311) | 3 |
| EC 311 | Honors Intermediate Macroeconomics | |
| FI 301 | Introduction to Financial Institutions and Markets | 3 |
| FI 410 | Intermediate Financial Mgt | 3 |
| FI 412 | Money & Capital Markets | 3 |
| FI 414 | Investments | 3 |
| Approved Finance Elective | 3 | |
| Four 300/400 level Economics Electives | 12 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 33 | |
| Ancillary Requirement: | ||
| FI 389 | Financial Analysis and Modeling | 3 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
The opportunities for students who complete a bachelor's degree in finance include positions in banking and financial services, corporate finance, investment management, real estate, insurance enterprise risk management, consulting, and the public sector.
Types of Jobs Accepted
Recent graduates take entry-level jobs as actuary; financial analyst; loan officer; investment advisor; personal financial planner; insurance company agent in operations, underwriting, claims and brokerage; and real estate developer.
Jobs of Experienced Alumni
Our alumni hold positions in areas such as asset management, investment banking and management, corporate finance, financial services, sales and trading, real estate portfolio management, and bank examination.
Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center