Banking & Financial Institutions
The Finance Department offers a thorough preparation for a career in banking
at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels. An undergraduate student may
major in finance through either the College of Commerce and Business
Administration (leading to a Bachelor of Science in Finance) or the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences (leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Finance). The goal
of the undergraduate program is to prepare students for a wide variety of
entry-level jobs at some of the best corporations and financial institutions in
the country. In addition, we are currently offering two Master's level programs,
leading to Masters of Science in International Finance and Masters of Business
Administration with a Professional Track in Finance. Finally, our doctoral
program trains graduates for jobs in research, teaching and consulting.
Students preparing for careers with a Financial Institution should have
strong preparation in financial accounting and Corporate Finance.
Careers with commercial banks, finance companies, and investment banks all
require skills of interpreting the financial statements of current and
prospective customers and assessing financial strengths and weaknesses.
Additionally, these employers look for potential employees who express
themselves well in writing and orally and who have strong inter-personal skills.
Customer contact is an important part of the job, and the employee is the
representative of the firm.
Finance courses, besides those in financial markets and financial
intermediaries, that would prepare students for career with financial
institutions include Finance 321,
Advanced Corporate Finance, Finance
422, Case Studies in Corporate Finance, and Finance 423, Financing Emerging
Businesses for undergraduate students and Finance 521, Advanced Corporate
Finance, Finance 522, Cases in
Corporate Finance, and Finance 524,
Mergers and Acquisitions for graduate students.
Accountancy courses suggested for students interested in a career with a
financial intermediary include Accountancy 301, Accounting Measurement and
Disclosure, Accountancy 312, Taxation Rules and Regulations for undergraduates
and Accountancy 401 and 402, Accounting Analysis I and II, and Accountancy 417,
Financial Statement Analysis, for graduate students. Additional information on
accountancy courses is available from the Department of Accountancy web
site.
Some students may choose to prepare to sit for the
first level examination leading to the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
The CFA designation is primarily designed for those entering the investment
management field, but may be of some value for those with a career with a
financial intermediary. Undergraduate students would prepare during the spring
semester of the senior year to sit for this examination given around June 1 each
year.
(see CFA level I Review Course).
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