Finance is offered as an option within the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Business Administration and the Master of Business Administration degree to prepare students for careers in corporate financial management, investments, financial institutions, small business, financial planning, and teaching.
Finance is an organized body of principles, theories, and practices that deal with how businesses, individuals, and governments acquire and use money. It is concerned with the ongoing issues of allocating resources within firms, making appropriate investments, and financing them. Finance also encompasses the study of financial markets and institutions to familiarize people, businesses, and governments with the risks and opportunities present in the financial environment.
Finance prepares students for positions in both large and small businesses. Students interested in the financial aspects of business management receive instruction in capital and current asset management, the sources of capital, securities, and dividend policy. Those interested in investments study the organization and operation of the securities markets, investment research, and securities analysis.
The undergraduate finance option also prepares students for careers with financial service firms such as banks, thrifts, and insurance and investment companies. Financial management skills may be applied to firms that are engaged in manufacturing, merchandising, technology, and services. Graduates can apply knowledge in any or all of the following areas: controllership, treasury functions, budgeting, and securities sales.
Students of finance who qualify may join the campus' Eta chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, the national honor society for business, and the Financial Management Association, the national honor society for finance. They also may join the campus chapters of Golden Key and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies which are open to qualified students in all academic disciplines. In addition, numerous scholarships are available to students in all disciplines who meet established criteria.