Michael Mamo, Division Chair
Faculty: Rich Collins, Richard Henage, Lauren Lo Re, Rob Patterson, Sheng Xiao
Students can choose either the Bachelor of Science in Finance, or the Bachelor of Arts in Finance.
All students completing undergraduate programs in the Finance Program meet educational requirements for the Accelerated MBA Program for Westminster Graduates.
Program Goals
The Finance Program offers a major leading to a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree that will prepare students for career options in corporate finance, international finance, new venture financing, investments, banking, consulting, or business financial planning. The theoretical and practical aspects of finance are integrated to provide students with critical thinking skills and analytical tools as a foundation for life-long learning. Students completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance should:
- Explain the firm’s financial structure and the role of finance in maximizing a firm’s value.
- Use financial theories, practices, analytical tools, and models for making critical decisions.
- Develop solutions to complex financial problems.
- Communicate complex financial concepts, analyses, strategies and decisions.
- Develop ethical awareness and an understanding of global financial markets.
Program Requirements
To fulfill the requirements for the major in Finance, students must complete the courses outlined below and maintain a minimum 2.3 GPA in all coursework required by the program. Students are also required to complete the ETS Major Field Test in Business before they are eligible to graduate.
Students must meet the college-wide graduation requirements in addition to the Finance major:
- 124 total hours
- 30 upper division hours
- Liberal education distribution
Undergraduate Business Core
| Requirement Description |
Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| Lower Division Business Courses | 30* | |
| ACCT 213 Accounting Principles (4)—offered fall, spring, and summer | ||
| ECON 253 Elementary Macroeconomics, LE* (4)—offered fall, spring, and summer | ||
| ECON 263 Elementary Microeconomics (4)—offered fall, spring, and summer | ECON 253 (LE); MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE) | |
| IRM 200 Principles of Information Resource Management*** (4)—offered fall, spring, and summer | co-requisite: MATH 150 (LE) | |
| MATH*141 OR MATH*143 College Algebra, LE** (4)—offered every semester | MATH 105 or placement test | |
| MATH 150 Elementary Statistics, LE** (4)—offered every semester | MATH 105 or placement test | |
| MGMT 230 Business Quantitative Methods*** (3)—offered fall, spring, and summer | MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE), 150 (LE) | |
| PHIL 206 Introduction to Ethics, LE * (3) | ||
| Upper Division Business Courses | 20 | |
| FINC 300 Business Finance (4)—offered fall, spring, and summer | ACCT 213; ECON 253 (LE), 263; IRM 200; MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE), MATH 150 (LE) | |
| MGMT 305 Principles of Management (4)—offered fall, spring, and summer | MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE) | |
| MGMT 325 Business and Employment Law (4)—offered fall and spring | ||
| MGMT 475 Strategy in Global Management**** (4)—offered fall, spring, and summer | senior standing; see course description | |
| MKTG 300 Principles of Marketing (4)—offered fall, spring, and summer | MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE) | |
| TOTAL REQUIRED HOURS | 50 |
Notes:
* Students taking these courses as part of LE can double count these courses.
** Only one of MATH*141 OR MATH*143 and MATH 150 will count toward LE, but both are required. Students may be required to take both, based on math placement exams.
*** IRM 200 and MGMT 230 may be taken in the same semester as co-requisites.
**** In certain majors, Senior Seminar may substitute for MGMT *475
Bachelor of Science in Finance
| Requirement Description |
Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. Undergraduate Business Core | 50 | |
| Please refer to Undergraduate Business Core for requirements. | ||
| II. Major Requirements | 20 | |
| The following courses are required for Finance Majors: | ||
| FINC 305 Investment and Analysis (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 309 Concepts and Apps. of Corp Finance (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 495 Strategic Financial Mgmt & Entrepreneurship (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300, 305, 309, senior standing | |
| Students can elect to take between 4–8 credits from the following electives: | ||
| FINC 310 Financial Institutions and Industrial Banking (4)—offered fall | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 320 Financial Derivatives (4) | ||
| FINC 405 Investment Strategies and Applications (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300, 305 | |
| FINC 435 International Finance (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 493 Business Forecasting (4)—offered spring | MATH 150 (LE), ECON 253 (LE), 263, FINC 300 | |
| FINC Any upper division course approved by advisor (4) | ||
| ECON 303 Money and Banking (4)—offered fall | ECON 253 (LE), 263; MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE) | |
| ECON 499 Econometrics (4)—offered fall | ECON 253 (LE), 263; MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE), 150 (LE) | |
| Students can also choose up to four hours as electives from the following: | ||
| FINC 315 Personal Financial Planning & Insurance (4)—offered fall | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 316 Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits (4)—offered spring | ||
| FINC 317 Securities Regulations and Trading (4)- | ||
| III. Practice/Experience Courses | 2–4 | |
| FINC 440* Internship (2–4) or |
FINC 300; junior/senior standing, see course descriptions | |
| FINC 441* Finance Practicum (4) or |
FINC 300; MATH 150 (LE); junior/senior standing | |
| FINC 442* Professional Portfolio (2) 2–4 | FINC 300; junior/senior standing, see course descriptions | |
| *Note to transfers: all internships (440) must be taken at upper division level. For transfer of credit for 441 or 442, please see the Practice Experience Coordinator. | ||
| TOTAL HOURS FOR THE B.S. FINANCE PROGRAM | 72–74 |
Note: All students must complete 124 hours of coursework to graduate, 30 hours of which must be upper division (300 level or above). Students may need to take other courses to complete the college hours requirement.
Bachelor of Arts in Finance
| Requirement Description |
Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. Undergraduate Business Core | 50 | |
| Please refer to Undergraduate Business Core for requirements. | ||
| II. Bachelor of Arts Requirements | 12 | |
| Students completing the Bachelor of Arts option (B.A.) must complete either: | ||
| a. A declared academic minor other than a Business minor; or | ||
| b. Twelve credit hours of a single foreign language; or | ||
| c. Eight credit hours of a single foreign language, and either: | ||
|
||
| See Foreign Language Requirement for equivalencies, AP and CLEP credit policy. | ||
| III. Major Requirements | 20 | |
| The following courses are required for Finance Majors: | ||
| FINC 305 Investment and Analysis (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 309 Concepts and Apps. of Corp Finance (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 495 Strategic Financial Mgmt and Entrepreneurship (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300, 305, 309, senior standing | |
| Students can elect to take between 4–8 credits from the following electives: | ||
| FINC 310 Financial Institutions and Industrial Banking (4)—offered fall | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 320 Financial Derivatives (4) | ||
| FINC 405 Investment Strategies and Applications (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300, 305 | |
| FINC 435 International Finance (4)—offered fall and spring | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 493 Business Forecasting (4)—offered spring | MATH 150 (LE), ECON 253 (LE), 263, FINC 300 | |
| FINC Any upper division course approved by advisor (4) | ||
| ECON 303 Money and Banking (4)—offered fall | ECON 253 (LE), 263; MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE) | |
| ECON 499 Econometrics (4)—offered fall | ECON 253 (LE), 263; MATH*141 OR MATH*143 (LE), 150 (LE) | |
| Students can also choose up to four hours as electives from the following: |
||
| FINC 315 Personal Financial Planning & Insurance (4)—offered fall | FINC 300 | |
| FINC 316 Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits (4)—offered spring | ||
| FINC 317 Securities Regulations and Trading (4) | ||
| IV. Practice/Experience Courses | 2–4 | |
| FINC 440* Internship (2–4) or |
FINC 300; junior/senior standing, see course description | |
| FINC 441* Finance Practicum (4) or |
FINC 300; MATH 150 (LE); junior/senior standing | |
| FINC 442* Professional Portfolio (2) | FINC 300; junior/senior standing, see course description | |
| *Note to transfers: all internships (440) must be taken at upper division level. For transfer of credit for 441 or 442, please see the Practice Experience Coordinator. | ||
| TOTAL HOURS FOR THE B.A. FINANCE PROGRAM | 84–86 |
Note: All students must complete 124 hours of coursework to graduate, 30 hours of which must be upper division (300 level or above). Students may need to take other courses to complete the college hours requirement.
Recommended Plan of Study (B.A. and B.S.)
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | |
| Freshman Year | ECON 253 MATH*141 OR MATH*143 Language I (B.A.) |
MATH 150 Language II (B.A.) |
| Sophomore Year | ACCT 213 ECON 263 IRM 200 Language III (B.A.) |
FINC 300 MGMT 230 MGMT 305 PHIL 206 |
| Junior Year | FINC 305 MGMT 325 MKTG 300 |
FINC 309 FINC Elective |
| Senior Year | FINC Elective FINC Elective (B.S.) FINC 440/441/442 |
FINC 495 MGMT 475 |