Finance Major

The Finance major introduces students to the financial decision-making process as it is applied within both large and small enterprises, and as it is practiced by investment professionals. The Finance major provides students with the flexibility to choose between careers in corporate financial management, treasury management, investor relations, securities analysis/sales, portfolio management, mutual fund research, and financial markets analysis.

The Finance major is a CFA® Institute University Affiliation Program, and is thus appropriate for students preparing for the CFA Program exams.  The required courses in the Finance major cover over 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge and emphasize the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. 

Saint Joseph’s University does not certify individuals to use the CFA® designation. The CFA program and its exams are administered by the CFA Institute.  Students completing the Finance major are not guaranteed acceptance into—or successful completion of—any of the CFA Institute's programs.

For additional information regarding professional certification requirements please visit https://www.sju.edu/disclosures

Goal 1: Functional finance skills

Objective 1.1: Students will learn the concepts and tools necessary to value assets.

Goal 2: Critical Thinking skills

Objective 2.1: Students will learn the skills to examine and evaluate the validity of assumptions.

Goal 3: Communication Skills

Objective 3.1: Students will learn to make recommendations that are clearly and effectively supported by analysis in written reports.

Goal 4: Jesuit Traditions

Objective 4.1: Students will understand the role of Ignatian values in financial decision-making.

The traditional undergraduate programs includes a minimum of 120 credits distributed across three components: A General Education component divided into Signature Courses, Variable Courses, and an Integrative Learning requirement; a Major and Divisional component; and Free Electives. In addition to course requirements as specified in each area, students must complete one certified course in each of the following overlay areas1:

  1. Diversity, Globalization or Non-western Area Studies,
  2. Ethics Intensive
  3. Writing Intensive, and
  4. Diversity
1

Overlay requirements are part of the 120 credit requirements

General Education Signature Courses

See this page about Signature courses. 

General Education Variable Courses

See this page about Variable courses. Six to Nine courses

General Education Overlays

See this page about Overlays.

General Education Integrative Learning Component

See this page about Integrative Learning Component. Three courses:

Three College of Arts and Sciences courses related to the major, including:
ECN 102Introductory Economics Macro3
MAT 123Differential Calculus 13
For ILC 3

Business Foundation 

Ten courses, including:

ACC 101Concepts of Financial Acct3
ACC 102Managerial Accounting3
DSS 100Excel Competency1
DSS 200Intro to Information Systems3
DSS 210Business Statistics3
DSS 220Business Analytics3
FIN 200Intro to Finance3
or FIN 225 Fund of Quantitative Finance
MGT 110Essent'ls of Organzational Beh3
or MGT 120 Essentials of Management
MGT 360Legal Environment of Business3
MKT 201Principles of Marketing3
BUS 495Business Strategy 13
or ACC 423 Accounting Control Systems
Total Hours31
1

Accounting Majors can choose between ACC 423 and BUS BUS 495

Major Requirements

Note: A grade of C or better in FIN 200 is required to progress as a Finance Major

Finance Core
FIN 201Markets and Institutions3
FIN 300Intermediate Finance3
FIN 301Investments3
Finance Elective
Select one from any 300- or 400-level FIN Course: 23
FIN 302
International Finance
FIN 303
Small Business Finance
FIN 304
Honors Research
FIN 305
Honors Research
FIN 310
Sustainable Finance
FIN 370
Topics in Finance
FIN 400
Mergers & Acquisitions
FIN 401
Student Managed Funds
FIN 402
Portfolio Management
FIN 403
Derivative Securities
FIN 470
Advanced Topics in Finance
FIN 493
Independent Research I
FIN 494
Independent Research II
Flexible Elective
Select one from any 300- or 400-level FIN, RMI or REF course: 2, 33
FIN 302
International Finance
FIN 303
Small Business Finance
FIN 304
Honors Research
FIN 305
Honors Research
FIN 370
Topics in Finance
FIN 400
Mergers & Acquisitions
FIN 401
Student Managed Funds
FIN 402
Portfolio Management
FIN 403
Derivative Securities
FIN 470
Advanced Topics in Finance
FIN 493
Independent Research I
FIN 494
Independent Research II
REF 301
Commerc Real Estate Valuation
REF 303
Residential Loans& Investments
RMI 301
Corporate Risk Management
RMI 370
Topics in Risk Mgt & Insurance
Advanced Finance Elective
Select one from any 400-level FIN Course: 23
FIN 400
Mergers & Acquisitions
FIN 401
Student Managed Funds
FIN 402
Portfolio Management
FIN 403
Derivative Securities
FIN 410
Fixed Income Analysis
FIN 470
Advanced Topics in Finance
Total Hours18
1

All FIN majors must take at least one Calculus course (MAT 123, MAT 155, MAT 161, or MAT 162) unless they have placed out with a 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus Exam or transfer credit in Calculus from another university.  Students who complete the GEP Math Beauty requirement by taking MAT 155 can satisfy FIN ILC #2 with any course from the College of Arts and Sciences.  The Finance Department recommends that students who satisfy the GEP Math Beauty requirement by taking MAT 161 take the second course in the sequence, MAT 162, as the second FIN ILC course. However, these students also have the option to take any course from the College of Arts and Sciences to satisfy FIN ILC #2. 

2

400-level courses have one or more 300-level courses as prerequisites (see Course Descriptions for details).

3

A 300-level RMI course also satisfies one course toward the RMI Major and can be double-counted.

Free Electives

Six courses