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.
Cornerstone Core Curriculum Requirements
Consist of 14 core and 2 overlay requirements. See below for additional detailed information on each of these requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Course Requirements | ||
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| World History Course Area | 3 | |
| Philosophy Requirements | ||
Either Level One or Level Two (but not both) -- must be Ethics designated. If approved, philosophy courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as Philosophy Level Two and as a Mission Overlay course. | ||
| Philosophy Level One | 3 | |
| Philosophy Level Two | 3 | |
| Theology & Religious Studies Requirements | ||
If approved, Theology & Religious Studies courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as CCC Theology and as a Mission Overlay course. | ||
| Theology | 3 | |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Diversity & INT 151 Requirements | ||
A student's Diversity course may not count for any other CCC course area requirement or as their Mission Overlay course. If approved, Diversity courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive Overlay requirement. INT 151 may not count for any other CCC requirements. This course must be taken in the first two years | ||
| Diversity | 3 | |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| Math & Natural Science Requirements | ||
If approved, Math & Natural Science Requirements may count toward overlay requirements. | ||
| Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| Natural Science | 4 | |
| Social Science Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, such Social Science Requirement may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Non-Native Language Requirement | 3-4 | |
A single Non-Native Language course may not count as an overlay course but a second language course fulfills a student's Mission Overlay requirement. | ||
| Literature Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Literature courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Overlay Requirements | ||
| Writing-Intensive | 3 | |
If approved, Writing-Intensive courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, electives, or as any CCC course area requirement except for the first-year courses (World History and Rhetoric and Composition). | ||
| Mission-Overlay | 3 | |
Mission Overlay courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, elective courses, or any of the following CCC course areas: Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, or Social Science. | ||
| Total Hours | 47-49 | |
Business Foundation
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 101 | Concepts of Financial Acct | 3 |
| ACC 102 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| DSS 100 | Excel Competency | 1 |
| DSS 200 | AI in Business | 3 |
| DSS 210 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| DSS 220 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| ECN 102 | Introductory Economics Macro | 3 |
| FIN 200 | Intro to Finance 1 | 3 |
| or FIN 225 | Fund of Quantitative Finance | |
| MGT 110 | Essent'ls of Organzational Beh | 3 |
| or MGT 120 | Essentials of Management | |
| MGT 360 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| MKT 201 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BUS 495 | Business Strategy | 3 |
| Total Hours | 34 | |
- 1
ECN 101 is a prerequisite for FIN 200 and may count towards the Cornerstone Core Curriculum Social Science requirement.
Major Requirements
Note: A grade of C or better in FIN 200 is required to progress as a Finance Major
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Finance Core | ||
| FIN 201 | Markets and Institutions | 3 |
| FIN 300 | Intermediate Finance | 3 |
| FIN 301 | Investments | 3 |
| Calculus (will count for CCC: Mathematics) | 3-4 | |
| Differential Calculus | ||
| Fundamentals of Calculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Finance Elective | ||
| Select one from any 300- or 400-level FIN Course: 2 | 3 | |
| International Finance | ||
| Small Business Finance | ||
| Sustainable Finance | ||
| Topics in Finance | ||
| Mergers & Acquisitions | ||
| Student Managed Funds | ||
| Portfolio Management | ||
| Derivative Securities | ||
| Advanced Topics in Finance | ||
| Independent Research I | ||
| Independent Research II | ||
| Flexible Elective | ||
| Select one from any 300- or 400-level FIN, RMI or REF course: 2, 3 | 3 | |
| International Finance | ||
| Small Business Finance | ||
| Topics in Finance | ||
| Mergers & Acquisitions | ||
| Student Managed Funds | ||
| Portfolio Management | ||
| Derivative Securities | ||
| Advanced Topics in Finance | ||
| Independent Research I | ||
| Independent Research II | ||
| Commerc Real Estate Valuation | ||
| Residential Loans& Investments | ||
| Corporate Risk Management | ||
| Topics in Risk Mgt & Insurance | ||
| Advanced Finance Elective | ||
| Select one from any 400-level FIN Course: 2 | 3 | |
| Mergers & Acquisitions | ||
| Student Managed Funds | ||
| Portfolio Management | ||
| Derivative Securities | ||
| Fixed Income Analysis | ||
| Advanced Topics in Finance | ||
| Total Hours | 21-22 | |
- 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. REF 301 also satisfies one course toward the REF Minor and can be double-counted.
Free Electives
Seven to nine courses. Graduation requires 120 credits. Any credits necessary to reach that number outside of the CCC and major requirements are considered free electives.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| DSS 100 | Excel Competency | 1 |
| ACC 101 | Concepts of Financial Acct | 3 |
| MGT 110 or MGT 120 |
Essent'ls of Organzational Beh (or Theology) or Essentials of Management |
3 |
| Non-Native Language or Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| ECN 101 or ECN 102 |
Introductory Economics Micro or Introductory Economics Macro |
3 |
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language (or World History) | 3 |
| Hours | 16-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACC 102 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| MGT 110 or MGT 120 |
Essent'ls of Organzational Beh (or Theology) or Essentials of Management |
3 |
| ECN 102 or ECN 101 |
Introductory Economics Macro or Introductory Economics Micro |
3 |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language (or World History) | 3 |
| Hours | 16-17 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| DSS 200 | AI in Business | 3 |
| DSS 210 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| FIN 200 or FIN 225 |
Intro to Finance or Fund of Quantitative Finance |
3 |
| Philosophy Level One | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| DSS 220 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| FIN 201 | Markets and Institutions | 3 |
| MKT 201 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| Philosophy Level Two | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| FIN 300 | Intermediate Finance | 3 |
| FIN 301 | Investments | 3 |
| MGT 360 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Major Elective | 3 | |
| Diversity | 3 | |
| Literature | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Major Elective | 3 | |
| Natural Science | 4 | |
| Fine & Performing Arts, Design & Creativity | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Major Elective | 3 | |
| BUS 495 | Business Strategy | 3 |
| Free Electives | 6-9 | |
| Hours | 12-15 | |
| Total Hours | 120-125 | |