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:
- Diversity, Globalization or Non-western Area Studies,
- Ethics Intensive
- Writing Intensive, and
- 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
General Education Integrative Learning Component
See this page about Integrative Learning Component. Three courses:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Three College of Arts and Sciences courses related to the major, including: | ||
ECN 102 | Introductory Economics Macro | 3 |
MAT 123 | Differential Calculus 1 | 3 |
For ILC #3, students may take one additional course (excluding first year seminars) in the College of Arts and Sciences. | 3 |
Business Foundation
Ten courses, including:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
ACC 101 | Concepts of Financial Acct | 3 |
ACC 102 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
DSS 100 | Excel Competency | 1 |
DSS 200 | Intro to Information Systems | 3 |
DSS 210 | Business Statistics | 3 |
DSS 220 | Business Analytics | 3 |
FIN 200 | Intro to Finance | 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 1 | 3 |
or ACC 423 | Accounting Control Systems | |
Total Hours | 31 |
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 |
Finance Elective | ||
Select one from any 300- or 400-level FIN Course: 2 | 3 | |
International Finance | ||
Small Business Finance | ||
Honors Research | ||
Honors Research | ||
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 | ||
Honors Research | ||
Honors Research | ||
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 | 18 |
- 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