Finance - BA, BS

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Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

Department of Economics and Finance

About This Degree

Finance students learn to manage the monetary resources of organizations, countries, and individuals.

They also gain the knowledge and preparation necessary to pursue the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam after they graduate. The CFA is the most internationally recognized and credible credential for financial professionals and is earned by passing a series of analytically rigorous exams.

Quantitative Finance: This emphasis focuses on the quantitative side of finance through the use of mathematical models and data. Potential coursework includes econometrics, financial modeling, financial markets, and machine learning. This emphasis prepares students for a wide array of career options, .some of which include: financial engineering, derivatives trading, asset management, risk management, financial analyst, quantitative analyst, investment banking, and credit analyst. Some students with this emphasis also pursue additional education in degree programs such as a Masters of Financial Economics, Masters of Financial Engineering, Masters of Finance, or Ph.D. in Finance.

For more information about Finance, see the website.
Admitted and current students must meet with an advisor.
Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
The highest math requirement for this degree is MATH 1050 - College Algebra (QL) .

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits: 120
Credits of C- or better: 100
Total credits taken at USU: 30
Credits of upper-division courses required for the major taken at USU: 10
Minimum Grade Point Average (many majors require a higher GPA): 2.0 GPA
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above): 40
Upper-division credits taken at USU: 20
General Education Requirements
University Studies Requirements
Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements For This Program

First-Year and Transfer Students are admitted to the Huntsman School of Business based on USU’s Admission Requirements.

Current USU Students in good standing qualify for admission into a Huntsman School major.

Huntsman School Admission Details: https://huntsman.usu.edu/undergraduate/apply

Notes:

Elective credits needed will be determined on an individual basis (a student with continuing education, AP credits, and Language credits may not require additional elective credits).
Completing a minor is recommended to fulfill elective credits.
Students are encouraged to enhance their educational experience through use of the Roadmap to Graduation and Student Success found at https://huntsman.usu.edu/advising/road_map
The Huntsman School of Business adheres to the USU repeat policy in the following manner: a student is limited to 10 repeats total to earn a degree from Utah State University.
The Huntsman School of Business restricts the number of times a specific course can be taken as follows: students may take a business course twice (once, plus one repeat). Beyond two attempts, the student’s dean must approve additional registration for the class.

Graduation Requirements:

To be recommended by the department for graduation, majors in the Department of Economics and Finance must have a grade point average of at least 2.50 in their upper-division Huntsman School of Business acumen and major requirement courses, a grade of C or better in HSB business acumen courses, and an overall GPA of 2.0. Major requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. This includes transfer credits. At least fifty percent of the business credits required for a business degree must be taken on the Utah State University campus or at a designated residence center.

Major Requirements (24 credits)

Completion with a 2.5 cumulative and major GPA is required for graduation. All major courses require a grade of C or better.

FIN 3400 - Corporate Finance (QI) 3 credit(s) or
FIN 4200 - Intermediate Corporate Finance 3 credit(s)
FIN 4410 - Financial Institutions 3 credit(s)
Complete 12 credits from the following:
- FIN 3000-5999 level courses
- ECN 4330 - Introduction to Econometrics (QI)
Complete 6 credits from the following:
- FIN 3000 - 5999 level courses
- ACCT 3000 - 5999 level courses
- ECN 3000 - 5999 level courses
The following courses must have a FIN prefix to count toward a finance major.
Internship - FIN 4250 - Finance Internship 1-9 credit(s)
Independent Reading or Research - FIN 4900 - Independent Research and Reading 1-3 credit(s)
Senior Honors Thesis - FIN 4950 - Senior Honors Thesis/Project 3 credit(s)
Seminar
*A maximum of 3 credits from FIN 4250 can be used for finance elective credit.

Business Acumen (46-47 credits)

All acumen courses must have a minimum grade of C unless otherwise stated.

ACCT 2010 - Financial Accounting Principles 3 credit(s) (Accounting majors: B grade or higher)
ACCT 2020 - Managerial Accounting Principles 3 credit(s)
BUS 3200 - Business Communication (CI) 3 credit(s)
DATA 1100 - Excel for Business Analysis 1 credit(s)
DATA 2100 - Data and Information in Business 3 credit(s)
DATA 3100 - Making Decisions with Data 3 credit(s)
DATA 3300 - Introduction to Modern Data Analytics (QI) 3 credit(s)
ECN 1500 - Introduction to Economic Institutions, History, and Principles (BAI) 3 credit(s)
ECN 2010 - Introduction to Microeconomics (BSS) 3 credit(s)
FIN 3200 - Fundamentals of Finance I (QI) 3 credit(s) (All Finance, International Business, and Management (Wealth Management emphasis) majors: B- grade or higher)
FIN 3300 - Fundamentals of Finance II 3 credit(s)
MGT 3050 - Foundations of Business: Capitalism, Markets, and Innovation 3 credit(s)
MGT 3350 - Legal and Ethical Environment of Business 3 credit(s)
MGT 3700 - Operations Management 3 credit(s) (International Business and Management: Operations and Supply Chain Management emphasis) majors: B- grade or higher required)
MSLE 3500 - Fundamentals of Marketing 3 credit(s) (International Business majors: B- grade or higher; Marketing majors: B grade or higher)
MSLE 3800 - Leadership 2 credit(s)
MSLE 3890 - Systems Strategy and Problem Solving 2 credit(s)

Quantitative Finance Emphasis Requirements (24 credits)

Students pursuing the Quantitative Finance emphasis must complete the business acumen and the following coursework:

ECN 3010 - Managerial Economics (DSS) 3 credit(s) or
ECN 4010 - Intermediate Microeconomics 3 credit(s)
ECN 4330 - Introduction to Econometrics (QI) 3 credit(s)
FIN 4200 - Intermediate Corporate Finance 3 credit(s)
FIN 4410 - Financial Institutions 3 credit(s)
Complete four of the following courses (12 credits):
ECN 4310 - Mathematical Methods in Economics and Finance I (QI) 3 credit(s)
ECN 5090 - Machine Learning in Economics and Finance 3 credit(s)
ECN 5320 - Mathematical Methods for Economics and Finance II (QI) 3 credit(s)
FIN 4300 - International Finance 3 credit(s)
FIN 4450 - Advanced Corporate Finance 3 credit(s)
FIN 4480 - Derivatives Market 3 credit(s)
FIN 5000 - Advanced Investment Analysis 3 credit(s)
FIN 5100 - Financial Markets and Trading 3 credit(s)
FIN 5300 - Fixed Income 3 credit(s)
FIN 5330 - Financial Econometrics 3 credit(s)
FIN 5350 - Financial Modeling 3 credit(s)
FIN 5440 - Cases in Finance 3 credit(s)
FIN 5600 - Financial Economics 3 credit(s)
FIN 5700 - Portfolio Management 3 credit(s)

Open Electives

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Please consult your  Academic Advisor for details.

Total Credits: 120

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