Finance (B.A.)

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The finance major utilizes foundational and elective courses from both accounting and economics to develop the tools and understandings essential to competent financial theory and practice. This knowledge base is extended and specialized to the finance discipline through the study of international capital markets and financial institutions, financial planning and control, capital budgeting and development of capital resources. The two elective courses allow students to emphasize either corporate finance or financial markets/institutions.

The Finance major at Gordon prepares students for a variety of career paths in finance including corporate finance, public finance, insurance, financial advisory, and investments. Advanced opportunities for qualified students include taking Level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) exam prior to graduation.

Finance Requirements

Completing the finance major requires at most 70 credits in total (44 credits in addition to the 26 credits in Foundations of Business).

Foundations of Business Courses

The following courses are required for all students majoring in accounting, business analytics, business management, entrepreneurship and innovation, finance, or marketing:

BUS 105 - Introduction to Business (2)
FIN 110 - Personal Financial Analysis (2)
ECO 115 - The Economy (4)
ACC 117 - Principles of Financial Accounting (4)
ACC 118 - Principles of Managerial Accounting (4)
BUS 205 - Vocation and Business Careers (2)
BUS 211 - Statistics in Business and Economics (4) *
PHI 215 - Business Ethics (4)

Additional courses required for Finance major

An additional 8 credits of elective courses from the approved list below

ACC 362 - Strategic Cost Accounting (4)
ACC 364 - Federal Income Taxation & Planning (4)
ECO 311 - Intermediate Microeconomics (4)
ECO 324 - Intermediate Macroeconomics (4)
ECO 213 - Econometrics (4)
ECO 305 - Economic Development (4)
ECO 366 - International Economics (4)
MGT 245 - Principles of Management (4)
MGT 374 - Small Business Management (4)
MKT 277 - Principles of Marketing (4)

Notes

Students must continuously maintain a 2.0 GPA within the major.

Double majors within the School of Business are allowed, but students must have at least four courses (16 credits) which are uniquely counted to each major. To complete a major and a minor which are both within the School of Business, at least two courses (8 credits) must be uniquely counted to the minor.

*The BUS 211 requirement can alternatively be satisfied through completion of MAT 220 - Biostatistics ; or MAT 318 - Probability and MAT 319 - Statistics ; or PSY 256 - Research Methods I and PSY 257 - Research Methods II or AP Statistics by permission.

Graduate Studies

Students interested in graduate work in finance should elect:

MAT 121 - Calculus I (4)
ECO 213 - Econometrics (4) or
MAT 318 - Probability (4) and
MAT 319 - Statistics (4)
Taking MAT 318 and MAT 319 also waives BUS 211 .

Honors

In exceptional cases majors in the School of Business may earn honors in their major field by researching and writing an honors thesis over the senior year. Under the direction of a faculty advisor, candidates will develop a thesis proposal in the spring prior to the senior year and, with school approval, register for and complete 8 credits of independent research in the senior year (ECO 471 - Honors Research I , ECO 472 - Honors Research II ). For honors the thesis must be of high quality and be defended orally in front of School faculty toward the end of spring term. The minimum GPA for honors candidates is 3.70 in the major and 3.30 overall. An honors thesis should be considered by students intending to complete a research-oriented advanced degree in any economics or business field. See School faculty for details.