Finance

Use your Finance major to launch a career in investment, banking, financial planning, or corporate finance as you learn to manage money and drive business success.

  1. Academics
  2. Academic Advising
  3. Academic Pathways Advising
  4. What can I do with this Major
  5. Finance

Corporate and Public Finance

  • Financial analysis
  • Cash management
  • Credit management
  • Budget analysis
  • Investment management
  • Investor relations
  • Financial reporting
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Real estate
  • Risk management

Employers

  • Private businesses of all sizes and types
  • State and local government entities
  • Federal agencies:
    • Internal Revenue Service
    • Treasury Department
  • Schools and universities
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Foundations
  • Hospitals

Strategies

  • Complete a finance-related internship to build skills and learn about the work environment.
  • Seek leadership roles in campus organizations such as treasurer.
  • Develop strong computer skills, including spreadsheets, databases, and presentation software.
  • Sharp analytical skills are crucial in this industry.
  • Earn an MBA to reach the highest levels of corporate finance.
  • Learn another language to prepare for international opportunities.

Banking

  • Corporate credit analysis
  • Commercial and industrial lending
  • Trust and private wealth management
  • Capital services and mergers & acquisitions
  • Mortgage loans
  • Loan origination and packaging
  • Branch management
  • Operations
  • Cash management
  • Credit scoring and risk management
  • Financial analysis
  • Private banking

Employers

  • Commercial banks
  • Credit unions
  • Savings and loan associations
  • Savings banks
  • Mortgage banks
  • Captive finance companies
  • Regulatory agencies:
    • Federal Reserve
    • Federal Deposit Corporation
    • Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
    • Office Thrift Supervision

Strategies

  • Gain a solid background in business including marketing and accounting.
  • Get experience through part-time, summer, or internship positions in a financial service firm.
  • Develop strong interpersonal and communication skills in order to work well with a diverse clientele.

Insurance

  • Claims analysis
  • Underwriting
  • Risk management
  • Sales
  • Actuarial science
  • Loss control

Employers

  • Life insurance firms
  • Property and casualty insurance firms
  • Commercial banks
  • Savings banks

Strategies

  • Complete an internship with an insurance agency.
  • Talk to professionals in the industry to learn more about claims, underwriting, and risk management. Many good, entry-level positions exist in these areas.
  • Initiative and sales ability are necessary to be a successful agent or broker.
  • Develop strong communication skills, as many positions require interaction with others and the ability to explain information clearly and concisely.
  • Take additional statistics classes to prepare for a career in actuary science. Prepare to take the first in a series of actuarial examinations.

Personal Financial Planning

  • Sales
  • Customer service
  • Operations
  • Portfolio management
  • Financial advising
  • Insurance advising

Employers

  • Brokerage firms
  • Trust companies
  • Financial partnerships
  • Multi-line insurance firms
  • Sole practitioner

Strategies

  • Gain experience in sales.
  • Demonstrate a highly motivated and entrepreneurial personality.
  • Research how one obtains the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.
  • Develop a solid personal network.

Real Estate

  • Residential brokerage
  • Commercial sales
  • Appraisals
  • Property management
  • Real estate portfolio management

Employers

  • Real estate brokers
  • Commercial banks
  • Appraisal firms
  • Apartment and condominium complexes
  • Developers
  • Large corporations: real estate departments
  • Real estate investment trusts
  • Mutual funds

Strategies

  • Obtain sales experience through part-time, summer or internship positions.
  • Research how to become a real estate broker through the National Association of Realtors.
  • Develop an entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Research apprenticeships in appraisal.

Investment Banking

  • Corporate financial analysis
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Equity and debt
  • Underwriting
  • Institutional bond and equity sales
  • Retail bond and equity sales
  • Business valuation
  • Business sale transactions
  • Currency trading
  • Derivatives (e.g., options)
  • Trading
  • Venture capital fund management
  • New venture analysis
  • Hedge fund management

Employers

  • Investment banking firms
    (Changes in laws have created a fluid situation in this industry; Mergers and acquisitions continue to take place.)
  • Financial services firms
  • Insurance firms
    (The Gramm Leach Bliley Act of 1999 allowed financial services firms to acquire or build investment banking subsidiaries and vice versa.)
  • Commercial banks (Due to shifts in federal regulations, more commercial banks are adding investment activity.)

Strategies

  • An MBA is required to move beyond the entry-level analyst position in investment banking. Investment banking is highly competitive.
  • Be prepared to work many hours of overtime per week, start at the bottom, and pay your dues.
  • Develop strong analytical and communication skills.
  • Cultivate personal ambitiousness.
  • Join a campus-based investment club.
  • Obtain a Series 7 License for both institutional and retail broker sales positions.
  • Work toward the CFA designation.

Money Management

  • Research
  • Trading
  • Marketing
  • Portfolio management
  • Hedge fund management

Employers

  • Portfolio management firms
  • Commercial banks
  • Investment banks
  • Federal Reserve banks
  • Insurance firms

Strategies

  • Most positions require an advanced degree in economics, finance or business and many years of financial experience.

Accounting

  • Corporate or Government:
    • Financial management
    • Financial reporting
    • Cost accounting
    • Tax planning
    • Research

Employers

  • Companies of various sizes, in all industries
  • Federal agencies and departments:
    • Federal Bureau of Investigation
    • Internal Revenue Service
    • Department of the Treasury
    • Office of Management and Budget
    • Securities Exchange Commission
  • State and local agencies
  • Federal Reserve banks
  • Insurance firms

Strategies

  • Sometimes opportunities in accounting exist in government and corporate settings for finance students.
  • Take more than the required amount of accounting classes to supplement finance curriculum.
  • Maintain a strong GPA.
  • Complete an internship in a government agency and become familiar with the government application process to work in the public sector.

General Information

  • Quantitative skills are extremely important in finance. Take additional courses in math, statistics, and accounting.
  • Many positions in finance require the ability to analyze and interpret data.
  • Develop strong interpersonal and communication skills. Cultivate an eye for detail.
  • Gain experience through internships, summer and part-time positions.
  • Read the Wall Street Journal and other financial news magazines to stay abreast of current events and to learn more about the industry.
  • Join student professional associations in the field of finance and seek leadership roles.
  • Several professional designations and licenses, (e.g., Chartered Financial Analyst or Certified Financial Planner), are available to finance professionals working in a particular area. Earning these designations may help one obtain advanced positions.

Professional Associations

Occupational Outlook

Related Resources

Employment Opportunities