Future Students

Academics

Finance

College of Business


 

QUICK JUMP
  Finance
  Study Options
  Requirements and Core Courses
  Careers in Finance
  Salaries
  Scholarships and Financial Aid
  Campus Organizations and Activities
  Related Fields of Study That Might Interest You
  Contact Information

Finance

Finance deals with the raising, use, and investment of money or capital by individuals or businesses around the globe. Graduates from this field are valuable in all areas of business, financial institutions, and investment groups.
• Offered at WSU: Bachelor of arts in business administration with a major in finance, minor, master of business administration specialization, doctorate concentration
• Available at: Pullman, Tri-Cities (minor only), Vancouver (minor and B.A. only)

Study Options

There are several areas of emphasis available in the Finance major:
• Financial Management
• Investment Analysis
• Financial Institutions Management
• Financial Services
• Real Estate
• Risk Management/Insurance

Requirements and Core Courses

—Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a Major in Finance

REQUIREMENTS FOR JOINING PROGRAM
After taking 60 credit hours, completing 10 specified courses (EconS 101 and 102, Engl 101, Acct 230 and 231, B Law 210, MgtOp 215, Math 201 and 202, and MIS 250), and earning a 2.5 GPA, students can certify into a specific major within business, such as finance.
• NOTE: Certification is required for enrollment in all 300- and 400-level business courses.

REQUIRED BUSINESS COURSES
In addition to University general education requirements, finance students must take the following courses:
EconS 101—Fundamentals of Microeconomics
EconS 102—Fundamentals of Macroeconomics
Engl 101—Introduction to Writing
Acctg 230—Introduction to Financial Accounting
Acctg 231—Introduction to Managerial Accounting
B Law 210—Law and the Legal Environment of Business
MgtOp 215—Statistics
Math 201—Intro to Finite Mathematics for Business and Economics
Math 202—Intro to Mathematical Analysis for Business and Economics
MIS 250—Managing Information Technology
MgtOp 340—Operations Management
Fin 325—Finance
MgtOp 301—Principles of Management and Organization
Mktg 360—Marketing
Engl 402—Technical and Professional Writing
     or 403—Technical and Professional Writing ESL
MgtOp 491—Business Strategy and Policy
     or 492—Small Business Policy
Any [C] ComSt or HD class
PolSci—Any three-credit class
Any [D, S] Soc or Psych class

REQUIRED FINANCE COURSES
Acctg 330—Intermediate Accounting
EconS 305—Theory of the Firm and Market Policy
Fin 421—Financial Institutions & Intermediation
Fin 425[M]—Intermediate Financial Management
Fin 427[M]—Investment Analysis, OR
     Fin 437[M]—Cougar Investment Fund I *

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (Choose four (4) electives):

Acctg 331—Intermediate Accounting II
Acctg 338—Cost Accounting
EconS 320—Money and Banking
Fin 345—Real Estate
Fin 350—Risk and Insurance
Fin 422—Financial Institutions Mgt
Fin 426—Entrepreneurial Finance
Fin 428—Portfolio Theory & Financial Eng
Fin 438—Cougar Investment Fund II
Fin 445—Real Estate Valuation
Fin 447—Real Estate Investments
Fin 449—Real Estate Finance
Fin 451—Life Insurance & Financial Planning
Fin 452—Property & Liability Ins
Fin 456—Risk Management
Fin 481—International Finance
Fin 498—Internship **
Fin 499—Independent Study **

*A student must take either Fin 427 or Fin 437. Students registering for Fin 437 in the Fall semester are expected to register for Fin 438 the following Spring semester.
**A minimum of 3 credit hours is required for Fin 498, Fin 499, or a combination of credit hours from the two courses to count toward a student's finance elective requirement. In addition, Fin 498 and/or Fin 499 may count for no more than ONE of the finance elective requirements.


NOTE: Students should consult the General Catalog for course planning and must meet course requirements as outlined in the General Catalog in order to graduate.

Careers in Finance

Common introductory finance careers include work in corporate finance, financial institutions, and investments.
• Corporate finance specialists help make financial decisions on business expansion, acquisitions, managing cash flows, setting credit terms, and selecting securities.
• Financial institution specialists usually work in the banking industry to evaluate credit, set terms, market loans, and manage risks.
• Investment specialists use their understanding of securities, mutual funds, and laws to build careers as stockbrokers, financial planners, security analysts, and money or portfolio managers.

Alumni work as entrepreneurs, for non-profit organizations, and at such corporations as Merrill Lynch, D.A. Davidson, Wurtz and Associations, U.S. Bank, Boeing Corp., Microsoft, Intel, and Techtronics.

Salaries

Finance graduates just out of college can earn salaries of $28,000-35,000. MBAs with a finance concentration typically receive $40,000-60,000. Senior positions in industry for finance specialists can command $100,000-200,000.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

About $10,000 in scholarships are awarded annually to WSU's best finance students. Most are available to seniors, but a few are given to outstanding students just entering the program. In addition, the College of Business awards scholarships to many students.

You may also qualify for state, federal, and University-level financial aid. The University awards scholarships to many qualified students each year. For more information, visit the Scholarships link at the left of this page.

Campus Organizations and Activities

The Finance Club hosts guest speakers, travels for on-site business visits, and helps members network with others who share their interests.

Related Fields of Study That Might Interest You

• Economics
• Management information systems

Contact Information
Department of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate
Washington State University
Todd Hall, Room 480
PO Box 644746
Pullman, WA 99164-4746
Fax: 509-335-3857
509-335-8727
 

Strengths of the Program

  • Build valuable skills in security analysis and portfolio management by working directly with finance faculty and investment managers.
  • A two-semester program allows students to get applied experience by directing $1 million of the University's operating funds.
  • Students in one WSU course get to invest a $50,000 portfolio through seed money from D.A. Davidson for its multi-university Student Investment Program.
  • Get internships with WSU's connections throughout the U.S. and abroad at industrial corporations, banks, thrift institutions, and securities firms.
  • All business and economics courses are taught in a state-of-the-art building containing classrooms with Internet connections and the latest audiovisual technology.
  • WSU offers one of the few business programs in the U.S. in which all the business and accounting programs are fully accredited by AACSB International.
Office of Enrollment Management, PO Box 641067, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-1067, 888-GO TO WSU (888-468-6978), Contact Us