General Catalog & Schedule of Classes

	Finance Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, CRED, HBA, HBS)	Print Version
	College of Business

The finance program of the College of Business provides nationally recognized research-based education that will prepare profession-ready graduates who can excel in an innovative knowledge-based economy, can successfully meet certification requirements in specific finance areas (such as the Charter Financial Analyst [CFA], Certificate in Management Accounting [CMA], Certified Financial Planner [CFP]) and experiential learning opportunities that involve applying theory to practice.

The finance program will accomplish our objectives through the following:

• Rigorous, integrated undergraduate and graduate classes that translate theory to practice and center on innovation and certification preparation.
• Distinctive experiential learning opportunities for students through internships, the investment club, and finance club.
• Nationally-recognized, discipline-based research and contributions to practice.

In addition, the finance program will assist students in achieving and enhancing life-long learning skills through contact with professional organizations and professionals in the finance field.

Finance major requirements are divided into two parts. The first part (the pre-business major), usually taken in the first two years, must be completed before formal admission into the Finance major. The second part (Professional School) is usually taken in the last two years after formal admission into the Finance major.

Summary of Requirements:
Pre-business Major (48)
    Business Core Classes (26)
        Math, Economics, Writing and Communications (22)*
Professional School (64)
    Pro-school business core classes (28)
    Finance Courses (36)
University General Education Requirements (36)
Unrestricted Electives (32)
*12 credits from Pre-business major satisfy University General Education Requirements.
Total Required for Graduation (180)

Finance Courses in the Professional Program—Finance (36 credits)

Finance students must complete 16 credits in required courses; 12 credits of elective finance courses; one 4-credit required finance-specific course; and 4 credits of elective finance-specific courses.

Required courses include (16):
BA/FIN 340. Finance (4)
BA/FIN 341. Investments (4)
BA/FIN 342. Advanced Financial Management (4)
BA/FIN 445. International Financial Management (4)

Finance Electives—Select three of the following courses (12):
BA 435. Financial Statement Analysis (4)
   or FIN 442. Financial Statement Analysis (4)
BA/FIN 441. Financial Institutions (4)
BA/FIN 443. Portfolio Management (4)
BA/FIN 444. Financial Risk Management (4)

Finance-Specific (4):
ACTG 378. Accounting Information Management (4)

Finance-Specific Electives—Select one of the following courses (4):
ACTG 317. External Reporting I (4)
ECON 330. Money and Banking (4)
ECON 340. International Economics (4)

The finance program typically begins in students’ junior year with a lock-step series of finance courses designed to provide a solid knowledge base. During fall term students take BA/FIN 340, followed by BA/FIN 341 and ACTG 378 during winter term and BA/FIN 342 during spring term. BA/FIN 445 follows during students’ senior year. Also during their senior year students may take electives that correspond to their career interests.

Business Administration/Finance Curricula

The undergraduate curriculum in business administration reflects the increasingly complex economic, social, and technological aspects of modern business decision-making. Course work emphasizes the development of effective decision-making, an understanding of personal values and motivation, and the awareness of the interrelationships between business and society.

Pre-Business Program

Newly admitted students to OSU and all current OSU students who seek to complete an undergraduate degree program offered by the College of Business (COB) are designated as pre-business majors. The pre-business program requires completion of courses within the freshman and sophomore year (see core curriculum below) that build a solid foundation for the upper-division business curricula. These courses must be completed before the student is eligible for admission to the professional business program. The pre-business course work may be completed at OSU or any accredited college or university that offers equivalent courses transferable to OSU.

Professional Business Program

Admission to the professional business program is restricted to those students who have demonstrated an ability to achieve the high standards required for professional studies. Enrollment within each academic discipline (major or option) is limited to the number of students who can be served by the faculty and facilities of that major/option.

Therefore students should strive to meet the minimum eligibility standards of their particular major of choice as well as those of the College of Business itself. Minimum standards for a particular major can often be higher. More information on the pro-school process and current competitive GPA levels for each major can be found on the Pro-School Competitive GPA section of the College of Business Advising website.

Students must apply for admission to the professional business program. To be eligible to apply, students must earn COB grades of C– or better, have 90 credits by the end of the application term, have a minimum COB GPA of 2.5, and meet the minimum standards for their particular major of choice in the All-Inclusive Business GPA. The All-Inclusive Business GPA includes all business program course work taken from OSU and transfer institution(s). Students earning an All-Inclusive Business GPA of 3.0 or above will be assured admission to the professional business program, but it does not guarantee admittance into the major of their choice. Students with an All-Inclusive Business GPA less than 3.0 will be admitted to an academic discipline (major or option) with available capacity using the following criteria: compliance with entrance requirements for the major/option; their rank order based on their All-Inclusive Business GPA; and the contribution of the student to the diversity of viewpoints within the college.

Students who have completed their pre-business courses at a college or university other than OSU must be admitted to pre-business their first term and apply for the professional program during their first term of attendance.

Business Administration/Finance Program Requirements (180)

Business Administration Core Curriculum (54)

The business administration core curriculum provides students with a broad overview of business; basic skills in accounting and quantitative methods; an understanding of the legal and social environment of business; a background in management and organizational behavior, marketing, finance, and operations management; an understanding of the entrepreneurial process; and the opportunity to integrate course work and further develop decision-making skills through the analysis of business cases.

Finance (36)

Finance students must complete 36 credits of finance courses in the professional program. See an academic advisor for more information.

Mathematics (8)

Basic mathematics requirements:
MTH 241. *Calculus for Management and Social Science (4)
MTH 245. *Mathematics for Management, Life, and Social Sciences (4)

Economics (8)

Micro- and macro-economics are covered in ECON 201 and ECON 202, respectively.

Written and Oral Communication (6)

Business students also must take:
COMM 111. *Public Speaking (3)
   or COMM 114. *Argument and Critical Discourse (3)
WR 222. *English Composition (3)
   or WR 323. *English Composition (3)
   or WR 327. *Technical Writing (3)

University General Requirements (36)

MTH 241, ECON 201/ECON 202, WR 222, WR 323 or WR 327, and COMM 111 or COMM 114 meet the university’s baccalaureate core requirements for mathematics, social processes and institutions, writing II, and speech, respectively. All students must meet the other baccalaureate core requirements and the other requirements for baccalaureate degrees. (See Earning a Degree at OSU.)

Unrestricted Electives (32)

Students are provided elective credits to enable them to achieve a degree of specialization and depth to match their interests. Students are encouraged to choose a non-business university-approved minor that consists of a minimum of 27 credits, with at least 12 credits at the upper-division level. Students are responsible for determining whether the minor has been approved for transcript visibility and to request the notation on their transcript. Students may also choose to complete a coherent set of non-business courses to support their career goals.

Sample Schedule

Pre-Business (Major code 180)

First Year

BA 101. Business Now (6)
COMM 111. *Public Speaking (3)
   or COMM 114. *Argument and Critical Discourse (3)
MTH 241. *Calculus for Management and Social Science (4)
MTH 245. *Mathematics for Management, Life, and Social Sciences (4)
Baccalaureate core, minor or unrestricted electives (28)

Second Year

BA 211. Financial Accounting (4)
BA 213. Managerial Accounting (4)
BA 233. Legal Environment of Business (2)
BA 260. Introduction to Entrepreneurship (4)
BA 276. Introduction to Statistical Inference (2)
BA 302. Business Process Management (4)
ECON 201. *Introduction to Microeconomics (4)
ECON 202. *Introduction to Macroeconomics (4)
WR 222. *English Composition (3)
   or WR 323. *English Composition (3)
   or WR 327. *Technical Writing (3)
Baccalaureate core, minor or unrestricted electives (14)

Professional Finance (Major code 182)

Required Finance Courses (16):

BA/FIN 340. Finance (4)
BA/FIN 341. Investments (4)
BA/FIN 342. Advanced Financial Management (4)
BA/FIN 445. International Financial Management (4)

Finance Electives—Select three of the following courses (12):
BA 435. Financial Statement Analysis (4)
   or FIN 442. Financial Statement Analysis (4)
BA/FIN 441. Financial Institutions (4)
BA/FIN 443. Portfolio Management (4)
BA/FIN 444. Financial Risk Management (4)

Finance-Specific (4):
ACTG 378. Accounting Information Management (4)

Finance-Specific Electives—Select one of the following courses (4):
ACTG 317. External Reporting I (4)
ECON 330. Money and Banking (4)
ECON 340. International Economics (4)

Business Core Courses

BA 333. Legal and Ethical Business Solutions (2)
BA 347. International Business (4)
BA 352. Managing Individual and Team Performance (4)
BA 353. ^Professional Development (4)
BA 357. Operations Management (4)
BA 376. Applied Quantitative Methods (2)
BA 390. Marketing (4)
BA 466. Integrative Strategic Experience (4)
Baccalaureate core, minor or unrestricted electives (26)

Footnotes:

* Baccalaureate Core Course
^ Writing Intensive Course (WIC)
Some BA courses are being replaced by FIN, MGMT, or MRKT courses effective Fall term 2013.

Major Code: 182

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