Finance Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
Options available:
The goal of the finance program at OSU is to prepare students for careers in institutional finance, which includes careers in banking, brokerage, insurance and other fields.
Individuals entering a career with a financial institution have many opportunities open to them. Many who go into banking select career paths in either operations or lending. Within the lending area, finance majors can specialize in installment credit lending to consumers of durable goods, mortgage lending to home builders and buyers, or commercial lending to help finance the growth of businesses.
People entering the securities industry find careers as stock and bond brokers, security analysts or portfolio managers. Individuals choosing the area of insurance typically enter company operations through either claims or underwriting positions. Those with sales positions can choose to work either with corporations or individuals as a client base. In addition, many decide to work for the government as finance personnel in charge of revenue and expenditure programs.
Financial managers engage in many activities designed to ensure the efficient use of an individual's or organization's capital resources. The finance field involves the management of funds in our economic system. Because financial managers deal with other people's money, finance is a career choice for individuals who enjoy working with people and who desire challenging assignments.
The BS/BA in finance has been accepted into the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) Institute University Recognition Program. This status is granted to institutions whose degree program or programs incorporate at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK), which provides students with a solid grounding in the CBOK and positions them well for the CFA exams.
Major Code: 182
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Apply the fundamental concepts and tools of finance.
- Apply financial management concepts and tools to the decisions faced by a manager in investment decisions.
- Apply financial management concepts and tools to the financing decisions and dividend decisions faced by the firm.
- Evaluate the corporate governance structure of firms and examine the interactions, from a governance perspective, between firm management, financial markets and stakeholders.
- Appraise the risk profile of firms; specifically, estimate the costs of capital, including debt and equity capital using financial data.
- Discuss the operations of three distinct capital markets: the equity market, the bond market and the derivatives market, and the financial assets traded in each of these markets.
- Explain the global financial environment and the globalization process experienced by multinational corporations.
Degree requirements include university core education, business and major curricula. The business 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 coursework and further develop decision-making skills through the analysis of business cases. The lower-division business curriculum involves completion of courses within the first and second year that build a solid foundation for the upper-division curricula.
Transitions to OSU and Introduction to Business coursework will depend on student type. At registration, an academic advisor will determine the most appropriate path.
- Students entering OSU as their first college experience after high school will take a 100 Transitions course, BA 160, and a BA 16X series;
- Students entering OSU COB as a second-year transfer student (approximately three years to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course, BA 160, and BA 101Z; or
- Students entering OSU COB as a third-year transfer student (approximately two years or less to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course and BA 101Z.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Business Curriculum 1 | 102-106 | |
| Finance Curriculum | 30 | |
| Unspecified Core Education 1 | 22-26 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 2 | 18-26 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- 1
Some courses in the Business Curriculum double-count with Core Education categories. Unspecified Core Education credits are not shared with the Business Curriculum
- 2
Options and minors are available to provide specializations and fulfill unrestricted elective credits
Business Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Business | ||
| Introduction to Business | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to waive BA 160. | ||
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| Dependent on entry level, students will take one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION and INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | ||
| LAUNCH PAD I and LAUNCH PAD II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS | ||
| Communications | ||
| COMM 114 | +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| or COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| or COMM 218Z | +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WR 323 | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION | 3-4 |
| or WR 227Z | +*TECHNICAL WRITING | |
| Business Core | ||
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 240 | FINANCE 1 | 4 |
| or BA 360 | INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 260 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET | 4 |
| or BA 267 | INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| BA 396 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS | 3 |
| or BA 398 | +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| Blueprint: Personal & Professional Development | ||
| Second Year | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to substitute BA 381 for second year Professional Development and Blueprint coursework. | ||
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Third Year | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 102-106 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
- 1
Course requires a grade of C or higher
Finance Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FIN 341 | INVESTMENTS | 4 |
| FIN 342 | ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Select four courses from the following: | 16 | |
| FIXED INCOME SECURITIES | ||
| FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS | ||
| FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS | ||
| PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT | ||
| FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | ||
| COMMERCIAL BANKING | ||
| INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MARKETS | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL PLANNING | ||
| VENTURE FINANCE | ||
| SELECTED TOPICS IN FINANCE | ||
| Finance-Related Electives | ||
| ACTG 317 | EXTERNAL REPORTING I | 4 |
| or ECON 330 | MONEY AND BANKING | |
| or ECON 340 | INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS | |
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Select 2 credits from the following courses: | 2 | |
Any COB 004 Internship (e.g. FIN 004) 1 | ||
Any COB 403 Thesis (eg. FIN 403) | ||
Any COB 405 Reading & Conference (eg. FIN 405) | ||
Any COB 406 Projects (eg. FIN 406) | ||
Any COB 409 Practicum (eg. FIN 409) | ||
Any COB 410 Internship (eg. FIN 410) | ||
Department Approved Certification | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Students may substitute a COB 004 Internship (e.g. FIN 004) course for the experiential learning requirement if they do not need an additional 2 credits to meet their 180 credit degree total
Major Code: 182
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3-4 |
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 161 | INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | 3 |
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 162 | INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | 3 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 240 or BA 360 | FINANCE or INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Electives | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| BA 260 or BA 267 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET or INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | 4 |
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACTG 317 | EXTERNAL REPORTING I or MONEY AND BANKING or INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS | 4 |
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| FIN 342 | ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| FIN 341 | INVESTMENTS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| WR 323 or WR 227Z | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION or +*TECHNICAL WRITING | 3-4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| Finance Elective | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Electives | 5 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| Finance Elective | 4 | |
| Finance Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 1 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 396 or BA 398 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS or +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | 3 |
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Finance Elective | 4 | |
| Experiential Learning | 2 | |
| Elective4 | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course