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.

Men and women 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.

Finance major requirements are divided into two parts – lower-division and upper-division. The lower-division business core program involves completion of courses within the first and second year (see core curriculum below) that build a solid foundation for the upper-division finance and business curricula. The lower-division business core course work may be completed at OSU or any accredited college or university that offers equivalent courses transferable to OSU.

Finance Program Requirements (180)

Finance Curriculum (36)

Business Administration Core Curriculum (78–81)

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 Major

Major Code: 182