Finance Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
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.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Summary of Requirements | ||
Lower Division | 66-69 | |
Business Core Courses (44-47) | ||
Finance Course (4) | ||
Math, Economics, Writing and Communications (18) 1 | ||
Upper Division | 70 | |
Business Core Courses (34) | ||
Finance Courses (36) | ||
University General Education Requirements | 40 | |
Unrestricted Electives | 4-7 | |
Total credits required for graduation | 180 |
1 | 10 credits from lower-division course work satisfy University General Education Requirements |
Finance Program Requirements (180)
Finance Curriculum (36)
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Required | ||
ACTG 378 | ACCOUNTING INFORMATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
BA 240 | FINANCE (C or better required) | 4 |
or BA 360 | INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | |
FIN 341 | INVESTMENTS | 4 |
FIN 342 | ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
FIN 445 | INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
Finance Electives | ||
Select three of the following: | 12 | |
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS | ||
FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS | ||
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT | ||
FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT | ||
SELECTED TOPICS IN FINANCE | ||
Finance-Specific Electives | ||
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
EXTERNAL REPORTING I | ||
MONEY AND BANKING | ||
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS | ||
Total Hours | 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.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Mathematics | ||
Basic mathematics requirements: | ||
MTH 241 | *CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
Economics | ||
ECON 201 | *INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
ECON 202 | *INTRODUCTION TO MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
Written and Oral Communication | ||
Business students also must take: | ||
COMM 111 | *PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 |
or COMM 114 | *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | |
or COMM 218 | *INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | |
WR 222 | *ENGLISH COMPOSITION | 3 |
or WR 323 | *ENGLISH COMPOSITION | |
or WR 327 | *TECHNICAL WRITING | |
University General Requirements 1 | 40 | |
Unrestricted Electives | 4-7 |
1 | MTH 241 *CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE, ECON 201 *INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS/ECON 202 *INTRODUCTION TO MACROECONOMICS, WR 222 *ENGLISH COMPOSITION, WR 323 *ENGLISH COMPOSITION or WR 327 *TECHNICAL WRITING, and COMM 111 *PUBLIC SPEAKING, COMM 114 *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or COMM 218 *INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 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.) |
Finance Major
First Year | Hours | |
---|---|---|
Students entering OSU on the Corvallis campus as their first college experience are required to participate in Innovation Nation, the College of Business Living-Learning Community (LLC). These students, as well as students who transfer in the winter term into the finance major from another college or university, will complete the following three-course sequence during their first year: | ||
B-ENGAGED | ||
INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | ||
INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | ||
All other students will complete the following course: | ||
BA 101 | BUSINESS NOW | 6 |
All students should also complete: | ||
COMM 111 |
*PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or *INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION |
3 |
MTH 241 | *CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
Baccalaureate core, unrestricted electives | 29-32 | |
Hours | 42-45 | |
Second Year | ||
All students should complete the following courses*: | ||
BUSINESS INSIGHTS (Transfer students only) | ||
BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
BA 282 | PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT I | 1 |
BA 283 | PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT II | 1 |
BA 284 | PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT III | 1 |
*Students who transfer from another college or university into the finance major who have completed all lower-division business core course work should complete the following course: | ||
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | ||
All second-year students should also complete: | ||
BA 211 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
BA 213 | MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
BA 223 or BA 390 |
PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or MARKETING |
4 |
BA 230 | BUSINESS LAW I | 4 |
BA 240 or BA 360 |
FINANCE or INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT |
4 |
BA 260 | INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 4 |
BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
ECON 201 | *INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
ECON 202 | *INTRODUCTION TO MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
Hours | 46 | |
Third Year | ||
Finance-Specific | ||
ACTG 378 | ACCOUNTING INFORMATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
FIN 341 | INVESTMENTS | 4 |
FIN 342 | ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
Finance-Specific Electives—Select one of the following courses: | ||
ACTG 317 | EXTERNAL REPORTING I | 4 |
ECON 330 | MONEY AND BANKING | 4 |
ECON 340 | INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS | 4 |
Business Core | ||
BA 311 | THIRD-YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT I | 1 |
BA 312 | THIRD YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT II | 1 |
BA 313 | THIRD YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT III | 1 |
BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
BA 352 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
BA 357 | OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
WR 222 |
*ENGLISH COMPOSITION or *ENGLISH COMPOSITION or *TECHNICAL WRITING |
3 |
Baccalaureate core, minor, option or unrestricted electives | 3 | |
Hours | 53 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Finance-Specific | ||
FIN 445 | INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
Finance Electives—Select three of the following courses | ||
FIN 441 | FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS | 4 |
FIN 442 | FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS | 4 |
FIN 443 | PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT | 4 |
FIN 444 | FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT | 4 |
Business Core | ||
BA 411 | FOURTH YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT I | 1 |
BA 412 | FOURTH YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT II | 1 |
BA 413 | FOURTH YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT III | 1 |
BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
Baccalaureate core, minor or unrestricted electives | 21-23 | |
Hours | 48-50 | |
Total Hours | 189-194 |
* | Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC) |
^ | Writing Intensive Course (WIC) |
Major Code: 182
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | |
BA 160 | B-ENGAGED | 3 |
BC Science | 4 | |
WR 121 |
*ENGLISH COMPOSITION (Alpha coded) or *PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or *INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION |
3 |
Math through MTH 241 | 4 | |
Hours | 14 | |
Winter | ||
BA 161 | INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | 3 |
BC Science | 4 | |
WR 121 |
*ENGLISH COMPOSITION (Alpha coded) or *PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or *INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION |
3 |
Math through MTH 241 | 4 | |
Hours | 14 | |
Spring | ||
BA 162 | INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | 3 |
BC Science | 4 | |
WR 121 | *ENGLISH COMPOSITION (Alpha coded. Or Bacc Core: Fitness, Speech, CD, DPD) | 3 |
Bacc Core: Fitness, Speech, CD, DPD Electives | 6 | |
Hours | 16 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
BA 230 | BUSINESS LAW I | 4 |
BA 260 | INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 4 |
BA 282 | PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT I | 1 |
ECON 201 | *INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
Hours | 13 | |
Winter | ||
BA 211 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
BA 223 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
BA 283 | PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT II | 1 |
Hours | 16 | |
Spring | ||
BA 213 | MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
BA 240 | FINANCE | 4 |
BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
BA 284 | PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT III | 1 |
ECON 202 | *INTRODUCTION TO MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
Hours | 17 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
ACTG 317 |
EXTERNAL REPORTING I or MONEY AND BANKING or INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS |
4 |
BA 311 | THIRD-YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT I | 1 |
BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
Bacc Core-CGI | 3 | |
WR 222 |
*ENGLISH COMPOSITION or *ENGLISH COMPOSITION or *TECHNICAL WRITING |
3 |
Hours | 15 | |
Winter | ||
BA 312 | THIRD YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT II | 1 |
BA 352 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
BA 357 | OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
FIN 342 | ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
Hours | 17 | |
Spring | ||
ACTG 378 | ACCOUNTING INFORMATION MANAGEMENT | 4 |
BA 313 | THIRD YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT III | 1 |
BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
FIN 341 | INVESTMENTS | 4 |
Hours | 13 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
BA 411 | FOURTH YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT I | 1 |
Finance Elective | 4-8 | |
Bacc Core-STS | 3 | |
Electives | 4-8 | |
Hours | 12-20 | |
Winter | ||
BA 412 | FOURTH YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT II | 1 |
Finance Elective | 4-8 | |
Electives | 6-10 | |
Hours | 11-19 | |
Spring | ||
BA 413 | FOURTH YEAR PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT III | 1 |
BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
FIN 445 | INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
Electives | 5 | |
Hours | 14 | |
Total Hours | 172-188 |
* | Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC) |
^ | Writing Intensive Course (WIC) |