finance

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA)

Minor 

Business Administration: Finance

A finance degree can help you launch an exciting career in the fast-paced world of financial planning, banking and investing. 

Guide investors to smart decisions as a financial analyst. Make big deals and shape corporate futures as an investment banker. In corporate finance, you could be the architect of financial strategies to drive growth or the risk management expert who ensures stability in turbulent markets.

Finance is one of the specializations within the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) program at BGSU. You can choose from two concentrations within finance –  financial planning or financial analysis. Both concentrations lead to professional designations and certification. 

Finance also is available as a minor. 

Why study business and finance at BGSU in Ohio?

  • Two concentrations. Choose to concentrate in financial planning and financial analysis. The first can lead to a career as a financial advisor or planner with the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional designation. The second can lead to a career as an investment analyst with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) professional designation.
  • Internships. Nearly 75% of our business students complete at least one internship. Many have multiple internships as they explore career opportunities in finance. Students often land full-time jobs with their co-op or internship employers. Nearly all internships are paid. Our students earn an average of $19 an hour.
  • Financial aid. Apply for more than $30,000 in finance department scholarships each year and more than $1 million in Schmidthorst College of Business scholarships.
  • Manage real money. Undergraduates in a portfolio management class use Bloomberg terminals to analyze stocks and bonds. They make recommendations on how to invest a portfolio of funds from the BGSU Foundation. The fund has beaten the S&P 500 index for several years.
  • Business Research and Finance Trading Lab. Develop up-to-date and sophisticated investment and portfolio skills in our state-of-the-art lab.  You will have access to learn and grow your skills with Bloomberg terminals.
  • Study abroad. The Schmidthorst College of Business offers ample study abroad opportunities with university partners around the world.  A global perspective is important in today’s expanding business world.
  • Active student organization. Join the BGSU Financial Management Society to develop leadership abilities and network with potential employers. Listen to guest speakers; learn about current issues in the industry; and take educational trips to financial centers like Chicago and New York City. The group also plans fun social activities.
  • Close connections to employers. More than 1,000+ industry partners in northwest Ohio and beyond share their expertise, attend our college job fairs and hire our students as interns and full-time employees.
  • Expert faculty. Our faculty members are world-renowned thought leaders whose trailblazing research is published in leading business journals and shapes the future of business practice and theory. Our teaching faculty remains actively involved in industry and brings current issues into the classroom.  
  • Business District Learning Community. Learn and live with other business students in this learning community designed to help you succeed in your personal, professional and academic lives. You’ll find a sense of community, opportunities to interact with business faculty and industry professionals and the chance to go on field trips and to conferences.

Ranked among the top business schools in the U.S. for student experience

Poets&Quants, 2023

Career – what can you do with a specialization in finance?

Close links to employers across the region and nationally help our finance students start careers in any number of finance sectors. Those pursuing one of the finance concentrations have the ability to complete certifications and further enhance their career opportunities.

Our graduates are employed by some of the nation’s most well-known financial firms. Alumni include chief financial officers of international companies and the founder of a major software company.

Career opportunities in finance are abundant and include jobs in cash management, financial analysis, securities brokering, commercial lending and loan management, retail bank management, corporate financial management, risk management, insurance company operations and management.

Career paths

  • Financial analyst
  • Investment and security analyst
  • Security broker and trader
  • Personal financial planner and advisor
  • Investment banker
  • Commercial bank officer
  • Credit analyst
  • Risk specialist
  • Financial examiners

$61,000+

Median starting salary for BGSU business graduates –
among the highest in Ohio

Curriculum

Finance students will learn the five principal areas of the modern finance industry:

  • Corporate finance
  • Financial institutions and banking
  • Investments
  • Insurance and risk management
  • Personal finance planning

The core business classes will equip you with a broad understanding of today’s global business context. The finance specialization coursework will add a comprehension of the primary mechanisms for acquiring assets and funding in business enterprises. 

You will gain knowledge of the fundamentals of financial analysis, working capital management, and investment and financing decision-making.

Required courses

Concentrations

Financial planning – can lead to a career as a financial advisor or planner with the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional designation. After completing the required eight courses that are embedded in your program, you will meet the educational requirements of the CFP® Board of Standards and will be eligible to sit for the CFP® certification examination.

Financial analysis – can lead to a career as an investment analyst with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) professional designation.  After completing the program, you will be eligible to sit for the first CFA exam and can earn a scholarship for the cost of the exam.

bgsu open checkbook falc0106

Sample courses

  • Financial Technology (FinTech)
  • Investment Analysis
  • Portfolio Management
  • Financial Management with Excel Applications
  • Risk Management & Insurance Planning
  • Retirement & Employee Benefit Planning
  • Financial Markets
  • Estate Planning

One of only 6% of business schools with AACSB accreditation, the highest accreditation possible

Schmidthorst College of Business Specializations

The flexibility to complete one or more of our 13 specializations distinguishes us from other universities – and gives you a competitive edge in the job market.

  • Accounting
  • Applied Economics
  • Business Analytics and Intelligence
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Individualized Business
  • Information Systems
  • Insurance and Risk Management
  • International Business
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Sales and Services Marketing
  • Supply Chain Management

Premier entrepreneurship program

The Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at BGSU is one of 20 centers worldwide recognized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). 

We weave entrepreneurship into all business programs and offer an entrepreneurship minor.

You can take courses in:

  • Real estate entrepreneurship
  • Women and social entrepreneurs
  • Nonprofit and corporate responsibility
  • Innovation and disruption

Top business leaders and entrepreneurs-in-residence bring real-world experience and expertise to our curriculum. A mentorship program connects students with alumni and industry leaders.

Thanks to an incubation program funded by alumni and supporters, more than $800,000 has been provided to student entrepreneurs to start their own ventures.

Updated: 11/21/2023 03:59PM