Finance

Students can launch a successful career in the fast-paced and changing world of Finance and Insurance by earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Specialization in Finance or a Specialization in Insurance, or by completing required coursework in a Minor in Finance or a Minor in Insurance, depending on an individual student’s career goal and educational need.

Through the Department of Finance, students can also earn the designation of Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) by taking courses in the Financial Planning Concentration within the Finance specialization. After completing the required eight courses, students will meet the educational requirements of the CFP® Board of Standards and be eligible to sit for the CFP® certification examination.

The Department of Finance also offers Financial Analyst Concentration designed to prepare students to become successful investment professionals with Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) professional designation. Recognized as the CFA Institute’s University Affiliated Program (UAP), the Concentration program offers classes covering a significant portion of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK). Upon completion of program requirements, students can sit for the CFA Level I Exam. Students may apply for CFA scholarships which will partially subsidize the CFA Level I Exam fee.

Annual International Conference for Gamma Iota Sigma

Students Madison Johnson, Channelle Lyons and Rhiannon Wallace attended the Gamma Iota Sigma Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. They were able to participate in educational sessions, resume reviews and mock interviews to prepare for internships and future careers within the Insurance and Risk Management fields. Through the career fairs, they were able to network and interview with several companies. They attended events and met members from different chapters of Gamma Iota Sigma. Not only was this event beneficial to the students as individuals, they also look forward to incorporating new ideas for professional development and service opportunities within the BGSU chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma.    

Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) Update

The Student Managed Investment Portfolio is benchmarked against the S&P 500 index and is organized into 11 different sectors: Communications, Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Energy, Financials, Healthcare, Industrials, Information Technology, Materials, Real Estate, and Utilities. The goal of the class is to beat the S&P 500 stock index on a risk adjusted basis by overweighting and underweighting sectors relative to the benchmark as well as selecting individual stocks. Investment decisions are determined by a simple majority of student votes. This semester we bought Adobe, NVIDIA, UnitedHealth, PayPal, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, US Bancorp, Amazon, Penn National Gaming, and PayPal. We sold Hologic, HCA Healthcare, Jacobs Engineering, and Diageo.

Our portfolio generated a total return of 23% yet we were trailing the index by 3%. After adjusting for risk, we did produce nearly 1% of annualized alpha using a 5-factor model. This fulfills our goal of beating the benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis. Our long-term performance has been even better with a 3-year total return of 64% and a 5-year total return of 134%. The portfolio’s current value is $900k.

SMIF is the key part of course work in FIN 4360 (Portfolio Management) class taught by Dr. Steven Rush.

2022 Finance Graduating Senior Award

I am graduating from the Schmidthorst College of Business with specializations in Finance and Business Intelligence & Data Analytics. I will be graduating with a 4.0 GPA and in just 3 years. I have had the joy of being a member of the Financial Management Society during my time at BGSU. I also served as the Treasurer of BGSU’s Spikeball Club for 2 years. Away from the university, I have completed internships with Northwestern Mutual as a Financial Representative and with CrossCountry Mortgage as a member of their marketing team. After graduation, I have accepted a position with Plante Moran in their Kalamazoo office. I will be working as an Investment Research Analyst and I cannot wait to apply the knowledge I have learned from my finance classes.

Janae Johnson Selected as 2021 Karl E. Vogt Top Graduating Senior

The Schmidthorst College of Business is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2021 Karl E. Vogt Outstanding Senior Award is Janae Johnson, a Finance and Business Analytics major from Euclid, Ohio. The Karl E. Vogt Award is named in honor of a former dean of the Schmidthorst College and recognizes the top graduating senior who has demonstrated superior scholarship, participation, leadership, and excellence in campus and/or community activities.

Rachel Long

Rachel Long 2021 Finance Graduating Senior of the Year Award

- Specialized in Finance and Financial Planning with plans to take the CFP exam by the end of the year

- Interned at Northwestern Mutual in the summer of 2020 as a financial representative and became licensed in life, accident, and health insurance

- Interned at Hantz Financial since October 2020 and will start a full-time position after graduation

- Studied abroad in Oslo, Norway at BI Norwegian Business School

- Maintained a 4.0 and recognized with the Presidential Award for Academic Achievement

- Served as President of the Waterski Team and recognized as Most Improved Team of the year in 2019 by Midwest Collegiate Waterskiing

Students Present at the Economic Scholars Program Undergraduate Research Conference

Students Kellyanne Bunkley, Bryce Hileman, and Justin Godoy presented their research posters at the Economic Scholars Program Undergraduate Research Conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland on May 6, 2022. The students spent the semester working on their projects. The program has a peer review board to evaluate all the proposals and select the presenters. All three students were invited to present and gain feedback on their posters in a professional conference environment. They also had opportunities to network with peers and discover internship and employment openings within the Federal Reserve System.

Congratulations to Kellyanne, Bryce and Justin.

Finance/Insurance & RM students won first place in the MAPFRE Case Competition!

Four Finance/Insurance & RM students, Lexi Noll, Ryan Brown, Nick Geier and Vincent Zhang, finished in first place in the MAPFRE case competition at the University of Akron on February 25. It’s a competition for risk management and insurance students (similar to CAPSIM). Professor Roc Starks led the student team as faculty advisor.
The simulation consisted of three rounds. Overall, the competing teams were ranked based on market share, benefits, combined ratio, and solvency. The BGSU team decided to compete heavily based on market share because it was the highest weighted area. Each round the teams were tasked with analyzing the current position of a company and deciding where the teams wanted to take it from there. Decisions had to be made for both auto and homeowners segments. Each round teams decided how much to increase premiums for both renewals and new policies individually. Teams also determined what to pay in commissions to agents and what percentage of new business in each segment teams wanted to take on.  
In each round, there was an unknown risk of a catastrophic loss. To combat this, teams needed to decide where and at what amount they wanted to reinsure the lines of business. Choices were made for each segment and at per unit, large loss, and catastrophic loss levels. Teams also had to decide how much they wanted to invest in marketing, wages, IT, and legal expenses each round. Lastly, because a large part of how insurance companies make money is through investing, teams had to decide where to invest the funds for the current year. Money could be split up between equities, property, government bonds, AAA bonds, BBB bonds, and cash holdings. After looking at expected returns and considering the riskiness of each option teams split up the money in hopes to earn an investment income for the year.

Insurance & Risk Management Annual Symposium and IRMI Dinner

The Department held the Annual Insurance & RM Symposium on September 16, 2021 after a hibernation in 2020. Titled as “Insurance Industry during & after the Pandemic”, the primary topic of the symposium was how the insurance industry has responded to COVID-19 issues with respect to staffing, financial implications, remote work and myriad other related issues. Panelists representing Ohio Mutual, Medical Mutual, Westfield Group and Western and Southern Insurance spent the afternoon discussing the impact of COVID-19 on Employee recruitment and retention, employee engagement and the overall impact on their business model. Approximately 75 students from across the Schmidthorst College of Business were in attendance. (More event photos are in Photo Gallery)

Immediately following the Symposium, the Department held the Annual Insurance & Risk Management Institute (IRMI) Dinner starting 5:15 p.m. After the dinner, IRMI members were formally recognized for their strong and continuous support for our Insurance & RM program and student activities including IRMI scholarships.  After the recognition of IRMI members, Dr. Sung Bae also recognized winners of last year’s insurance scholarships.  Then, Professor Roc Starks briefed on AY 2020-21 IRMI activities and introduced student presenters who spoke on their activities with GIS chapter and internship experience.

Anthony Russell Graduating Senior Award – Insurance

  • Double-Specialization in Insurance & Risk management and Economics
  • Graduated with a BSBA with a 3.95 GPA
  • Served as President of BGSU’s Gamma Iota Sigma Chapter, insurance student organization
  • Participated in MAPFRE Insurance Competition
  • Interned at Hylant Group for Data Analytics in Spring 2022 and for Safety and Risk Management in Summer and Fall 2021.
  • Recognized as Thompson Achievement Scholar in August 2019-April 2022, Economics Alumni Faculty Scholars in May 2021 at BGSU, and CIAB Foundation scholarship winner at Hylant

Nichole Cox 2021 Insurance Graduating Senior of the Year Award

When I came to college, I started off as a Finance major (and still am), however, I was fortunate enough to be able to pick up another specialization which is Insurance & Risk Management. This is such an exciting specialization, and I have learned so much especially from Roc Starks, who is a great professor. I’ve been on the Dean’s list six out of seven of the last semesters, along with carrying a current GPA of 3.659. I am also a member of the BGSU Women’s Golf team which keeps me extra busy. On top of that, I am a member of the organization Student Ambassadors which works closely with Dean Braun of the Schmidthorst College of Business to engage prospective students, current students, and alumni. Next year, I will be on the executive board for Student Ambassadors. I am also a member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, and Gamma Iota Sigma. Recently, I’ve been selected to serve on the Insuring Ohio Futures Subcommittee for the 2021-2022 academic year. I’m honored to be receiving this prestigious award, go falcons!

Alumnus pays it forward with BGSU students

Geoffrey Radbill '68 found his experience at BGSU life changing and believes his time at the university helped set the stage for his future success.

Insurance Program on Fast Track to Success with 100% Placement Rate and Strong Corporate Support

Insurance is a major industry in Ohio and it has positioned itself as one of the state’s largest employers. This industry prominence and a shortage of qualified work force is what led the Schmidthorst College of Business to resurrect its insurance and risk management program and, in just a few short years, it has become highly successful.

Amy Shore '86 profiled in Fortune magazine

Bowling Green State University alumna Amy Shore ’86, president of property and casualty sales and distribution at Nationwide, was recently profiled in Fortune magazine. 

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Business Student Wins 1st place in Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Research Poster Competition

Mitchell Hogrefe presented his finance research poster at the 2019 Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Undergraduate Poster Competition and was awarded first place in the Finance Division. Hogrefe, who is dual specializing in business analytics & intelligence and finance, presented his research on the impact of student loans on post-graduation life. Federal Reserve economists, research analysts, local finance professionals, and faculty from nearby institutions viewed the poster exhibit and talked with presenting students about their research.

Student Managed Fund Continues To Beat the Market

The BGSU Student Managed Fund continued to beat the market in the Fall semester as part of FIN 4360 – Portfolio Management.

Department Awards Record-High Scholarships

Recipients of Finance and Insurance scholarships, donors, and faculty at the Annual Honors & Awards Ceremony in September, 2018.

‘GRIT’ IS THE SUCCESS FACTOR

Grit. Not a pretty word, but an essential quality for success in life, and one that Bowling Green State University students tend to possess, Brady Young told graduates in his commencement address Aug. 5. That “drive and determination to succeed and accomplish your goals will ultimately win the day,” he said.

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Hot Topics, Including Hurricane Florence Impacts, Discussed at Insurance Symposium

Students, faculty, staff, and community members heard expertise from a panel of insurance CEOs at the 4th Annual Insurance & Risk Management Institute (IRMI) Symposium. A wide range of hot topics were discussed, such as insurance technology, career paths, artificial intelligence, big data, community involvement, and the anticipated impact of Hurricane Florence which was expected to make landfall two days after the symposium.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in Business Administration are expected to be able to:

Goal 1: Students graduating with a BSBA degree will demonstrate competency in business knowledge and its application

Outcomes: Students will -

  • Demonstrate understanding of fundamental knowledge in accounting, economics, finance, business statistics, operations & supply chain management, business law, organizational behavior, marketing, information technology, management science, and global strategy.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in using business-related software applications.
  • Demonstrate competency in integrating knowledge across business disciplines.

Goal 2: Students graduating with a BSBA degree will demonstrate competency in applying appropriate problem solving, decision making and critical thinking skills.

Outcome: Students will -

  • Identify a business problem, develop and critically evaluate alternative solutions, and make appropriate recommendations.
  • Assess the outcomes of a course of action and make appropriate adjustments.

Goal 3: Students graduating with a BSBA degree will demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills

Outcomes: Students will -

  • Effectively write a business document.
  • Make effective oral presentations in both individual and team settings.
  • Demonstrate the understanding and application of teamwork.

Goal 4: Students graduating with a BSBA degree will recognize the ethical aspects of business.

Outcomes: Students will -

  • Recognize the context of the ethical situation (economic, legal or cultural).
  • Define the ethical responsibilities of business organizations.
  • Describe the ramifications of unethical behavior.

Accreditation and/or Program/Cluster Review

Bowling Green State University [BGSU] is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.  BGSU has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 01/01/1916. The most recent reaffirmation of accreditation was received in 2012 - 2013. Questions should be directed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

The Business Administration program is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is in good standing. For more information on accreditation click here

The Business Administration program, Accounting specialization, is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is in good standing. For more information on accreditation click here

Professional Licensure (If applicable)

Bowling Green State University programs leading to licensure, certification and/or endorsement, whether delivered online, face-to-face or in a blended format, satisfy the academic requirements for those credentials set forth by the State of Ohio.

Requirements for licensure, certification and/or endorsement eligibility vary greatly from one profession to another and from state to state. The Business Administration program does not lead to professional licensure.

Requirements for licensure, certification and/or endorsement eligibility vary greatly from one profession to another and from state to state. The Business Administration program, Accounting specialization, leads to professional licensure. For more information on Professional Licensures, click here.

Gainful Employment (If applicable)     

Under the Higher Education Act Title IV disclosure requirements, an institution must provide current and prospective students with information about each of its programs that prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.

The Business Administration program is not a recognized occupation that requires a Gainful Employment disclosure.

Specializations:

  • Accounting
  • Applied Economics
  • Business Analytics and Intelligence
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Individualized business 
  • Information systems
  • Information systems, auditing, and control
  • Insurance
  • International business
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Sales and Services Marketing
  • Supply chain management

Updated: 09/12/2023 04:01PM