Charlton College of Business building (CCB) - west side Learning Pavilion entrance

Finance
BS

Offered as: 
On-campus
Undergraduate
Major
4 + 1
Minor

Money, time, and risk: these are the fundamentals of finance. Finance is the study of funds management, and how money is spent and budgeted. Financial decisions determine the economic viability of any enterprise, whether a corporation, multinational company, limited partnership, private company, or nonprofit organization.

Your professors—leading experts in their field—will introduce you to the discipline's analytical tools, which bring together concepts from economics, accounting, and mathematics. Internships in corporations and financial institutions will help you discover the many career opportunities available in finance.

Finance majors prepare for careers in brokerage firms, corporations, financial institutions, investment banks, and government in positions such as:

  • budget analyst
  • financial analyst
  • financial manager
  • financial planner
  • mortgage officer
  • portfolio & mutual fund manager

As global markets expand, international opportunities for finance professionals will also increase.

Degree requirements & courses
Charlton's finance curriculum prepares you in the theory and the practice of modern financial management. You'll acquire professional, analytical, and managerial skills in finance, and will learn how to adapt to the changing demands of business and society.

For the BS in finance, you'll complete total 120 credit hours, consisting of University Studies courses, business foundation courses and finance courses.

With a minor in finance, you'll gain an understanding of the principles and practices needed to make financial decisions in corporations and institutions and in the management of investments. You'll develop your analytical skills and sharpen your knowledge of how financial institutions and markets function in a global environment.

Foundation courses in all business minors

  • ECO 231 Principles of Microeconomics
  • ACT 211 Principles of Accounting I
  • MKT 311 Principles of Marketing
  • MGT 201 Organizational Behavior

Student success

Chase Reardon: Finance major

Chase Reardon talks about gaining practical experience through business student clubs.

Internship placements

  • Commonwealth Financial Network
  • Textron
  • ScottTrade
  • Ameriprise
  • Merrill Lynch
  • Insurance Roundtable (The Washington Center)

Career placements

  • EMC
  • Amica
  • Unilever
  • Fidelity
  • State Street Bank
  • Wells Fargo
  • Putnam Investments

Finance BS mean starting salary:
$54,656

NACE Data Collection of Class of 2022 Undergraduate Alumni

Advance your career — many finance undergrads enroll in accelerated 4+1 MBA or MS in Finance programs to fulfill certification and/or job requirements. MBA graduates earn $106,557 in their mean starting salary.

UMassD advantages

  • Gain hands-on work experience through Charlton's internship programs
  • Consult with faculty and career advisors to identify where you want to go in your career—and how to get there
  • Participate in the many activities sponsored by the Investment Club

Rankings

  • 100% of accounting, finance, management information systems, and operation management students are employed or enrolled in graduate studies within six months of graduation - Class of 2022 NACE survey
  • 2nd Best Public Undergraduate Business Programs in Massachusetts - U.S. News & World Report

Expand your opportunities