Finance B.B.A.

Academic Advisors

Mark Alpuente (FIR Advisor)
901.678.2855 | email

Trellis Morgan (Undergraduate Student Services Manager)
901.678.2855 | email

Career Advisors

Dr. Jeff Black (FIR Undergraduate Tracks)
901.678.3632 | email

Dr. Pankaj Jain (Interim Department Chair)
901.678.5930 | email

Dr. Jeff Black (Banking and Corporate Finance Tracks)
901.678.3632 | email

Napoleon Overton (CFA Exam Track)
901.678.3409 | email

Dr. Jeff Black (CFP Exam Track)
901.678.3632 | email

Dr. Konstantin Sokolov (FinTech and Internships)
901-678-3345 | email

Career Opportunities

Finance is a rigorous and highly respected field of study that prepares students for many career options. The flexible tracks offered within the finance major allows students to tailor their coursework to open additional career opportunities in banking, financial analysis, financial planning and corporate finance.

The finance major provides students with basic problem-solving and analytical tools necessary to be successful in the wide range of opportunities which exist, including careers in financial analysts, budget analysts, loan officers, stockbrokers, portfolio managers, investment brokers and other financial advisors. According to US government sources, employment in many finance areas is expected to grow faster than average in the future.

Job Opportunities

Whether working in private industry, government, or for non-profit organizations, you can:

Develop and monitor operating budgets and financial control systems.
Perform project and capital budgeting analysis and develop feasibility studies.
Analyze the profitability of alternative investment options and make recommendation of likely investment outcomes.
Become a Vice President of Commercial Lending serving the financing need of business, which may lead to being a Bank President
Manage savings institutions, credit unions and finance companies
Conduct securities analysis, manage mutual funds, advise investors, and design optimal investment portfolios
Design and promote financial products for insurance companies, banks, securities firms and other financial institutions

Scholarships and Internships

Many scholarship opportunities are available for qualified students majoring in finance. Internships are available in industrial corporations, banks, thrift institutions and securities firms.

FPA, FMA and Investment Club

Financial Planners Association and Financial Management Association and National Honor Society: The UofM Chapters for FPA and FMA bring together its members and local professionals through invited lecture and visit to local financial institutions. Students with GPA of 3.25 and higher are inducted into the Association's National Honor Society. Also, the TVA Investment Challenge team manages a portfolio of stock of over $500,000. Student teams also participate in the CFA institute research challenge.

Cook Analytics & Trading Lab

The Cook Analytics & Trading Lab offers innovative tools to help supplement traditional classroom teaching and provide resources to help students stay on the cusp of an ever-growing industry. The leading-edge technology and data center allows students to experience pragmatic, hands-on learning in an academic environment, able to run simulations with actual data and observe how their decisions could actually impact the market, with the goal of preparing students to become competent and confident finance professionals.

Coursework

FIR 3410 – Financial Management (part of FCBE Business Core)

Core requirements in the Finance Department:

A minimum of 24 upper division semester hours in courses as follows:

FIR 3710 - Investments
FIR 3720 - Financial Markets

Choose 1 or more from the following courses:

FIR 4011 - Retirement and Estate Planning (Required for CFP Exam)
FIR 4550 - International Finance (Corporate Finance track)
FIR 4710 - Commercial Banking (Banking track)
FIR 4720 - Management of Financial Institutions (Banking track)
FIR 4721 – Fixed Income and Derivatives (CFA Exam track)

Choose 1 or more from the following courses:

FIR 4620 - Cases in Financial Planning (Required for CFP Exam)
FIR 4610 - Cases in Managerial Finance (Corporate Finance and CFP Exam tracks)
FIR 4730 - Financial Analysis/Certification (CFA Exam track)

Choose 4 courses from the following:

FIR 1220 – Personal Financial Management (Helps with CFP)
FIR 2811 – Field Experiences in Finance
FIR 3310 - Real Estate Principles (Helps with CFP)
FIR 3810 – Principles of Risk and Insurance (CFP Exam track)
FIR 4011 - Retirement and Estate Planning (Required for CFP Exam)
FIR 4310 - Real Estate Law
FIR 4320 - Real Estate Finance
FIR 4330 - Principles of Property Management
FIR 4331 - Stock Portfolio Mgmt (CFA Exam track) – Manage real endowment money!
FIR 4340 - Real Estate Appraisal
FIR 4350 - Real Estate Investment
FIR 4440 - Intermediate Managerial Finance (Corporate Finance track)
FIR 4550 - International Finance (Helps with CFA Exam)
FIR 4610 - Cases in Managerial Finance (Corporate Finance track)
FIR 4620 - Cases in Financial Planning (Required for CFP Exam)
FIR 4710 - Commercial Banking (Banking track)
FIR 4720 - Management of Financial Institutions (Banking track)
FIR 4721 – Fixed Income, Derivatives, and More (CFA Exam track)
FIR 4730 - Financial Analysis/Certification (CFA Exam track)
FIR 4770 - Security Analysis/Portfolio Management (CFA Exam track)
FIR 4870 - Risk Management (Required for CFP Exam)
FIR 4911 - Internship in Finance, Insurance, Real Estate
ACCT 3510 - Federal Income Tax I (Required for CFP Exam)
ECON 3610 - Money and Banking
MIS 3775 - Database/Information Management