2023-2024 Catalog 
    
    Nov 21, 2024  
2023-2024 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Finance Major


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Professor MacLeod
Associate Professors Bryan, Rahman, Skosples, Vollrath, Yazar
Assistant Professors Georgic, Hurst, West, Younkman

Primary Finance Faculty: MacLeod, Younkman

Whatever your interest in finance - ranging from wealth management to investment banking to corporate finance-, this major provides a robust and analytical foundation in economics and advanced finance topics.  It is an affiliate program of the CFA Institute; scholarships are available for high-performing students to study for CFA Level I in their senior year.

Learning Objectives


Finance majors will be able to

  1. demonstrate command and knowledge of fundamental and technical concepts of finance;
  2. effectively and accurately interpret, analyze and present financial data and information in oral, written and graphic forms;
  3. apply critical-thinking and problem-solving skills in financial-related business areas;
  4. determine when change is appropriate and adapt to change as it occurs;
  5. demonstrate a sense of ethics, responsibility, and service to users of financial data and information;
  6. demonstrate an awareness of the global financial and business environment; and
  7. better discern personal interests and establish career objectives.

Major Requirements


A total of 13.5 units consisting of the following:

Elective Courses


4 units of upper-level (numbered 250 or above) electives from the following list, of which at least one unit must be a finance (FIN) course.

Note(s):


FIN 280  and FIN 361  may be taken concurrently with permission. Advanced students are encouraged to complete FIN 361  by end of spring semester of sophomore year to be best equipped for internships, research opportunities, and elective coursework.  All majors must complete FIN 361 no later than spring semester of the junior year.  A grade of C- or better is required in the senior year finance course (either FIN 462  or FIN 465 ) and all prerequisite courses.

A standard pathway for finance courses is ACCT 217 sophomore fall, FIN 280 sophomore spring, FIN 361 junior fall, FIN 462 and/or finance elective junior spring, finance-related internship summer, FIN 465 senior fall, FIN 462 and/or finance elective senior spring.

An express pathway for finance courses is ACCT 217 frosh spring, FIN 280 and FIN 361 sophomore fall, possibly FIN 462 or a finance elective sophomore spring, first finance-related internship summer, FIN 465 junior fall, FIN 462 and/or finance elective junior spring, second finance-related internship summer, additional finance electives senior year.

Recommended: ENG 310  and MATH 110  for those considering graduate work in finance.

Other Information


Majors and minors should be declared no later than the sophomore year. In order to declare one of the department majors or minors, a student must have either a) a 2.5 cumulative University grade point average, or b) a 2.0 cumulative University grade point average and have earned a B in one course taken in the intended major or minor track.

Some major/ minor combinations in the Economics and Business department are permitted, but a minor in business or economics may not be combined with a major in management economics, or international business.

A general principle followed by the department is that no more than three courses may be counted towards completing requirements in more than one program.  For example, a Finance major (13.5 units) also completing an Accounting major (12 units), may not count more than three courses for both programs, so additional coursework (beyond 22.5 units) will be required to complete requirements for this combination of programs.  Additionally, if the Accounting major is combined with another major or minor in the department (business administration major, finance major, management economics major, business minor), ACCT 341 , ACCT 348 , or ACCT 349  may only be utilized for one designation.

It is recommended that the statistics course (MATH 105  or MATH 230  or PSYC 210 ) be completed by the end of the sophomore year as it is a pre-requisite to ECON 251 and ECON 252. MATH 105  may not be taken for credit after receiving credit for MATH 110  or above.  (This includes AP calculus or equivalent.)

Only one unit of 495 may be counted and a maximum of two units from 490, 491, and 495 may be counted toward any major in the Economics department.

All elective courses must be upper-level (numbered 250 or above). Students must attain a minimum 2.0 grade point average in their major to graduate. Courses eligible to be counted in the major or minor cannot be taken credit/no entry. All pre-requisite courses must be successfully passed with a grade of C- or better to qualify for enrollment in the subsequent course.

A maximum of 13 units of credit in any one discipline (accounting, business, economics, or finance) and 17 total units of credit in the economics department may be counted in the 34 units required for graduation. Additional discipline or department units will result in greater than 34 units required for graduation.

Competencies

ECON 110  meets the Reason Formally and Quantitatively competency. 

ECON 251  meets the Question Scientifically competency.

A-Levels, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and Other Credits

Students who pass A-Levels in Economics with a C or better will receive a total of two credits; one for ECON 110  and one general unit of lower-level Economics credit.

Students who pass A-Levels in Accounting with a C or better will receive a total of only one credit, and that will be for ACCT 217 .

Students who pass A-Levels in Business with a C or better will receive a total of only one credit, and that will be a general-unit of lower level business credit.

Information on credit for International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement may be found in the Academic Regulations and Procedures section of this Catalog.

Students may use a proficiency examination or an advanced placement examination to meet the requirements of ECON 110 . Information on the proficiency examination for ECON 110  will be given during new student orientation. Advanced Placement Rules are listed in the Academic Regulations and Procedures section of this Catalog.

Students who transfer courses to Ohio Wesleyan University should consult with the department chair regarding the appropriate credit to be awarded. If several courses are transferred at less than 1.0 unit (3.7 credits), additional courses may be required. For all majors and minors in the department, a majority of the courses must be completed at OWU.

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