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Start your career in banking, investment or business with a Finance degree — whether you dream of working on Wall Street or with a local company that invests in low-income women entrepreneurs.
Major Roadmap
Explore your options — classes, internships, research and study abroad. Find what interests you, discover what you love, and create a major experience that jumpstarts your future.
You’ll learn everything from corporate finance and investments to global markets. Analyze financial decisions through a social justice lens and explore their wider impact. Study with professors who have years of industry experience and connections and will walk you through case studies taken straight from the financial news.
Then, use what you’ve learned to make an impact at your internship. Finance majors make huge contributions at their internship sites — assisting with data mining and mapping, analyzing financial data, and putting complex financial concepts into practice. You’ll put your skills to work at an organization like Merrill Lynch, BBVA Compass, Chase, or NXP Semiconductors — to name a few. Graduate ready to hit the ground running as a financial analyst, personal financial advisor, insurance underwriter or other professional in a field that will only continue to grow.
What do our graduates do?
Finance majors go on to a variety of careers and graduate schools from St. Edward’s. Here’s a sample.
- Brand strategist, Google’s Unskippable Lab
- Financial analyst, Goldman Sachs
- Venture associate at Newchip, the leading investment marketplace for startups and private equity
- Managing partner at a real estate private equity firm
- UX researcher at JUST Community LLC
- Revenue analyst for the Walt Disney Company
- Research associate at Columbia Pacific Wealth Management
From St. Edward’s to Google
In a world with increasing TV streaming options and infinite distraction smartphones, how does a company catch a potential customer’s attention? Read about Jeff Miner ’11, a Finance major, who solves this question every day at Google’s Unskippable Labs.
Degree Requirements
Major Requirements: The BBA in Finance requires 66-67 hours of major coursework.
General Education Requirements: All majors require 44 hours of general education that students complete over the course of four years, in addition to their major courses.
View and download the full degree plan for our Finance major (PDF).
A few examples of the Finance courses students take:
- Intermediate Financial Management – Study corporate finance theories and examine how they apply to corporate decisions in the areas of capital structure, working capital, corporate structuring, mergers and acquisitions and more.
- Investment Principles and Analysis – Analyze investment vehicles and consider investment decisions in the context of risk-return analysis. Discuss security market operation and portfolio management.
- Financial Institutions and Markets – Develop an understanding of money and capital markets; the flow of funds in the economy; the role of credit; the term structure of interest rates; risk management; regulation and deregulation; and financial crises.
Our Faculty and Student Support Services
Our distinguished faculty members are scholar-practitioners with years of industry experience in their areas of expertise. They are actively engaged in their fields, and many have close ties with Austin-area businesses. This helps expose students to real-world business situations and connects them to valuable opportunities for learning and growth.
"My two main objectives are to teach students skills they need to be successful in their personal and professional lives, and to teach them how to think critically and analytically."
– Camelia Rotaru, associate professor of Finance
Student Support Services
Along with personal attention and mentorship from their professors, our students have access to offices and programs outside of the classroom that support their success. We encourage students to take advantage of these resources that help them excel:
- Academic counseling and advising
- Supplemental instruction and tutoring
- Career preparation and advising
- Writing Center consultation
- Health and wellness counseling
- Student disability support
Outside the Classroom
Finance students gain relevant work experience in local, national and even international organizations during their time at St. Edward’s, and many serve as campus and community leaders, obtaining the skills they need to advance in their careers post-graduation.
Internships
Finance students make huge contributions at their respective internship sites. They assist with data mining and mapping, analyze financial data and develop predictive metrics. They put complex financial concepts to practice, such as modern portfolio theory, portfolio development and investor behavior. These experiences prepare them for both the job search and graduate school. Our students have interned at BBVA Compass, Merrill Lynch, Chase, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Kestra Financial, Tech Ranch and NXP Semiconductors, to name a few.
Financial Management Association International (FMA)
Student organizations, like the FMA, offer Finance students the opportunity to connect with local professionals. In addition to hosting speaker series and other events, the FMA sponsors the FMA National Honor Society, the only international honor that specifically recognizes the achievement of Finance majors and demonstrates their expertise in areas such as financial economics and decision-making.
S.E.R.V.E.
Service is at the heart of the St. Edward’s University community, and the S.E.R.V.E. program exemplifies how dedicated students, faculty and staff are committed to making a difference. Finance major Amanda Rodriguez ’19 gained experience as one of five student coordinators who help plan monthly S.E.R.V.E. 1 Day events, which can include gardening, painting and other one-time tasks.
Credentials and Advanced Degrees
Finance students are encouraged to set a goal of obtaining a professional certification after graduation. Such certifications can further establish their credibility and expertise in an area of specialty. These can include:
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) – This credential has become the most respected and recognized investment designation in the world.
- Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) – This certificate program is for those who want to develop advanced, globally relevant and practice-based investment performance and risk evaluation skills.
Many Finance graduates pursue advanced degrees in related business disciplines, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Accounting.