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Finance

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With opportunities for real-world experience, UWL finance students graduate with assets that prepare them for the business world.

 

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Undergraduate program

Finance

Undergrad major

Finance is a career field involving the management of money. It includes activities such as investing, lending, borrowing, budgeting, forecasting and more. The three primary financial areas are: corporate finance, investments and financial institutions.

Areas of study

Risk, Insurance & Financial Planning Concentration

Students who choose a risk, insurance & financial planning concentration learn about methods regarding treatment of risk and the utilization of insurance as a means to handle major risks in a business. Students are also introduced to the primary components of financial planning.

Undergrad major View a sample plan for Risk, Insurance & Financial Planning

New Personal Financial Planning concentration added to Finance Major!  

Learn more about this exciting new program here and how students can apply.  

December 2023 Spellman Presentations

Each semester, students in the Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management course present stock research to a panel of Advisory Board members, offering suggestions about whether to buy, hold or sell stocks for the Gordon Spellman Fund.  Click here to watch student presentations, read student fund manager reports and learn more about the fund.  

Diversity in Finance Event Spring 2023

Spring 2023 Diversity Panel of Finance AlumniDiversity panel included: Jenna Schmidtknecht (2015), Christy Nutt (2022), Emily Otto (2022), and Rodrigo De la Pena Alanis (2020)

Great discussions and student engagement took place at the Diversity in Finance event, 2023

 

Featured courses

  • Corporation Finance
    FIN 370 | 3 credits
    Comprehensive study of current theories concerning the valuation of the firm and its capital structure. Topics emphasized are risk analysis, capital structure, dividend theories, cost of capital, capital budgeting and management of working capital. Prerequisite: FIN 355; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.
  • Principles of Investment
    FIN 380 | 3 credits
    The study of investment instruments. Topics include: valuation of common and preferred stocks, bonds, options, futures contracts, real estate, and several other securities and commodities. The risk associated with each form of investment, construction and management of investment portfolios, investment databases, and current trends in investments are studied. Prerequisite: FIN 355; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.
  • Money and Capital Markets
    FIN 390 | 3 credits
    This course examines the various types of financial institutions and their functions in the financial markets and includes a discussion of the processes, current trends, and regulations in money and capital markets. Financial risks will also be discussed in addition to risk measurement and management methods. Prerequisite: FIN 355; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.
  • Problems and Cases in Finance
    FIN 485 | 3 credits
    This course provides students with the opportunity to practice financial decision-making by developing solutions to case problems while requiring them to apply knowledge from previous finance courses, use and develop oral and written communication skills, critical thinking and analytical skills, creativity, and judgment. This course assumes the viewpoint of a financial manager confronted with a variety of decisions on how to best raise, procure, and manage capital. Course topics focus on the typical concerns of a financial manager, including short- and long-term investment and financing decisions, dividend policy, and the costs and characteristics of various sources of capital, etc. Prerequisite: FIN 370; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.
  • Principles of Insurance and Risk Management
    FIN 360 | 3 credits
    A survey of insurance and risk management concepts, the insurance industry and common insurance contracts. Topics include: types of insurers, functions of insurers, legal principles of insurance, and analysis of property, liability, life and health contracts. Special emphasis will be placed on personal insurance for the home, automobile, life and health. Prerequisite: ACC 221. Offered Fall, Spring.
  • Retirement Planning
    FIN 408 | 3 credits
    An overview of retirement planning is provided, presenting the primary differences between pension, profit sharing, and non-qualified retirement plans. Common retirement plans are reviewed in more detail, including eligibility, vesting, contribution limits, coverage, and distributions. The course is designed for those entering the financial planning or benefits professions. The course provides substantive content in preparation for a variety of financial planning or retirement planning certifications including the Certified Retirement Counselor Program or the retirement planning component of the Certified Financial Planner program. Prerequisite: FIN 355; senior standing; admission to business. Offered Occasionally.
  • Management of Financial Institutions
    FIN 410 | 3 credits
    The management of commercial banks and other deposit-type financial institutions. Emphasis is placed on the environment in which financial institutions operate, its changing nature, and managerial decision making within that environment. Specific topics include loan and investment policies, asset/liability management, management of investment risk, and regulation of financial institutions. Prerequisite: FIN 390 or ECO 301; admission to business. Offered Occasionally.
  • Real Estate Principles
    FIN 456 | 3 credits
    Survey of real estate principles and practices, the economic environment and valuation. Topics include: nature of real property; organization and structure of real-estate markets; alternative land uses; financing and valuation of real estate; and the legal environment. Prerequisite: FIN 355; junior standing; admission to business. Offered Occasionally.