B.B.A. in Finance
Harrisonburg, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
USD 6,434 / per semester *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* in-state tuition fee | $15,076: out-of-state tuition fee. Additional fees may apply
Introduction
Successful growth for any business entity involves the ability to manage assets and risks through sound financial planning.
As a JMU finance major, you’ll gain a strong foundation in the principles of valuation, financial statement analysis and the concepts behind sound financial decision-making, preparing you for a career in individual, corporate, governmental or international markets. This broad area tends to overlap with a number of specialized fields such as investment management, asset securitization, risk management, real estate and banking.
If you are interested in investment management, you'll learn the analysis of financial investments and the economic interaction between the financial institutions and the financial markets in which they operate. If you are interested in the international aspect of finance, you'll study asset and liability management, capital budgeting, fundraising and exchange transactions for multinational corporations.
The major in finance requires a minimum of 120 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. Fifty percent of this work, or 60 credit hours, must be taken outside of the College of Business. In counting the 60 credit hours of non-business courses, students may include all hours taken in General Education, up to a total of nine hours in economics (ECON courses must be counted as economics), and three hours of COB 191. Business Analytics I. The remaining hours, to bring the total to 60 must be taken from any department outside the College of Business. Students should carefully select these non-business electives to help them gain additional knowledge and expertise for their careers and personal lives.
Students enrolled at James Madison University who wish to change their major to finance should go to the Student Center in MyMadison to submit a request. Students must be in good academic standing to change their major to finance and, if they have taken any FIN prefix courses at the time of the change request, must meet the prerequisites for the required courses in the finance major.
Students who plan to major in finance and earn a score on the Math Placement Exam sufficient for placement into MATH 235 are strongly encouraged to enroll in MATH 235.
Required major courses provide finance majors with a foundation in financial management, investments, and institutions. Electives within the major permit students to obtain an additional emphasis and explore other areas within the field of finance.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
JMU’s finance major belongs to the selective CFA® Institute Affiliation Program. Our rigorous curriculum incorporates a significant portion of the CFA® Institute Program Candidate Body of Knowledge, including the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
One of the many benefits of CFA® Institute Affiliation Program is the ability to award scholarships to students to take the CFA® Level I exam. Students may apply for these competitive scholarships during their senior year.
Major Coursework
B.B.A. Core:
- COB 300A – Integrated Business: Management
- COB 300B – Integrated Business: Finance*
- COB 300C – Integrated Business: Operations
- COB 300D – Integrated Business: Marketing
- COB 318 – Legal and Ethical Environment of Business
Note: COB 318 must be taken before COB 487. - COB 487 – Strategic Management
Note: Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in FIN 360 during the same semester as COB 300. FIN 360 requires a minimum of a C in COB 242 and COB 291.
Major Coursework:
- FIN 360 – Analytical Methods in Finance
- FIN 365 – Intermediate Financial Management
- FIN 371 – Principles of Investments
- FIN 488 – Advanced Financial Policy
- Four FIN electives
*Students must earn a C or better in COB 300B and FIN 360 to complete upper-level courses.
No more than 9 FIN credits can be taken in any one semester.
Finance Electives
- FIN 310
- FIN/ECON 325
- FIN 362
- FIN/ECON 372
- FIN 378
- FIN 380
- FIN 434
- FIN 450
- FIN 451
- FIN 455
- FIN 460
- FIN 471
- FIN 475
- FIN 498
A student may choose up to one of the following courses to satisfy the finance elective credit hours: ACTG 313, ACTG 343, ACTG 344, ACTG 377, BLAW 360, BLAW 470, BLAW 480, BLAW 494, BLAW 495, BLAW 496, BLAW 497, BLAW 498, CIS 304, CIS 330, CIS 393, CIS 463 and BSAN 393. A finance major cannot take more than 10 credit hours of FIN prefix courses in any one semester.
Concentrations
Financial Analysis*
Many James Madison University finance graduates go on to careers in financial analysis and the need for financial analysts remains strong. The financial analysis concentration helps prepare students for the Chartered Financial Analyst exam and for analysis within the financial management of a firm.
Required courses:
- FIN 362 – Financial Analysis
- FIN 378 – Fixed Income Analysis
- FIN 380 – Elemental and Derivative Securities Analysis
- Choose one of the following:
- FIN 475 – Financial Modeling and Risk Analysis
- ACTG 343 – Corporate Financial Reporting
*Concentration requires a minimum of a B in COB 241 and COB 242. Concentration may be declared during the semester that the student is taking COB 300.
Financial Technology and Analytics
The changing landscape of finance requires increased knowledge of technology. The financial technology and analytics concentration will prepare students to be agile in financial information systems and expose them to various analytical and visualization tools.
Required Courses
- FIN 434 – Fundamentals of Financial Data Science
- FIN 471 – Portfolio Management
- FIN 475 – Financial Modeling and Risk Analysis
- Choose one of the following: 3 Credit Hours
- BSAN 393 – Data Mining for Business Analytics
- CIS 304 – Enterprise Architecture
- CIS 330 – Database Design and Application
- CIS 393 – Data Mining for Business Analytics
Risk Management
A focus on risk management is designed for finance majors pursuing a more in-depth review of the issues facing organizations and the tools needed to address those uncertainties. In the risk management concentration, students focus on the theory of risk management, risk identification, risk measurement, and applications in the form of risk modeling techniques such as Value-at-Risk and Monte Carlo simulations.
The curriculum in this concentration covers 80 to 85 percent of the curriculum for the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) Part I exam, sponsored by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP).
Required Courses:
- FIN 380 – Elemental and Derivative Securities Analysis
- FIN 450 – Financial Risk Management
- FIN 451 – Risk Management II
- FIN 475 – Financial Modeling and Risk Analysis
Recommended Minors
- Business Analytics
- Computer Information Systems
- Math
- Statistics
- Economics
Finance Major Path
The College of Business recognizes all students as individuals. The recommended academic plan for finance majors is intended as an example only. For instance, some students may be prepared to take COB 300 during the 2nd semester of their sophomore year, particularly those with numerous AP and dual enrollment hours who can complete lower core courses in the first three semesters. Students are encouraged to develop individualized academic plans in consultation with their Academic Advisor and taking into account unique skills, interests, and goals. For specific course listings, please refer to the undergraduate catalog.
- Freshman – First Semester: MATH 205/235, ECON 200, GenEd, GenEd, GenEd
- Freshman – Second Semester: COB 191, COB 204, ECON 201, GenEd, GenEd
- Sophomore – First Semester: COB 202, COB 241, GenEd, GenEd, GenEd
- Sophomore – Second Semester: COB 242, COB 291, GenEd, Elective, Elective
- Junior – First Semester: COB 300A, COB 300B, COB 300C, COB 300D, FIN 360*
- Junior – Second Semester: FIN 365, FIN 371, COB 318, GenEd, Elective
- Senior – First Semester: FIN XXX, FIN XXX, Elective, Elective, Elective
- Senior – Second Semester: FIN XXX, FIN XXX, COB 487, FIN 488, Elective
*Students must earn a C or better in COB 300B and FIN 360 to complete upper-level finance courses. It is highly recommended that students will take FIN360 along with COB300B.
Software and Technical Skills
- Bloomberg
- Excel
- Statistics (SAS)
- Finance Databases such as CRSP and Compustat
Career Opportunities
A successful career and a meaningful life is what it’s all about. Whether it’s an internship, a great first job or a top graduate school appointment, JMU Dukes make their dreams ignite. You will, too.
Here are current openings available to JMU students.
Jobs for JMU Students
Financial
- Credit Analyst (Commercial Banking Portfolio Coordinator – Spreading and Pre-Close Covenant Monitoring) at Wells Fargo
- eBay Finance Futures Program, Recent Grad at eBay
- Associate Financial Analyst at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
- Graduate Development Program, Associate Analyst, Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis at National Grid
- Financial Advisor at Keenan Financial
- (#R18234) Analytics Client Solutions Specialist - Americas Campus (June 2023) at FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
- (#R18233) Analytics Client Solutions Specialist - Americas Campus (February 2023) at FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
- Finance Director at Baker Tilly
- Financial Advisor at Sage Point Financial, Inc
- 2023 S&P Global Ratings CREDit Program Analyst at S&P Global
- Graduate Development Program, Associate Analyst, Parent Accounting & Reporting at National Grid
- LEAD Associate - Management Training Program - Class of 2023 at TOWNEBANK
- Graduate Development Program, Associate Business Partner, IT Finance Business Partnering at National Grid
- Graduate Development Program, Associate Analyst, National Grid Ventures Finance & Accounting at National Grid
- Financial Analyst- 2023 Finance Leadership Development Program- Raritan, NJ at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
- Financial Accountant at IPG Photonics
- Financial Analyst at Multifamily Asset Managers
- Graduate Development Program, Associate Business Partner, Finance Business Partnering at National Grid
- Graduate Development Program, Associate Analyst, Finance Global Performance Management at National Grid
Bank
- Credit Analyst (Commercial Banking Portfolio Coordinator – Spreading and Pre-Close Covenant Monitoring) at Wells Fargo
- Associate Financial Analyst at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
- Staff Accountant at NewLane Finance
- Robotic Process Automation Developer at TOWNEBANK
- Loan Doc Prep Specialist - Bismarck or Dickinson, ND at Bravera
- Loan Assistant/Specialist (Agricultural) - Farm Loan Officer at US Department of Agriculture
- Financial Database Specialist at Federal Housing Finance Agency
- Deutsche Bank Analyst Program – International Private Bank – Wealth Management – New York – 2023 at Deutsche Bank
- Loan Assistant - Mandan, Underwood, or McClusky, ND at Bravera
- 2023 S&P Global Ratings CREDit Program Analyst at S&P Global
- LEAD Associate - Management Training Program - Class of 2023 at TOWNEBANK
- AAMCO Leadership Development & Management Training Program at AAMCO Transmissions Total Car Care (HQ)
- Field Crew Member at Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa
- Investment Analyst at Longline Holdings, LLC
- Java Software Developer at Rocket Software
- C++ Software Developer at Rocket Software
- Junior Python Software Engineer-GMOT at Bank of America
- Private Equity Analyst at Ridgepeak Partners
- Credit Analyst - 176428 at Cadence Bank
Investment
- (#R18234) Analytics Client Solutions Specialist - Americas Campus (June 2023) at FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
- (#R18233) Analytics Client Solutions Specialist - Americas Campus (February 2023) at FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
- Financial Advisor at Sage Point Financial, Inc
- Deutsche Bank Analyst Program – International Private Bank – Wealth Management – New York – 2023 at Deutsche Bank
- Retirement Plan Administrator - Dickinson, ND at Bravera
- Client Assistant (Seattle, WA) at Baird
- Financial Analyst: Investment Advisory Group at Bel Air Investment Advisors
- (#R17386) DataFeed Implementation Specialist at FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
- Financial Advisor at Financial Growth Partners
- Financial Advisor at Sage Point Financial, Inc
- Human Capital Rotational Development Program Associate at Edward Jones Investments
- PGIM: 2023 Investments, Senior Sales Support Associate at Prudential Financial
- Investment Analyst at Longline Holdings, LLC
- Investment Analyst - Remote Work Optional at CornerStone Partners
- Junior Python Software Engineer-GMOT at Bank of America
- Financial Analyst at AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
- CAMPUS: Solutions Engineer (2022-2023 Recruiting Season) at Capital Group
- Accountant at Knoxville's Community Development Corporation
- Wealth Associate - Bismarck, ND at Bravera
Internships for JMU Students
Financial
- Assistant to Financial Controller at Decks and Docks Lumber Company
- 2023 HKEX Summer Internship Programme at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited
- Finance Summer Intern - Dallas at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Accounting Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Clean Air: Program Engineering Intern - Summer 2023 (Grass Lake, MI) In-Person at Tenneco
- Risk Intern - Dallas at Santander Bank, N.A.
- INVESTMENT INTERN at Domain Capital Group
- Marketing and Customer Insights Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Underwriting Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Pricing Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Strategy and Corporate Development Summer Analyst at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Internal Audit Intern, IT at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Digital Marketing Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Finance Intern - Boston at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Finance Analyst Intern at eBay
- Intern-Financial Analyst-2023 at Principal Financial Group- Corporate Headquarters
- [REMOTE] Quantitative Analyst Intern - Summer 2023 at BHG Financial
- [REMOTE] GRC - Cyber Security Intern - Summer 2023 at BHG Financial
- Commercial Banking Summer Intern - Community Development at Citizens Bank
Bank
- Finance Summer Intern - Dallas at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Accounting Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Data Analytics Summer Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Summer 2023 Accounting Intern - Durant, OK at First United Bank
- Consumer and Digital Transformation Intern, Distribution Strategy and Real Estate Investment Planning (Open) at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Risk Intern - Dallas at Santander Bank, N.A.
- AT&T Supply Chain Undergraduate Internships - Strategy & Consulting at AT&T
- AT&T Supply Chain Graduate Internships - Strategy & Consulting at AT&T
- Marketing and Customer Insights Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Pricing and Strategy Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Underwriting Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Consumer and Business Banking Intern, SBB BCO Team at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Pricing Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- User Experience Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Strategy and Corporate Development Summer Analyst at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Internal Audit Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Internal Audit Intern, IT at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Digital Marketing Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Consumer and Digital Transformation Intern, Digital Products at Santander Bank, N.A.
Investment
- 2023 Internship (Multiple Locations) at Northmarq
- Summer Associate Internship Program, Client Service (San Francisco) at AlphaSights
- Summer Intern, Investment Management at Strategic Investment Group
- Consumer and Digital Transformation Intern, Distribution Strategy and Real Estate Investment Planning (Open) at Santander Bank, N.A.
- INVESTMENT INTERN at Domain Capital Group
- Santander Investments – Product Management Team Intern at Santander Bank, N.A.
- Digital Marketing Intern at Leading Authorities, Inc.
- Accounting/Finance Intern at Leading Authorities, Inc.
- Intern-Financial Analyst-2023 at Principal Financial Group- Corporate Headquarters
- Commercial Banking Summer Intern - Community Development at Citizens Bank
- Operations Analyst - Explorer Summer Intern Program - 2023 at Barclays
- 2023 Risk Management Division Summer Analyst Program - New York at Societe Generale
- 2023 Investment Banking Summer Analyst Program - New York at Societe Generale
- 2023 Investment Banking Summer Analyst Program - Chicago at Societe Generale
- 2023 Investment Banking Summer Analyst Program - Houston at Societe Generale
- 2023 DFIN Summer Analyst Program - New York at Societe Generale
- Summer Associate Internship Program, Client Service (New York) at AlphaSights
- Finance Intern at Sleep Number Corporation
- MOLLI Surgical: Medical Device Sales Leadership Internship at MOLLI Surgical
Scholarships and Funding
Madison awards more than 400 one- to four-year scholarships each year to incoming students. The primary criterion for merit-based scholarships is exceptional academic performance. Other selection criteria may include leadership, involvement, and career goals.
The Madison Scholarships Hub is the application center for all JMU Foundation scholarships at James Madison University. To access the Madison Scholarships Hub, log in to MyMadison. Under the Applicant tab, click on the Madison Scholarships Hub logo.
All students are encouraged to fill out the General Application in the Madison Scholarships Hub to be considered for various scholarship opportunities. Qualifications for the majority of our scholarships are based on the General Application information as well as information pulled directly from your admissions application.
Review the criteria carefully for any recommended scholarship opportunities you are presented with and if you meet the qualifications, click apply to submit the additional required information. Deadlines vary across departments so be sure to complete the General Application as soon as possible to receive full consideration. Some scholarship opportunities become available starting in the fall while others open later so be sure to check back in January, February and March.
Accreditations
English Language Requirements
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