Finance is an exciting and rewarding career! The major questions you deal with in finance include how to price an asset (such as stocks, bonds, etc.), how to manage investments, how to value and evaluate revenue-generating projects, and finally how to raise capital to finance those projects in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. While exploring these questions, you will develop critical thinking and learn to apply sophisticated quantitative models – skills that are equally transferrable in all major disciplines including economics, marketing, management, etc.
It requires a great deal of creativity, specialized skills, and critical analysis to solve today’s unique and complicated financial problems.
Westminster's Finance program is proud to be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) at all degree levels.
The demanding curriculum prepare you to both pursue higher studies and launch exciting professional career upon graduation. The small class sizes, easy access to professors, and comprehensive student advising provide a very supportive environment for you. You can combine Finance major with other disciplines (dual-major or minor) such as economics and accounting to serve your unique higher- studies or professional needs.
The finance program at Westminster College offers challenging and rewarding courses in all major areas of finance including corporate finance, investment, and derivatives. One of the most exciting finance courses is the first investment course FIN350 Investments. In this course, you will learn how to value financial assets such as common stocks, bonds, etc. and how to manage investment into those assets. You will form groups, select actual companies, conduct research on those companies, value the stock of those companies, make recommendations for investment, and present your research to the faculty. One distinguishing feature of this course is that you will also get to apply your skills by using an actual trading platform thinkorswim®.
Students who are interested in launching careers in corporate finance will find FIN328 Managerial Finance to be very rewarding. From the very first day, this course uses MS Excel spreadsheet in solving complicated financial problems, just like a finance manager does in his professional life. The important topics covered by this course include cost of capital, raising capital, capital structure, dividend policy, mergers and acquisitions, etc.
At Westminster’s Blue Blazers Investment Club, you will manage a portfolio of $700,000 in stocks and ETFs and gain real-life experience in financial management. The biennial trips to hubs of financial services such as New York City offer great opportunities to network with industry experts and experience the excitement in real-world. The experience and networking opportunities helped former students secure internships and jobs with companies such as Wells Fargo, AIG, Audi Group of America, etc.
