In today's data-driven world, the field of finance is going through substantial and transformative changes in the delivery of financial services. Modern finance tools including fintech, blockchain, computational finance, artificial intelligence, robo advisors and algorithmic trading are ubiquitous throughout the financial services industry affecting decisions in investments, portfolio management, trust services and securities trading. Industry participants including banks, brokerage houses, real estate trusts, insurance companies, hedge funds, mutual funds, trading exchanges and other corporations require the latest finance knowledge.
The BSBA, Finance Emphasis degree is a 120-credit hour program that requires at least 48-credit hours in business courses, with a minimum of 18-credit hours in Finance courses.
The core business classes include financial and managerial accounting, legal environment of business, information systems concepts, business analytics and statistics, supply chain management, financial management, management and organizational behavior, marketing and strategic management. Once you've completed the required courses, you can customize your degree with business electives, even selecting a minor, if you choose.
Graduates of the BSBA, Finance Emphsis will be prepared to enter the workforce and succeed locally and globally across various industries. The finance curriculum prepares you for careers in corporate financial management and the financial services industry.
Within the BSBA, Finance Emphasis, the department offers six Certification tracks that allow students to focus their studies in specialized areas of finance and pursue various industry certifications. Students completing one of the specialized tracks will receive a Certificate of Completion for that track. This document will be in addition to any degree the student may receive; it provides additional evidence of attaining a specific body of knowledge. To obtain the certificate, students must fill out an application for certification in their last semester. The application is available at the Undergraduate Advising Office in the College of Business Administration, 107 Anheuser Busch Hall. All tracks require 15-credit hours in elective finance courses, except for the Financial Planning Track that requires 18-credit hours. Read more about each track by expanding the sections below:
This track trains students to make business financial decisions, including raising and investing capital, long and short-term financial plans, and dealings with stockholders, bondholders, other creditors, customers, and regulators. While the primary focus is on large corporations' financial decisions, many analytical tools and techniques also apply to small businesses. Students must complete five courses from the list below.
Financial institutions design and deliver financial products and services to businesses, governments, and individuals. This track prepares students for careers in commercial and investment banks, brokerage houses, insurance companies, real estate firms, trust, and wealth management firms, among others. This track requires 15-credit hours of elective courses from the following list.
The Financial Planning Track prepares students to counsel individuals on personal financial matters and family businesses. This curriculum is a registered program with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., enabling students who complete it to sit for their certification examination. UMSL does not award the CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. The right to use the marks CFP and Certified Financial Planner is granted by the CFP Board to those who have met its rigorous educational standards, passed the CFP certification examination, satisfied a work experience requirement, and agreed to the CFP Board Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Only persons registered with the CFP Board are permitted to sit for the CFP® certification examination. CFP certificates and licenses are issued only by the CFP Board. Students must complete the following courses:
Students who are interested in the CFP certification should consult: https://www.cfp.net/get-certified/certification-process.
Fintech (financial technology) revisits financial disciplines as a rapidly evolving field, including corporate finance, financial markets, financial institutions, investments, real estate, and derivatives using a common thread of technology. This track introduces students to the major areas of fintech, including blockchain, cryptocurrencies, fintech credit, big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural network, robo Advisers, and algorithmic trading. It provides students with the foundation for the nexus of finance, technology, and regulation in the financial industry. Students must complete the first two required courses and three additional courses in the list below.
*Required
Each year, billions of dollars flow into retirement plans and mutual funds. These funds, in turn, are invested in securities markets worldwide to provide the owners the best returns given their risk thresholds. Professional portfolio managers have the responsibility of meeting investor goals subject to rapidly changing market conditions. This track prepares students for a challenging career in investment management. Students must complete five courses from the list below.
Students who are interested in taking the CFA exam should consult: https://www.cfasociety.org/stlouis/.
Insurance plays an essential role in risk management for individuals and businesses. This program covers life insurance, property/casualty insurance, and the administration of pension and employee benefit plans. After completing the program, students may seek analytical staff positions in insurance companies or become consultants, insurance agents, brokers, employee benefits specialists, and risk managers. The program will also prepare students for the prestigious professional certification programs such as the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) and others. Students may transfer up to three equivalent courses taken within five years to The American College of Financial Services in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, which grants the CLU and ChFC designations. Both the CLU and ChFC require students to take additional courses through the American College. This track requires taking five courses from the following list.
The BSBA, Finance Emphasis, is earned through our internationally recognized College of Business Administration, ranked among the top 2 percent of business schools globally thanks to dual AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting.
Business students learn and collaborate in a state-of-the-art facility outfitted with smart classrooms containing all the latest teaching technology, cutting edge seminar rooms, group learning environments, community spaces and a real-time stock ticker. The college also offers frequent career fairs, including career-specific opportunities and internships. In addition, faculty engage students in service-learning opportunities that provide value and help transform lives in the surrounding communities.
Students also benefit from six College Advisory Boards, the Leadership Council, and the Business Alumni Association, all of which are staffed by experienced business professionals from some of the best known St. Louis area companies. These professionals lend their expertise, experience, time, passion and enthusiasm to ensure that curricula are keeping pace with the ever-changing needs of business and that employers' needs are fulfilled. They also provide opportunities that enhance student education with tours of their facilities, guest lectures, internships, mentoring and more.
The finance faculty hold PhDs or advanced degrees from major US universities with extensive industrial experience. As active researchers, faculty are on the cutting edge of new developments in their fields. The Academic Analytics Scholarly Research Index (SRI) recently ranked the department in the top 16 nationwide. The law faculty hold JD degrees from major U.S. universities with many years of private law practice experience, both nationally and internationally.
The BSBA Finance Emphasis is designed to provide specialized knowledge, skills and training in a flexible format, with classes available in-person, online and in a hybrid format. You'll learn from highly qualified educators who are not only academics, but business practitioners and active consultants with extensive knowledge of modern finance who bridge the classroom with the real world.
The University of Missouri—St. Louis provides the knowledge, resources, tools and support students need to succeed in our programs. Our comprehensive student support services include workshops, tutoring and career services to help you develop skills and strategies to succeed in the classroom and beyond. UMSL welcomes transfer students and our transfer specialists will assist you with getting the most transfer credits possible. We're also committed to increasing access to higher education, and as such, UMSL is consistently ranked number one in affordability in the St. Louis region.
The University of Missouri–St. Louis is the largest public research university located in Missouri's most populous and economically important region. UMSL provides high-quality, affordable education to one of the most diverse student bodies in the state. No university is better connected to the surrounding region than UMSL. Seventy-three percent of our graduates stay in St. Louis. The region needs a workforce who are well-equipped with valuable financial knowledge and skills, and UMSL is prepared to help you meet those needs. Choose the University of Missouri–St. Louis for finance.
UMSL is the only public university in the region to carry dual AACSB accreditations for its business and accounting programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
