Finance

The Finance Major is a demanding program that prepares students to play an important role in the financial industry. The profession is divided into two main fields. Investments deal with managing savings in the economy by transferring these funds to individuals and corporations in need of capital in exchange for an appropriate return. Professionals here spend their time designing, pricing, and trading investment instruments such as term deposits, personal loans, stocks, bonds, and asset-backed securities to aid in the flow of funds. Some of our economy's biggest corporations, including banks, mutual fund companies, private equity firms and insurance companies, serve as intermediaries in this process.The other side of the industry is managerial finance. Professionals here arrange needed financing for an organization's daily operations and future growth. Sources of capital such as lines of credit, corporate paper, term loans, mortgages, bonds, leases, venture capital, and IPOs are used to finance seasonal build-ups in working capital and major asset purchases. In doing this, financial managers are careful not to expose the organization to unacceptable levels of risk by over borrowing or leaving exposures to currency or interest rate fluctuations unhedged.

Field of study: Finance, General