Finance Major

• What is Finance?
• What are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?
• What Kinds of Students Major in Finance?
• What Courses Do Finance Majors Take?
• List of Finance Jobs
• What is the Median Salary Range for Finance Careers?
• College and University Departments to Consider

What is Finance?

The field of finance considers how businesses raise, spend and invest capital; how individuals and firms allocate their resources among varying investment alternatives; and how financial markets function. Finance is all about creating value. Both individual investors and corporate managers try to identify investment opportunities in financial and real assets that will create value for themselves, or their firm's investors. In competitive global markets, creating value is very hard to do. Yet, this is what makes Finance both challenging and fun, and why a degree in Finance can lead to a career that is both satisfying and lucrative.

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What are Some Specializations Within this Broad Major?

Various specializations related to a major in Finance may be offered by colleges and universities. These specializations may be of greater or lesser interest to you. A few of these specializations related to this field include, but are not limited to:

Accounting	Banking
Business Law	Business Strategy
Corporate Finance	Economics
Financial Analysis	Financial Institutions
Financial Management	Individual Finance
Insurance	Investment Banking
Other Core Business Courses	Real Estate

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What Kinds of Students Major in Finance?

Students who are aiming at a career in business and who enjoy number, analysis, and "real world" applications will appreciate this major. Finance graduates take jobs that are involved in major tactical and strategic decisions for their companies. This major requires strong mathematical and computer skills and interests.

Is Finance the right major for you?
Take the MyMajors Quiz and find out if it is one of your top recommended majors!

What Courses Do Finance Majors Take?

The required and elective courses you would take for Finance majors vary considerably among institutions. Courses are listed here that are illustrative of the breadth of topics you are likely to experience were you to major in this field.

Bonds	Core Business Courses
Corporate Finance	Econometrics
Economics	Financial Reporting
Governmental Finance	Individual Investment
Monetary Institutions and Policy	Portfolio Management
Statistics

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List of Potential Jobs in Finance

These professions and professional organizations illustrate the types of positions you might qualify for if you complete this major. Some majors are more directly related to employment than others, however. You should consider the likelihood of employment after graduation carefully, if you do not plan to go on for graduate work in a field. Even with the completion of graduate work in some fields, however, employment is difficult, so you should determine what the prospects are for this or any major. Employment possibilities are often enhanced by the selecting employment-related courses and by the enrollment in second major or in a minor.

Bond Broker	Consultant
Corporate Finance	Financial Analyst
General Management	Investment Banker/Broker
Long-Range Planner	Portfolio Management
Retail Financial Services	Venture Capitalist

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What is the Median Salary Range for Finance Careers?

U.S. Median Salary(starting):$48,500

U.S. Median Salary(mid-career):$89,400

Note: These numbers are national averages so you could make more or less than these amounts. Actual expected salaries will vary depending on your chosen career path, experience, and even your geographic location. Are you interested in detailed information about the forecasted demand for a particular profession? Are you interested in the estimated salaries such positions are likely to pay? This government Web site allows you to search on a particular job, whether listed here or not, to give you this information.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Colleges and Universities offering majors in Finance

MyMajors complete list has 844 schools in the USA with a major in Finance.
-View the national listing!

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For information on options available to campuses wishing to see their programs listed on MyMajors, contact for details.