Bachelor in Finance

Finance majors at Northwest focus on four areas: financial services, financial computing, corporate finance, and finance management.

• Financial Services concentrates on the design and delivery of advice and financial products to individuals, business and government;
• Financial Computing combines information from finance and computer science while focusing on the decision-making models constructed and manipulated with computer technology;
• Corporate Finance requires additional focus in accounting and prepares students for exams like the CFA (certified financial analyst), CPA (certified public accountant) and CMA (certified manufacturing analyst); and
• Financial Management combines the knowledge of finance and management to make managerial decisions with an understanding of finance.

Career Opportunities

More than 95% of students who graduated with a degree in finance obtained employment or continued their education within six months after graduation.

The following is a listing of common positions for graduates with a finance major:

• Loan Officer
• Asset Management
• Business Consultant
• Financial Representative
• Accountant
• Financial Advisory
• Financial Analyst
• Settlements Processor
• Property Manager
• Stockbroker
• Real Estate Agent
• Real Estate Appraiser
• Financial Planner

*Based on self-reported data in recent years.

Profession-Based Learning Experiences

New Venture Pitch Competition is designed for ambitious students and aspiring entrepreneurs to present ideas to business professionals, small business owners and potential investors. Students present their ideas to judges who in the future could represent their boss or client.

Study Abroad is an opportunity for students to apply hands-on international experience to their own academic development. Faculty members supervise short-term study abroad programs that prepare students before, during and after the program. Two types of study abroad programs are available – faculty-led and traditional study abroad.

The traditional program may be a semester, summer or year-long program and is taught by Northwest’s international partner institutions. Students from the business school have recently traveled and studied in China, Africa and Eastern Europe including Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Internships

Although internships are not required in the finance major, they are highly encouraged to gain real-world experiences.

Requirements

Option One: Financial Services, 24 hours

Required Courses

Choose 3 hours from electives

Option Two: Financial Computing, 24 hours Required Courses

Option Three: Corporate Finance, 24 hours Required Courses

Option Four: Financial Management, 24 hours Required Courses

Established in 1905, Northwest Missouri State University is a state-assisted, comprehensive four-year regional university that also offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location at the Northland Innovation Center and through Northwest Online.

Northwest offers 127 undergraduate programs and 40 graduate programs. Career Services offers an "Exploring Majors" fair where students may learn about different majors and find a major that is the perfect fit for them. Northwest advocates for profession-based experience in every area of study. At Northwest's Horace Mann Laboratory School, students majoring in education begin observing and practicing in the teaching profession immediately. Other profession-based experiences include work at Northwest's R.T. Wright Farm, radio and television stations, and a variety of internships.