Finance (B.S.)
Why Study Finance at NIU?
Receiving your NIU Bachelor of Science in Finance means you’ll be prepared for a career managing acquisitions and funds for businesses, government and individuals. With your finance degree, you’re positioned to take on important institutional tasks related to purchasing, sales, asset management and investing. Our program provides you with the right theoretical background and analytical skills to meet the challenges of a finance career.
Careers with a Finance Degree
Career opportunities in finance are extensive and include roles such as:
- Analysts
- Project finance managers
- Financial planning
- Treasury management
- Securities brokers
- Private wealth managers
- Banking
- Mortgage analysts
- Lending officers
- Internal auditors
- Trust fund managers
Finance Faculty
Our finance faculty bring real-world corporate experiences into the classroom. They come to NIU from backgrounds in the military, the government and Fortune 500 companies. They are also involved in significant research in a variety of areas in finance, and publish in the top-tier journals of the profession.
Hands-on Learning Opportunities
For your first three years of undergraduate study, you’ll fulfill the same general education, business core and finance core course requirements as all finance majors. During your senior year, you’ll select a career path, elective courses in investments, banking, and/or the corporate finance area may be taken.
Depending on your career path selection, upper level course work also prepares you to sit for the Level I Chartered Financial Analyst (C.F.A.) examination or the Certified Treasury Professional (C.T.P.) examination. Both of these professional certification programs have set global standards for excellence in the world of finance.
You’ll also have a great opportunity to take part in the Treasury Management Association of Chicago (TMAC) Student Managed Portfolio (SMP). You’ll act as fiduciaries to build a portfolio of equity investments using real money for the benefit of the NIU Foundation. Currently the SMP manages $425,000.
There are several other ways to get involved through organizations such as:
These organizations provide valuable opportunities to develop leadership skills, professional knowledge and friendships that will last a lifetime.