Finance Major
Buttoned-up business with a dressed-down attitude.
From assets to investments, finance is a top career choice for many of our analytical graduates. Whether you are interested in financial planning, investment banking or financial management, our undergraduate finance degree program will help you develop an impressive portfolio of skills you can apply in your future career.
The Knauss School of Business' expert team of award-winning research professors, business leaders and investment analysts will teach you everything you need to know about investments and corporate and international finance, both from a tactical and social perspective. You will learn through hands-on experiences using actual financial and economic data, and applying your analysis to a real $200,000 donor fund.
Using industry tools like Bloomberg and FinViz.com, you will practice how to screen stocks, identify their strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations around whether to buy, hold or sell in USD's own Student-Managed Investment Fund. With a decent annual return, our future advisors are off to a great start.
CFA University Affiliation Program
USD has become the latest university to be welcomed into the CFA University Affiliation Program. Our Bachelor’s in Business Administration (finance major) program has been acknowledged for incorporating at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) and placing emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice within the program.
This program positions students to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, which has become the most respected and recognized investment credential in the world. Entry into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program signals to potential students, employers and the marketplace as a whole that the USD curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to prepare students for the CFA examinations. Through participation in this program, USD is eligible to receive a limited number of student scholarships for the CFA program each year.
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Bring your A-game.
Whether you plan to work in investments or commercial banking someday, we will help you build the quantitative skills you need to think critically and draw sound financial conclusions.
Fit for finance.
USA Today ranks our undergraduate finance major 63rd in the nation.
A wealth of possibilities.
From Wall Street to Main Street, finance majors have landed careers at some of the largest financial institutions, including Barclays, TD Ameritrade, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and more. (We hear they earn some of the highest salaries, too.)
Prep for your CFA.
At USD, the finance classes you take not only count toward graduation—they also count toward your CFA. Our finance curriculum is approved by The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute, so you can take the CFA Level 1 exam right after you complete your degree.