Finance, Bachelor of Science
Purpose
The Bachelor of Science degree program in Finance is designed to prepare students for careers in: finance, both at the corporate and small business level; financial planning; stock brokerage firms; and financial institutions. The program focuses on providing the student with both practical and theoretical training in the field of finance.
Program of Study
Course offerings focus on skills and competencies that enhance students’ knowledge of finance. The program provides a balanced array of course work in finance at the junior and senior levels. Students also have opportunities to pursue internships in various areas of finance. In addition, the general education requirements provide a well-rounded academic foundation.
Wilmington University students benefit from the training and experience of finance professionals who serve as faculty. The classroom atmosphere is conducive to information sharing, creative thinking, and the exploration of areas of personal interest.
Cooperative Learning Experiences
Cooperative learning experiences (co-ops) are available in the Finance program for FIN 302: Financial Planning and FIN 308: Financial Economics and Instruments. Depending on the co-op experience available and the student’s course completion schedule, other courses such as BBM 301: Organizational Behavior may also be completed as co-ops. Elective courses may also be structured as co-ops. Each co-op experience is expected to last for two consecutive semesters and earn the student six credits toward their 120-credit degree.
To be eligible for the co-op the student must have completed 60 credits and have a minimum 2.5 GPA. The student must inform the Director of the Co-op program and the Finance Program Chair one semester before they would like to begin a co-op assignment.
Program Competencies
In addition to achieving the Wilmington University undergraduate graduation competencies given in the Academic Information section of this catalog, this program will provide students a comprehensive curriculum in financial studies (both domestic and international) that includes the theories, principles, and applications of modern financial management.
Graduating students will:
- Demonstrate effective information literacy and communication with valid and reliable research.
- Apply ethical standards as required by finance professionals.
- Integrate financial terms, concepts and theories affecting corporations, brokerage firms, insurance companies and financial institutions (banks, credit unions, pension funds, etc.).
- Exercise critical thinking skills in the analysis and evaluation of financial information in order to formulate appropriate decisions and recommendations.
Minimum Grade Policy
Students pursuing a degree in Finance are required by College of Business policy to attain a minimum grade of “C” for all program core courses. For the purpose of this policy, program core courses are all finance courses. These courses are designated by the prefix “FIN.”
Curriculum
General Education Requirements (27 credits)
Humanities Elective (3 credits)
Natural Science Elective (3 credits)
Social Science Electives (6 credits)
Select two courses from the following:
| PSY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| History/Political Science Elective | 3 |
Business Core (33 credits)
BBM 301: available as a co-op
FIN 305: Upper Level finance (FIN) courses are not offered every semester. Students should plan ahead by completing all pre-requisites as soon as possible in order to take the junior and senior level finance courses when they are offered.
Choose one of the following:
| BBM 411 | Operations and Systems Management | 3 |
| HRM 311 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
Finance Program Core (30 credits)
FIN 302: available as a co-op
FIN 301, FIN 302, FIN 410: Upper Level finance (FIN) courses are not offered every semester. Students should plan ahead by completing all pre-requisites as soon as possible in order to take the junior and senior level finance courses when they are offered.
FIN 306: FIN 305 is the Prerequisite to FIN 306, with the exception of the Organizational Management program, which has the Prerequisite of FIN 300.
Select one of the following:
| FIN 411 | Investments and Security Analysis | 3 |
| FIN 412 | Financial Institution Management | 3 |
FIN 411, FIN 412: Upper Level finance (FIN) courses are not offered every semester. Students should plan ahead by completing all pre-requisites as soon as possible in order to take the junior and senior level finance courses when they are offered.
Business Electives (6 credits)
Suggested:
Certain courses may be available as a co-op
Free Electives (12 credits)
Suggested Program Sequence
Freshman
1st Semester
| CTA 226 | Integrating Excel into Business Problem Solving | 3 |
| ENG 121 | English Composition I | 3 |
| FYE 101 | First Year Experience Seminar | 3 |
| MAT 121 | College Math I | 3 |
| PHI 100 | Introduction to Critical Thinking | 3 |
2nd Semester
| BBM 201 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| ENG 122 | English Composition II | 3 |
| MAT 122 | College Math II | 3 |
SCI
| Natural Science Elective | 3 or 4 credits |
| Social Science Elective | |
Sophomore
1st Semester
2nd Semester
Junior
1st Semester
FIN 302: available as a co-op
2nd Semester
| BLA 305 | Business Law for Accounting and Finance Majors | 3 |
| HUM 361 | Human World Views: 1650 AD–Present | 3 |
| FIN 306 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FIN 308 | Financial Economics and Instruments | 3 |
| FIN 309 | Introduction to Global Derivatives | 3 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 |
FIN 308: available as a co-op
Senior
1st Semester
| BBM 301 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| | |
| BBM 411 | Operations and Systems Management | 3 |
| OR | |
| HRM 311 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| | |
| FIN 410 | Financial Reporting and Analysis | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
BBM 301: available as a co-op
2nd Semester
| BBM 319 | Business Ethics | 3 |
| BBM 402 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| | |
| FIN 411 | Investments and Security Analysis | 3 |
| OR | |
| FIN 412 | Financial Institution Management | 3 |
| | |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
Finance with a Concentration in Nonprofit Management
The nonprofit industry is one of the fastest growing employers. The industry is seeking out marketers, HR professionals, and managers with an interest in strategic planning within the nonprofit industry. This nonprofit concentration will focus on the following content areas: Introduction to nonprofits, fiscal management, advocacy and public policy, and one specific identified nonprofit course in the student’s program. There are four core courses in the concentration and one specific program course or an internship. Two of the courses are shared between the College of Behavioral Science and the College of Business. This is a concentration for bachelor’s degrees in Business Management, Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, and Sports Management.
Core requirements (12 credits)
| NFP 301 | Intro to Nonprofit Agencies | 3 |
| NFP 302 | Management of the Nonprofit Organization | 3 |
| NFP 303 | Foundations of Fiscal Management for Nonprofit | 3 |
| NFP 304 | Advocacy and Public Policy | 3 |
Program specific requirements (3 credits)
Students can choose ONE of the following 5 courses:
| BMK 339 | Marketing for Nonprofits | 3 |
| FIN 331 | Finance for Nonprofit | 3 |
| HRM 361 | HRM in Public and Nonprofit Organizations | 3 |
| NFP 307 | Fundraising for Nonprofits | 3 |
| SPM 309 | Sports and Athletics Fundraising | 3 |
Students may substitute any program specific course for an alternate NFP course of their choosing or an internship.
Total concentration courses are five courses equaling 15 credits.
Finance Completion Degree
What is a Completion Degree
A completion degree is a personalized version of a bachelor's degree created exclusively for students who have completed an associate degree at an accredited institution. Completion degrees are available for most Wilmington University Bachelor of Science degrees. A student who expects to transfer a completed associate's degree should communicate with a Wilmington University academic advisor before registering for courses. A transcript with documentation of the conferred degree must be received by Wilmington University to confirm eligibility.
Curriculum
Transfer students who hold an associate degree from a partner institution are required to take the following Finance courses. A maximum of 75 transfer credits can be accepted into the program; 45 credits must be completed at Wilmington University. If you have fewer than 75 transfer credits, you will take electives to fulfill the degree requirements necessary for the Bachelor of Science in Finance.
Finance Core