Finance (BS)

Chair: Mark P. Zaporowski, PhD

Introduction

Finance BS Program

The analytical tools and problem-solving skills fostered in the Finance major will prove useful to any student who wishes to pursue a career in security analysis, business valuation, corporate management, investments, banking, real estate, insurance or small business. The program provides a concentration designed to help the student prepare for exams for licenses as Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA), and Certified Financial Planners (CFP) . A Finance concentration is also available through the Economics major. Interested students should contact the department chair. 

Qualifications

Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in their major and a 2.0 overall GPA to graduate with a degree in Finance. All students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate.

Advisement

All students should have an advisor in the major and should contact the department directly to have an advisor assigned if they do not already have one.  Meetings with academic advisors are required prior to students receiving their PIN for course registration each semester. All majors should work closely with their advisor in discussing career expectations, choosing their major electives, developing their entire academic program and planning their co-curricular or supplemental academic experiences.

Minors in Other Disciplines

Minors provide students the opportunity to pursue additional interests but generally do not require as many courses as a major.  Minors generally range from five to eight required courses. To receive a minor, the student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their other credentials (i.e., majors, other minors). The complete list of minors is available on the Canisius website and in the catalog and provides links to each minor. Some majors and minors can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in some cases additional coursework may be required. Students must complete the appropriate minor request form.

Double Majors

Students who wish to expand their educational opportunities may decide to declare a double major. This decision may be based on career goals, planned graduate studies, and/or other student interests. Before a student declares a double major, it is important to meet with the appropriate academic departments for advisement.  In order to declare a double major, the student must complete the Major/Minor Declaration form. This form will be submitted electronically and reviewed and approved by each department chairperson as well as the appropriate associate dean. 

Per university policy, each additional major requires a minimum of 15 credits that do not apply to the student's first or subsequent major.  Some double major combinations can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in other cases additional course work may be required. Please note that students will receive only one degree unless completing the dual degree requirement including at least 150 undergraduate credit hours, regardless of the number of majors they complete. Both (all) majors appear on a student’s transcript.

Dual majors in Business Economics and Finance are required to take six electives in total. Two must be Economics electives and four must be Finance electives.

Note: A strong accounting background is desired by many corporations seeking job candidates with degrees in finance. For those who desire a career in corporate finance, ACC 303 is strongly recommended. FIN 455 is strongly recommended because many entry-level positions in finance require experience with financial modeling using personal computers

Major Experiences

Golden Griffin Fund - Investment Research Concentration

The Golden Griffin Fund (GGF) is an investment-management course for both undergraduate seniors and MBA finance majors at Canisius. The fund grew from its initial $100,000 investment from the college’s endowment, and is now valued at more than $400,000. The student-run, real-money investment fund is invested in over 30 individual stocks and three equity Exchange Traded Funds. It is specifically designed to educate students about the inner workings of the capital markets, while providing them with real-world learning experiences in investment management and equity analysis. Students apply for the Golden Griffin Fund in their junior year and must have completed FIN 312, before their senior year.    Curriculum located in the Concentration tab.

Curriculum

An Ignatian Foundation

All undergraduate students must complete either the Canisius Core Curriculum or the All-College Honors Curriculum. Many schools refer to their college-wide undergraduate requirements as "general education" requirements. We believe that the core curriculum and the honors curriculum are more than a series of required classes; they provide the basis for a Jesuit education both with content and with required knowledge and skills attributes that are central to our mission.

Free Electives

Students may graduate with a bachelor's degree with more but not less than 120 credit hours. Free electives are courses in addition to the Canisius Core Curriculum or All-College Honors Curriculum and major requirements sufficient to reach the minimum number of credits required for graduation. The number of credits required to complete a bachelor's degree may vary depending on the student's major(s) and minor(s).

Major Requirements

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For students majoring in Finance only, ECO 205, ECO 206, ECO 411, and ECO 455 count as FIN electives.  For dual ECO & FIN majors, 4 of the 6 electives should be Finance courses. 

Finance Electives

Students must take four 300- or 400-level Finance (FIN) or Economics (ECO) courses. Up to 2 of the following courses (with a minimum grade of C- in each) may be substituted for Finance elective credit:

Additional Course Considerations within the Major

• FIN 455 is strongly recommended for students wishing to pursue careers in banking, securities analysis or other financial services.
• Additional Mathematics courses are strongly recommended for students wishing to obtain graduate degrees in Economics and Finance.
• A strong accounting background is desired by many corporations seeking job candidates with degrees in finance. For those who desire a degree in corporate financial planning, ACC 303 is strongly recommended. 

Investment Research Concentration

Students must be a Finance Major and completed FIN 312 before the start of the concentration.  All other Business Majors should seek advisement from the Associate Dean in the School of Business.  

The Investment Research Concentration will require the Golden Griffin Fund (GGF), an equity research, investment-management course. The student-run, real-money investment fund is invested in over 30 individual stocks and 3 Exchange Traded Equity Funds. The concentration is specifically designed to educate students about the inner workings of capital markets, while providing them with real-world learning experiences in investment research and management as well as equity analysis.

The Investment Research Concentration will require students to research, create, and manage a portfolio of equity holdings, analyze and recommend companies to add and delete from the portfolio, and grow the fund through the solicitation of new investors.

Students must apply for and be accepted into the Investment Research Concentration.  Applications are due in February of your third (junior) year.  ACC 212 is highly recommended instead of ACC 202.

Roadmap

Recommended Semester Schedule for Major Course Requirements

Courses

Double Major: Finance and Economics (BS)

A common double major for those Finance students is Business Economics. Please use the following program requirements and roadmap if you wish to add the additional major.

Curriculum

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Students may receive credit for ECO 330 or FIN 420, but not both.

 

 

 

 

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Electives for the Dual Major:

Students must take a total of (18) credit hours for the Dual Major BS ECO & FIN.  Two ECO courses and 4 FIN courses at the 300 or 400 level.  

FIN and ECO electives: 2 of the 6 courses can be completed in MAT 112, MAT 211, MAT 219, MAT 222 or ACC 300 or higher.

FIN electives 4 FIN courses are required students can take up to 2 of the following ECO courses for a FIN elective ECO 401, ECO 410, ECO 411, ECO 455.  If you complete these ECO courses for a FIN elective it will not count as an ECO elective.  

Dual Majors require 6 distinctive electives.  An elective can only count for one major.

Roadmap

Double Majors

Students who wish to expand their educational opportunities may decide to declare a double major. This decision may be based on career goals, planned graduate studies, and/or other student interests. Before a student declares a double major, it is important to meet with the appropriate academic departments for advisement.  In order to declare a double major, the student must complete the Major/Minor Declaration form. This form will be submitted electronically and reviewed and approved by each department chairperson as well as the appropriate associate dean. 

Per university policy, each additional major requires a minimum of 15 credits that do not apply to the student's first or subsequent major.  Some double major combinations can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in other cases additional course work may be required. Please note that students will receive only one degree unless completing the dual degree requirement including at least 150 undergraduate credit hours, regardless of the number of majors they complete. Both (all) majors appear on a student’s transcript.