Finance Major

Apply Now 4-Year Plan Future Undergraduates

Studying Finance at Nebraska

Many people traditionally think you study finance to go into banking, but there are so many job opportunities for people with these skills. You can help companies make strategic financial decisions in corporate finance, analyze stocks and bonds and manage portfolios, help companies manage risk, or help families plan for their financial futures.

Do you want to learn more about money, investments and the markets that affect the economy? Financial professionals analyze and improve the financial health of businesses, organizations and individuals. Finance majors gain experience measuring risk, solving problems, managing money, and analyzing investments and financial statements.

Choose one of three finance major options: banking and risk management, investments or general finance. In the investments option, you study in a CFA® Institute University Affiliated Program, prepare for the Level I CFA exam and take a year-long portfolio management class in which you manage the Cornhusker Fund, a real multimillion-dollar investment fund.

Areas of Emphasis

Apply for Investments Option after FINA 361

What You'll Learn

Analyze financial statements and evaluate the financial health of a company.
Determine the value of a financial asset or investment opportunity.
Understand how to forecast future cash flows for companies or business ventures.
Learn how to use Bloomberg Terminal technology, used all over the world to make critical decisions about risk, investments and markets.

Learning Outcomes

Quantify and interpret risk/reward relationships using a variety of metrics.
Identify sources of risk and implement appropriate risk management techniques.
Analyze market conditions for strategic planning.
Use time value of money techniques to compare cash flows received in different time periods and to adjust cash flows for risk and inflation.

Career Connections

Learn techniques used by Wall Street investment bankers through the Wall Street Prep curriculum.
Discover how financial markets operate and the impact of stock and bond markets on the economy.
Understand how to successfully manage your own money and develop a plan to meet your long-term financial goals.

A CFA Institute University Affiliated Program

Explore wealth management via the Investors With Purpose program

State-of-the-art trading room with 12 Bloomberg terminals, the same tech used on Wall Street

How You’ll Learn

Hands-On Learning Experiences

Create and manage a virtual stock portfolio in the Investment Principles class using the StockTrak Global Portfolio Simulation.
Analyze stocks and collaborate with other students to manage a portfolio worth $300,000 through the Big Red Investment Club.
Receive hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics by participating in the CFA Investment Research Challenge.
Gain experience in making key management decisions for a financial institution by using the ProBanker Simulation in the Bank Management class.

Transferable Career Skills

Investigate financial trends to make educated decisions about budgets, operations and investments.
Identify sources of risk and implement appropriate risk management techniques.
Develop strong Excel skills that are useful in any career.
Learn financial analysis techniques which compare investment alternatives to create a sound investment portfolio.

Social Connections

Connect with other students by joining the Big Red Investment Club or Wall Street Scholars of Nebraska.
Go with other students to see alumnus Warren Buffett, ’51, speak at the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders event in Omaha.
Find a mentor through the Investors With Purpose program.

Make a Difference

Help families and loved ones learn to manage their finances and develop a plan to achieve financial stability and independence.
Join the Center for Entreprenuership's Husker Venture Fund and invest in early-stage Nebraska startups.
Apply to become a student financial well-being coach in the university's Big Red Resilience and Well-Being program and help other students with their personal finances and money management.

Core Academics

Apply your finance knowledge through case studies and other hands-on experiences.
By choosing the investments option, you’ll manage a $3 million dollar portfolio by taking a year-long course where you’ll oversee the Cornhusker Fund.
By choosing the banking and risk management option, you’ll compete in a bank simulation where you manage a bank and tackle issues bankers face.

Research / Grad School Prep

Pursue the investments option and start preparing for the Level 1 CFA exam. This exam is part of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, a highly-valued credential for investment and financial professionals.
Succeed in the program's rigorous curriculum and build the quantitative skills needed for advanced study.
Intern with the university’s Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance and explore trade policy.

Recognized as a CFA Institute University Affiliation Program - The investments track in the finance major is part of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program. To achieve this recognition, the program must cover 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge and place emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Our program positions students well to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Gain experience through hands-on learning – Roll up your sleeves and learn finance by doing the work of financial professionals while still having the support from your classmates and professor. Learn through case studies, simulations, in-class activities and managing real portfolios.
Faculty as experts and mentors – Our faculty are leaders in practice and research. Our finance professors publish research in top finance journals such as the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics and Review of Financial Studies.

Research and Academic Opportunities

Participate in the Investors With Purpose Program

Learn from and network with industry leaders in wealth management in this program that features a course and mentorship component. Program acceptance is based on an application and interview.

Prepare for Careers on Wall Street

Take accelerated curriculum to prepare for Wall Street internship interviews your sophomore year. The Wall Street Scholars of Nebraska student organization connects you to students with similar ambitions.

Compete in Case Competitions

Students holding awards from competing in a case competition.

Represent Nebraska in regional and national case competitions like the CFA Research Challenge.

Don't Wait to Learn to Invest

You can join the Big Red Investment Club as early as your first semester. You'll learn investing by helping manage a real portfolio and present new equities to add through BRIC's semesterly Stock Pitch.

Study Abroad Opportunities

Study Finance and Intern in Barcelona

Enjoy a summer or semester in Spain learning about international financial management among other business classes at the Institute for American Universities (IAU), while you take in the architecture, cuisine and history of Barcelona. Internships are also available.

Learn Business in Northern Italy

Spend a summer or semester at CIMBA International University in Paderno del Grappa, Italy. Choose from a number of business classes, including three in finance, while learning more about Italian language and culture.

See All Business Abroad Opportunities

Student Organizations

Four of the 25+ business related student organizations focus on finance. These clubs provide a great opportunity to grow as a leader, gain experience and make meaningful connections.

Big Red Investment Club

Provides members with hands-on investing experience and opportunities to learn about financial modeling and equity and debt markets. Manage a real stock portfolio with students of all levels of experience.

Wall Street Scholars of Nebraska

Prepare for a career on Wall Street with other students who share your goals. Partake in a finance curriculum, financial modeling workshops, national case competitions, and network with top alumni to improve your chances at breaking into investment banking, private equity or other related fields.

Beta Alpha Psi

Encourages and recognizes scholastic and professional excellence in the study and practice of accounting, finance and information systems. Provides opportunities for self-development, service and networking among members and practicing professionals. Encourages a sense of ethical, social and public responsibility.

Husker Venture Fund

Help lead a venture capital fund that invests in early-stage Nebraska startups. Engage with Nebraska and Midwest entrepreneurial opportunities, and fund home-grown innovative ideas and solutions.

Watch a day in the Husker life of Blake Ingamells as he zips from classes to his fraternity to club meetings.

See All Business Related Student Organizations

Recent Finance Student Placements

Internships

Financial Management Scholar Intern, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Corporate Sponsorship Intern, Minnesota Twins
Analyst Intern, Goldman Sachs
Investment Banking Summer Analyst, Stifel
Commercial Banking Intern, Wells Fargo

Careers

Finance Management Trainee, BNSF Railway
Sales and Trading Analyst, Citigroup
Consultant, FactSet Research Systems
Business Manager, Kiewit
Assistant National Bank Examiner, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Graduate Schools

Master of Science in Finance, Cass Business School – London, UK
Master of Science in Accounting, Notre Dame University – South Bend, Indiana
Master of Science in Actuarial Science, University of Connecticut – Storrs, Connecticut
Master of Science in Finance, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – Champaign, Illinois
PhD in Finance, University of Nebraska–Lincoln – Lincoln, Nebraska

4-Year Plan and Notable Courses

Explore our curriculum through the 4-year plan. To earn your bachelor’s degree in finance, you’ll take 120 credit hours of classes. That’s four to five classes a semester, on average.

The finance major features three options: general finance, banking and risk management, and investments. They each have a different set of required management courses featured in the 4-year plans.

4-Year Plan

Principles of Individual and Corporate Risk Management (FINA 338)

Learn how to identify and manage risk on the individual and corporate level. Gain experience with personal insurance policies to corporate risk management methods.

Excel-Based Finance (FINA 361A)

Accelerate your Wall Street career prep by taking this course that explores finance specializations and theory while developing your skills in finance modeling and Excel. Students pursuing Wall Street internships need to take this class in the first semester of their sophomore year. This class has math, statistics, accounting, economics and GPA prerequisites.

Real Estate Principles and Practice (FINA 382)

Explore the real estate market including ownership, interests, sales, leases, property valuation and appraising.

Security Analysis and Warren Buffett Business Valuation Techniques (FINA 463)

Learn the criteria used by famous investor and Nebraska alum Warren Buffett for evaluation of potential acquisitions and investments.

Investors With Purpose (FINA 464)

Gain a broad perspective of financial markets and the role of wealth management. Business leaders will supplement existing curriculum and provide real-life business discussions on topics in asset and wealth management, such as venture capital, financial technology and real estate. This class is part of the Investors With Purpose program and is open only to students accepted into this program.

Portfolio Practicum I and II (FINA 468 and 469)

Gain practical experience in financial asset management by managing the college’s Cornhusker Fund. Learn how to determine how to select individual securities and develop a portfolio strategy.

Contact

Kendra Ritchie

Associate Director of Recruitment

HLH 123 D

P.O. Box 880405

Lincoln, NE 68588-0405

402-472-7784

kendra.ritchie@unl.edu

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Undergraduate Program