college students studying together in a library

Finance Department

33%

One in three undergraduates are Finance majors. Joining the Finance program means joining a robust community!

98%

Employment rate within 90 days of graduation

$70,229

The average starting salary of an undergraduate Finance student

What is Finance?

Interested in learning more? Curious about the broad range of jobs in Finance?

Click here to see highlights from interviews with Financial Industry leaders

Emily Backstrom, General Mills "Finance is the analytic power behind decisions. Often those decisions are to drive value...At the core underneath all of that, Finance is creating that analytic power to drive those business decisions."
Gene Tannuzzo, Columbia Threadneedle. “What I love about being involved in the bond market is that you truly have your thumb on the pulse of the global economy all the time.”
Marcia Page, Varde Partners. “I think that there can be a perception that women are risk averse. The way I thought about it is that women are incredibly risk aware.”
Peter Erikson, Avesi Partners. “I have always viewed finance as very strategic. You are at the center place if you can understand finance well, because it touches on every aspect of a business.”
Emily Backstrom, General Mills "Finance is the analytic power behind decisions. Often those decisions are to drive value...At the core underneath all of that, Finance is creating that analytic power to drive those business decisions."
Gene Tannuzzo, Columbia Threadneedle. “What I love about being involved in the bond market is that you truly have your thumb on the pulse of the global economy all the time.”
Marcia Page, Varde Partners. “I think that there can be a perception that women are risk averse. The way I thought about it is that women are incredibly risk aware.”
Peter Erikson, Avesi Partners. “I have always viewed finance as very strategic. You are at the center place if you can understand finance well, because it touches on every aspect of a business.”

We asked financial industry leaders, our own finance faculty, and our undergraduate students to tell us a few words that came to mind in association with "Finance." Below are word clouds of the most popular words and ideas that came to mind.

A word cloud of words financial industry professionals said came to mind in association with the word finance. Analytical, money, and quantitative were the most popular.
A word cloud of words that came to mind when our finance faculty were asked what came to mind in association with finance. Risk, money, and time were the most popular.
A word cloud of words that undergraduate students said came to mind in association with finance. Money, competitive, stressful, and intense were the most popular, along with several other words such as communication, rewarding, profit, investment, etc.

New Faculty Members

We're thrilled to introduce the latest additions to our faculty team. These accomplished individuals bring a wealth of knowledge, innovation, and passion to our academic community.

Jason Turkiela is pictured from the sternum up. He has blonde-ginger hair and beard, and is wearing a dark blue suit with a red and blue striped tie.

Jason Turkiela

Adam Zhang is picture from the sternum up. He has black hair and glasses. He is wearing a dark gray suit with a black tie.

Adam Zhang

Finance Faculty Highlights

Our faculty members are more than just educators; they are accomplished leaders in the finance industry and dedicated researchers shaping the future of finance. We take immense pride in highlighting some of their remarkable accomplishments

Jacelly Cespedes is smiling at the camera. She has long brown hair and is wearing a black suit jacker and white blouse.

Jacelly Cespedes - 2023 Carlson Undergraduate Instructor of the Year

What students had to say:

“Professor Cespedes makes school enjoyable for me. She makes me feel welcomed into the classroom and makes it a safe space for everyone. She truly embodies what it means to be an extraordinary professor.”

“Jacelly has been an extremely motivating and kind-hearted instructor. She is passionate about her teaching topics and wants her students to do well. She thinks deeply about my questions and answers them proficiently while simultaneously making sure I, along with all of her students, understand them to the fullest extent.”

Eric White smiling at camera.

Eric White - 2023 Carlson Undergraduate Instructor of the Year

What students had to say:

“Eric White is amazing, spectacular, outstanding - if I started listing all the adjectives that could describe him it would be the length of an essay! He truly cares about each and every one of his students and makes sure that they know it.”

“You can tell that Eric is passionate about finance and that transfers over to how well he teaches his students. He is able to make an inclusive classroom environment so that students can ask questions without judgment. It's not just about memorization, it's about getting prepared for your future career even if it's not in finance.”

Richard Thakor

Richard Thakor

Winner MSF Outstanding Faculty in Foundation Courses

Xiaoji Lin

Xiaoji Lin

- Winner MSF Outstanding Faculty in Specialty Courses

Juliana Salomao

Juliana Salomao

Winnder of Departmental Service Award

a financial report with a pen resting on it

Junior Finance Conference

The 2023 Junior Finance Conference will be held on November 17th & 18th at the Carlson School of Management.

CFE Boardroom Presenation

Funds Enterprise

The David S. Kidwell Funds Enterprise (CFE) allows MBA and undergraduate finance students the opportunity to manage over $50 million of real investment money. Guided by the managing director and faculty members, student participants take total control of the money management process.

Business Advancement Center for Health

Business Advancement Center for Health

The Carlson School of Management and the Business Advancement Center for Health (BACH) are uniquely positioned to reimagine and provide leadership in healthcare. By engaging interdisciplinary experts from academia, industry, and the community, BACH is designing and evaluating business-driven innovations that address critical gaps of equity in healthcare.