Undergraduate Major & Minor - Finance

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Finance is about understanding economic value. Specifically how the decisions made by firms determine the economic value of firms or investment opportunities.

Since all firms must invest capital (cash) to operate and grow, all firms simultaneously compete with each other and all other investment opportunities, for capital in Capital Markets. Finance professionals estimate and evaluate economic value and risk focusing on estimating future cash flow and using information from Capital Markets.

Finance professionals include economists, operating managers, financial analysts, data scientists, researchers, investors, and financial advisors.

  • Finance professionals are quantitative & analytical utilizing mathematical tools and building models to inform decision making.
  • Finance professionals are curious, researching and understanding firms and markets.
  • Finance professionals are strong communicators, helping colleagues understand the financial implications of their business decisions and investment opportunities
  • Finance professionals are comfortable with ambiguity, recognizing and quantifying the economic impact of risk and uncertainty.

Major Curriculum

Finance Major Program Requirements & Course Descriptions

Minor Curriculum

Finance Minor Program Requirements & Course Descriptions

Four-year Plan

Finance Major Sample Plan

The APAS is the official method for tracking the completion of your specific degree requirements. Please be aware that there are multiple ways for students to progress through this major. This is just one sample. Students should work with their advisor to develop their individual plan.

Italic: course pre-requisites and co-requisites (designated by &)

Bold: Liberal Ed requirement

Print Plan

Freshman Year

Fall Semester

  • Econ 1165 Business Economics (Soc Sci) (4cr)
  • BA 2551 Business Statistics in R (Math) (4cr)
  • BA 1011 Leading Self & Teams (2cr)
  • BA 1021 Design Your Life (1cr)
  • Writ 1301 First Year Writing (4cr)

15 credits

Spring Semester

  • Acct 2051 Financial Reporting (4cr)
  • BA 2051 Solving Business Scenarios in Excel (2cr)
  • BA 2062 Powerful Problem Solving (2cr)
  • Design Your Career (1cr)
  • BA 2005 Corporate Responsibility & Ethics (Civ) (3cr) 
  • Liberal Ed (3-4cr)

15-16 credits

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester

Maroon Block I-Core

  • Mktg 3001 Principles of Marketing (3cr)
  • IDSc 3001 Information Systems & Digital Transformation (3cr)
  • BA 3001 Race, Power, & Justice in Business (RPJ) (3cr)
  • Acct 3001 Strategic Management Accounting (3cr)
  • BA 3051 Data-Driven Business Decisions (BA 2551 & BA 2051) (3cr)

15 credits

Spring Semester

Gold Block I-Core

  • Fina 3001 Finance Fundamentals (Acct 2051 & BA 2551) (3cr)
  • Mgmt 3004 Strategic Management (3cr)
  • SCO 3001 Sustainable Supply Chain Management (3cr)
  • HRIR 3021 Human Capital Management (3cr)
  • BA 3062 Impact Lab Project (BA 2062) (2cr)

14 credits

Declare a major: 
z.umn.edu/CarlsonDeclare

Junior Year

Fall Semester

  • BA 3551 Business Analytics (BA 2551 & BA 2051) (3cr)
  • Acct 5101 Intermediate Accounting (B- or better in Acct 2051 or passing the Acct5101 pretest) (4cr)
  • Fina 4121 Financial Markets & Interest Rates (Fina 3001) (2cr)
  • Fina 4321 Portfolio Management (Fina 3001) (2cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3-4cr)

14-15 credits

Spring Semester

  • BA 3033W Business Communication (3cr)
  • Fina 4221 Corporate Finance (Fina 3001) (2cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)
  • Elective (4cr)
  • Elective (4cr)

16 credits

Senior Year

Fall Semester

  • Fina 4422 Financial Modeling (Fina 4221 & Acct 5101) (2cr)
  • Fina 4522 Options & Derivatives (Fina 4121, 4321 or concurrent) (2cr)
  • Fina elective (2cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)
  • Elective (3cr)

15 credits

Spring Semester

  • Fina elective (4cr)
  • Fina elective (2cr)
  • Liberal Ed (3cr)
  • Elective (3cr)
  • Elective (3cr)

15 credits

Total Credits Needed for Degree: 120

Note: Students must complete an international experience as part of the program requirements. Short-term programs or semester-length programs may be used to meet this requirement. Explore your options: z.umn.edu/CarlsonIE

""

I chose to major in Finance because it combines my passion for mathematics with the dynamic interpersonal aspects of business I discovered at the Carlson. I am inspired by the versatility of finance, which offers diverse opportunities to explore and impact various facets of the business world.

Irine Kurian, '26 BSB

Frequently Asked Questions

Finance is what powers every big move, from launching a new product to hiring a dream team. You’ll learn how to manage resources so a company has the fuel it needs to grow. As a finance major, you’ll learn how to evaluate risks, spot opportunities, and use data to make big decisions. Ultimately, you’ll be the one providing the strategic insight that helps companies stay healthy, competitive, and ready for whatever comes next.
 

Your journey starts with building practical skills in data and modeling through the Impact Core. Then, you’ll dive into how markets work, how to manage a portfolio, and how to value a company. It’s a hands-on path where you’ll use the same tools as the pros to solve real-world financial challenges and predict future success. 
 

Graduates pursue fast-paced paths in investment banking and corporate finance, stepping into roles as financial analysts, financial consultants, and treasury specialists who manage mergers, acquisitions, and capital budgeting. Alternatively, students can enter the financial services and banking sectors as commercial bankers, portfolio managers, security analysts, or private wealth planners. These pathways frequently lead to high-impact placements at leading global organizations and prominent local enterprises like Wells Fargo, 3M, Deloitte, KPMG, and Ernst & Young.
 

FIND MORE FINANCE KEY CAREER INFO

FIND MORE INVESTMENTS & CAPITAL MARKETS KEY CAREER INFO

The standard Finance major focuses broadly on corporate capital structure, investments, and portfolio modeling. The Finance & Risk Management Insurance track, conversely, is highly specialized, combining core finance logic with deep legal, actuarial, and strategic frameworks designed specifically for risk assessment, insurance hedging, and enterprise liability. If you want to keep your career paths open to general investment banking or corporate finance, stick with the standard major; if you want to specialize in corporate asset protection and risk advisory, consider the Finance & Risk Management Insurance track or add a Risk Management minor to your standard Finance major.
 

Finance majors can fast-track their professional networking and career readiness by participating in a highly collaborative ecosystem of clubs and experiential platforms on campus. U-Finance and Scholars of Finance both serve as a vital career pipeline, hosting corporate resume reviews, specialized modeling workshops, and weekly panel events featuring recruitment executives from top Wall Street and Twin Cities financial institutions.
 

Major notes:

  • Students are not required to take a capstone although it is highly recommended.
  • Students may NOT earn a double major in Finance and Finance & Risk Management Insurance. Students may earn a Finance major and a Risk Management & Insurance minor.

Minor notes:

Contact Undergraduate Program