Finance, B.S. (Behrend)

Program Description

The Finance major is a unique program that provides the student with a firm foundation in the principles of finance and its major areas: financial management, investments, and financial markets. The coursework is designed to lead to professional certification in financial analysis. Students have job opportunities in a variety of positions with mutual funds, brokerage firms, banks, and insurance companies, as well as positions in corporate finance.

The program provides students with the depth and breadth of knowledge necessary to prepare them for Level I of the Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) Exam. The rigorous curriculum, including courses in finance, accounting, and economics, is based on the CFA Body of Knowledge developed through surveys of professionals involved in the practice of investment management. Students will be encouraged to take Level I of the CFA exam after graduation.

What is Finance?

Finance focuses on how individuals and business organizations raise money and capital, and how those resources are allocated among competing investment and consumption opportunities. The field focuses on domestic and international financial economies and the role of financial markets and institutions key in the movement of savings and investment capital from lenders to borrowers. It also deals with how individuals and corporate managers evaluate alternative investment and savings opportunities and how they choose among various financial instruments.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You’re looking for a versatile business degree.
• You’d like to invest real money as a director of Behrend’s Intrieri Family Student Managed Fund.
• You’d like to work on Behrend’s simulated trading floor, and use the same Bloomberg information services as professional traders and investors.
• You want to graduate from one of only two Pennsylvania universities accepted into the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institution University Recognition Program.

Entrance to Major

Entry to the Finance major requires the successful completion of 5 entry-to-major courses: ACCTG 211, ECON 102, ENGL 15 or ENGL 30H, MATH 110 or MATH 140, STAT 200 or SCM 200, and a 2.00 or higher cumulative grade-point average. Each course requires a C or better grade for successful completion.

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, 120-123 credits are required:

21 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 6 credits of GQ courses; 6 credits of GS courses; 9 credits of GWS courses.

Per Senate Policy 83.80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of coursework in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned.

Requirements for the Major

Each student must earn at least a grade of C in each 300- and 400-level course in the major field.

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
ECON 104	Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
PSU 7	First-Year Seminar Behrend	1
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ACCTG 211	Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making	4
ACCTG 426	Financial Statement Analysis	3
CAS 100	Effective Speech	3
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
ENGL 202D	Effective Writing: Business Writing	3
FIN 301	Corporation Finance	3
FIN 420	Investment and Portfolio Analysis	3
FIN 451	Intermediate Financial Management	3
FIN 471	International Finance	3
MGMT 301	Basic Management Concepts	3
MGMT 471W	Strategic Management and Business Policy	3
MIS 204	Introduction to Management Information Systems	3
MKTG 301	Principles of Marketing	3
SCM 301	Supply Chain Management	3
Additional Courses
BA 241 & BA 242	Legal Environment of Business and Social and Ethical Environment of Business	4
or BA 243	Social, Legal, and Ethical Environment of Business
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition	3
or ENGL 30H	Honors Rhetoric and Composition
MATH 110	Techniques of Calculus I	4
or MATH 140	Calculus With Analytic Geometry I
SCM 200	Introduction to Statistics for Business	4
or STAT 200	Elementary Statistics
Select 4-7 credits from one of the following sequences:		4-7
ACCTG 305	Financial Statements and Management Decisions
ACCTG 371 & ACCTG 472	Intermediate Accounting I and Intermediate Financial Accounting II
ACCTG 471 & ACCTG 472	Intermediate Financial Accounting I and Intermediate Financial Accounting II
Select one of the following:		3
ECON 304	Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis
ECON 351	Money and Banking
ECON 442	Managerial Economics
ECON 481	Business Forecasting Techniques
ECON 485	Econometric Techniques
Select 6 additional credits from 400-level FIN elective courses, excluding FIN 494 and FIN 495.		6
Select 6 credits from FIN or other business courses.		6
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Select 15 credits from any business major field or any non-business major course, except for all KINES (GHW) courses, any ENGL course below ENGL 15, and any MATH course below MATH 110. Exceptions may be petitioned through the applicable department chair.		15

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Program Learning Objectives

• CRITICAL AND INTEGRATIVE THINKING: Students will be able to think critically across business disciplines by considering different perspectives and using an integrated, holistic approach to perform relevant analyses, construct valid arguments, and make appropriate conclusions.
• ORAL COMMUNICATION: Students will be able to execute the oral communication skills that they have learned in the interactive business courses to business situations where effective explanation, persuasion, exchanging information and ideas are essential.
• WRITING COMPETENCE: Students will be able to demonstrate effective business writing skills.
• TEAMWORK: Students will be positive contributors to an effective team functioning via application of their functional skills in addition to strong interpersonal skills.
• ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Students will be able to recognize ethical issues and apply ethical theories in business situations at individual and/or organizational levels.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (ETS): Students will be able to apply foundational knowledge to analyze and solve problems and interpret written and visual material across various business domains.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (ACCOUNTING): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad general knowledge of the principles of accounting, both managerial and financial.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (ECONOMICS): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad general knowledge of the principles of economics, both microeconomics and macroeconomics
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (FINANCE): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad general knowledge of the principles of finance.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (MIS): Students will be able to describe the benefits and challenges of applying information technology in various organizations and functional areas.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS): Students will be able to apply basic multidisciplinary knowledge needed to conduct international business and analyze the impact of globalization.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (LEGAL ENVIRONMENT): Students will be able to identify key terms, concepts, and theories of the law, evaluate how law affects business, analyze legal issues, and apply the law to business situations.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (MANAGEMENT): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge of the business discipline of management.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (MARKETING): Students will be able to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in the field of marketing.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (QUANTATIVE BUSINESS ANALYSIS): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge of quantitative business analysis.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge of supply chain management.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

Erie

Jessica Zhao, Ph.D.
Samuel A. and Elizabeth B. Breene Professor of Business and Finance
256 Burke
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6256
xuz12@psu.edu

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
100 Innovation Blvd
Suite 225
University Park, PA 16803
814-863-3283
advising@worldcampus.psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Finance, B.S. at Erie Campus and World Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

¹

Please see your academic adviser for approval before scheduling your course.

²

 In order for a course to be eligible for an Approved Elective, the course can not be a lower level ENGL (1-6) or MATH (2-41) OR a GHW designated course. Please see your academic adviser if you have a question on a specific course.

³

All students are required to fulfill 45 credits of General Education courses. More information about this requirement can be found on the Baccalaureate Degree General Education Requirements page in the Bulletin.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Career Paths

Typical entry-level positions for finance majors include financial consultant, securities analyst, staff accountant, financial analyst, investment representative, branch manager, agent, and financial adviser. Penn State Behrend has a comprehensive support system to help you identify and achieve your goals for college and beyond. Meet with your academic adviser often and take advantage of the services offered by the Academic and Career Planning Center beginning in your first semester.

Careers

Employers of recent Penn State Behrend B.S. in Finance graduates include Bechtel Plant Machines, Erie Insurance, GE, Lucent Corporation, National City Corporation, Foot Locker, Moody’s, NBC Network, Edward Jones, Northwest Savings Bank, Mellon Bank, New York Life, Evans Capital Management, and Robbins Wealth Management.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE FINANCE PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Graduate study allows you to delve deeper into the subdisciplines of finance that interest you most. Examples of master’s- and doctoral-level study include corporate finance, e-business, financial modeling, law, business strategy, marketing, data science, managerial accounting, and strategic management. Penn State Behrend also offers a hybrid MBA program that can be pursued in Erie and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Professional Resources

• AACSB International
• Association for Financial Professionals
• Chartered Financial Analyst Institute

Accreditation

The Black School of Business is accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. As the world’s largest business education alliance, AACSB connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to over 1,500 member organizations and more than 785 accredited business schools worldwide. AACSB’s mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION TO ADVANCE COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS

Contact

Erie

BLACK SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
281 Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6107
behrendbusiness@psu.edu

https://behrend.psu.edu/school-of-business

World Campus

BLACK SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
281 Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6107
behrendbusiness@psu.edu

https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/penn-state-online-finance-bachelor-of-science-degree