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Bachelor of Science in Finance

 

Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Finance (BSF) degree, also known as the Finance major, emphasizes a finance-focused education and directly targets the financial industry, including commercial banks, investment banks, investment companies and insurance companies.

 

Course Requirements

The following requirements must be fulfilled: a minimum of 120 credits, including University General Education, pre-business, and 36 credit hours in finance major courses, and completion of a non-GWSB minor.

Students pursuing finance as a second major should reference the finance as a second major requirements section at the bottom of this page.

University General Education Requirement
UW 1020University Writing
After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two different Writing in the Disciplines (WID) courses taken in separate semesters (summer counts as one semester). WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number.
One critical analysis in the humanities course.
One scientific reasoning with laboratory course.
One course with an approved oral communication component.

 Approved courses can be found under University General Education Requirement.

Pre-business courses
BADM 1001
& BADM 1002		Business Leader Foundations I
and Business Leader Foundations II 3
or BADM 1003 Business Leader Foundations for Transfer Students
BADM 3001Business Leader Career Strategy
BADM 4001Business Leader Launch
STAT 1051Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics
or STAT 1053 Introduction to Statistics in Social Science
or STAT 1111 Business and Economic Statistics I
or DNSC 1001 Business Analytics I: Statistics for Descriptive and Predictive Analytics
or APSC 3115 Engineering Analysis III
STAT 2118Regression Analysis
or ECON 2123 Introduction to Econometrics
or STAT 2123 Introduction to Econometrics
ECON 1011Principles of Economics I
ECON 1012Principles of Economics II
One of the following sequences in mathematics:
MATH 1231
& MATH 1232		Single-Variable Calculus I
and Single-Variable Calculus II
or MATH 1220
& MATH 1221
& MATH 1232		 Calculus with Precalculus I
and Calculus with Precalculus II
and Single-Variable Calculus II
Finance major courses
ACCY 2001Introduction to Financial Accounting
ACCY 3106Financial Statement Analysis
BADM 3501Financial Management and Markets
BADM 4101Business Ethics and the Legal Environment
or BADM 4101W Business Ethics and the Legal Environment
FINA 3001Intermediate Finance
FINA 3101Investment and Portfolio Management
FINA 4001Advanced Financial Management
or FINA 4001W Advanced Financial Management
Four courses selected from the following:
FINA 3201Exploring Finance with Simulation
or FINA 3201W Exploring Finance with Simulation
FINA 3301Money and Capital Markets
FINA 3401A Brief History of Finance
or FINA 3401W A Brief History of Finance
FINA 4101Applied Financial Securities Analysis
FINA 4102Investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts
FINA 4103Quantitative Investing
FINA 4104Foundations of Venture Capital
FINA 4201Real Estate Investment
FINA 4301Financial Derivatives
FINA 4900Special Topics
or FINA 4900W Special Topics
One international field course selected from the following:
ECON 2180Survey of International Economics
ECON 2181International Trade Theory and Policy
ECON 2182International Macroeconomic Theory and Policy
IBUS 3001Introduction to International Business
IBUS 3101Global Financial Environment
IBUS 3301International Business Finance
IBUS 4302International Banking
IBUS 4303International Monetary and Financial Issues
SMPP 4900WSpecial Topics (Strategy and International Political Economy)
TSTD 3302Financial Management in Tourism and Hospitality
Minor requirement
A minor outside of the School of Business is required for the degree. Courses vary by minor and typically require a minimum of 18 credits. Students may pursue a second major outside GWSB in lieu of the minor.
Electives
In general, students complete 31 credits in elective courses to reach the 120 credits required for the degree. Elective courses may be applied to a second non-GWSB minor, a GWSB concentration, or a GWSB or non-GWSB second major. Reference the GWSB undergraduate policies section for course restrictions.

1 Courses must be taken after completion of UW 1020  and in separate semesters.

2 See Undergraduate Education at GW for additional information regarding approved courses for this requirement.

3 First-year students take BADM 1001 and BADM 1002; transfer students take BADM 1003.

Finance as a second major

Students pursuing finance as a second major are required to complete 30 credit hours in the courses listed below. Non-GWSB students may declare finance as a second major directly with their home school advisor; a signature from a GWSB academic advisor is not required. 

Required
ACCY 2001Introduction to Financial Accounting
ACCY 3106Financial Statement Analysis
BADM 3501Financial Management and Markets
FINA 3001Intermediate Finance
FINA 3101Investment and Portfolio Management
FINA 4001Advanced Financial Management
or FINA 4001W Advanced Financial Management
Four courses selected from the following:
FINA 3201Exploring Finance with Simulation
or FINA 3201W Exploring Finance with Simulation
FINA 3301Money and Capital Markets
FINA 3401A Brief History of Finance
or FINA 3401W A Brief History of Finance
FINA 4101Applied Financial Securities Analysis
FINA 4102Investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts
FINA 4103Quantitative Investing
FINA 4104Foundations of Venture Capital
FINA 4201Real Estate Investment
FINA 4301Financial Derivatives
FINA 4900Special Topics
or FINA 4900W Special Topics