students walking by business college

Finance Degree

Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)

Learn professional money management with real money. Make decisions that count at UND.

UND's finance degree provides you with the theoretical knowledge you'll need to become a professional money manager. Gain real-world experience by working on a team that manages our $1 million Student Management Investment Fund and compete in national competitions. Scholarships are available for travel, participation and CFA exam costs.

Program type:
Major
Format:
On Campus or Online
Est. time to complete:
4 years
Credit hours:
120

Why earn a finance degree?

Application Deadlines
Fall:
Aug. 15
Spring:
Dec. 15
Summer:
May 1

 

If you're an international student, refer to the international application process for deadlines.

Finance professionals combine strong decision-making skills with in-depth financial knowledge. Both traits that UND's Finance degree will foster in you. Your technical finance classes will teach you how to weigh risk, analyze opportunities and apply those skills in real-world environments. You'll also build written and oral communication skills that will help you relate to clients and deliver on their needs.

You will build relationships while enhancing your professional capabilities, gaining confidence and resolving problems both independently and in teams. With an innovative and strategic mindset, you'll be able to use your intellectual curiosity along with analytical and problem solving skills with confidence. You'll learn to use technology and programs such as Excel, SAS, analytical database and financial analysis software with ease.

Accredited Finance Degree

AACSB Logo

The B.B.A. with major in Finance is accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Accreditation by AACSB International puts the Nistler CoBPA in the top 5% of business schools in the world.

UND's Finance Degree

  • Gain invaluable real-world experience managing UND's $2 million Student Management Investment Fund.

  • Network and meet other influencers when you participate in any of our 25 student-run professional clubs and organizations.

  • Sharpen your trading skills at the campus' Lanterman Investment Center. You'll learn to balance risk and reward with access to nearly 140 different worldwide exchanges.

  • Learn in the new Nistler CoBPA. It’s a modern and inviting building for UND's business and public administration students.

  • Receive personalized career support through the Pancratz Career Development Center. The center is dedicated exclusively to career development for online and on-campus Nistler College of Business & Public Administration students.

  • Gain international business experience in our student exchange programs. We have Study Abroad opportunities in China, Europe and Australia.

What can you do with a finance degree?

79k

Median annual salary for business and financial occupations, 2023

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

100 k

Median annual salary for financial analysts, 2023

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

UND's Finance degree puts you in position to take a job as a professional in a wide range of business and financial occupations. Some of the careers you can choose from include:

  • Business Analyst
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Director of Finance
  • Financial Analyst
  • Finance Manager
  • Investment Analyst
  • Trust Fund Manager

Finance Degree Skills

A Finance degree gives you the strategic skills you need, including:

  • Accounting and Budgeting
  • Credit Analyst
  • Financial Planner
  • Investment Banking
  • Financial Statement Preparation
  • Portfolio Management
  • Risk Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Trader

Jobs with Finance Degree

UND finance graduates have gone on to a variety of successful careers with corporation such as:

  • Alerus Financial
  • Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
  • Deloitte
  • FDIC
  • Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.
  • HSBC
  • Norges Bank
  • State Bank of North Dakota
  • Wells Fargo & Company

Finance Degree Courses

FIN 370. Student Investment Fund I. 3 Credits.

This is an introductory course to the Student Managed Investment Fund. It examines the issues involved in the management and investment strategies of a portfolio of financial assets. Students are required to attend Student Investment Fund meetings. Student members research prospective stocks, generate reports, make decisions to invest or liquidate, and execute the trades. Any recommendation to buy, sell, or retain a position in a security is presented to all student team members and to the Faculty Advisor. Prerequisite: FIN 310 and Finance or Banking and Financial Economics majors or approval of instructor. Repeatable to 3.00 credits. F.

FIN 360. Capital Market Financing and Investment Strategies. 3 Credits.

Covers analysis and procedures for implementing particular financing and investment plans in financial markets. Includes financing and investment through commercial banks, investment banks, pension funds, venture capital sources, insurance companies and limited partnerships. Prerequisite: FIN 310; Sophomore, Junior or Senior Standing; declared CoBPA majors only. F,S.

MGMT 300. Principles of Management. 3 Credits.

This course provides a survey of the traditional functions of management with primary emphasis on planning, organizing, controlling, and leading. This emphasis involves coverage of managerial decision making, leadership, motivation, interpersonal communication, staffing human resources, and organizational structure, design, and change and development. Additional topics include the history of managerial thought, management information systems, international management, and business ethics and social responsibility. Corequisite: A total of 30 or more credit hours, including courses in progress. F,S.

FIN 350. Financial Statement Analysis. 3 Credits.

Students interpret and evaluate financial statements used to report financial performance. Analysis incorporates accounting, financial, and economic models and data; and describes various reporting regulations, principles, rules, standards, and interpretations. The course includes an investigation of current issues and debates in financial statement reporting. Prerequisite: FIN 310; Sophomore, Junior or Senior Standing; declared NCoBPA majors only. S.

FIN 420. Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management. 3 Credits.

Comprehensive study of methods used to evaluate securities. Includes formulation of investment strategy and analysis, design of portfolios for classes of individual investors and institutions, fundamental analysis and portfolio performance evaluation. Extensive use of financial databases and software. Prerequisite: FIN 360; Junior or Senior Standing; declared NCoBPA majors only. F,S.

FIN 321. Real Estate Finance and Investment. 3 Credits.

Nature of real estate finance, financial sources, role of government, real estate financial instruments, loan processing, defaults and foreclosures in real estate finance, fundamentals of real estate investment analysis. Prerequisite: FIN 310 and Sophomore, Junior or Senior standing. F.

Best Online Finance Degree

1#

best online college in North Dakota

Forbes

160+

online programs

Earn your online Finance degree while you continue to live and work in your own community.

You’ll receive the convenience of online learning with the personal contact and connection of being with classmates. Our online tools offer ways of communicating across distances, connecting to others and their ideas, and presenting information.

Compare the cost of UND’s online Finance degree. You’ll find it’s one of the most affordable accredited degree programs in the nation for finance.

Our accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), is the gold standard of business school accreditation. Our students appreciate our affordable tuition rates. Online Finance students pay the same tuition rate regardless of where you live. UND offers 13% lower tuition and fees than comparable institutions in the region.

We are highly regarded for educational quality, affordability and career outcomes.

Flexible Online Finance Classes

UND's Finance courses are delivered 100% online. You never have to come to campus.

The online Finance courses are offered either in synchronous or asynchronous giving you maximum flexibility to complete the degree in the style you prefer. In many courses, you'll be expected to participate in "live" discussions held outside of classroom lecture times.

With asynchronous classes, you do not attend class at a set time. If you need to balance work, family, and other commitments, this flexible format allows you to learn anywhere at any time.

Depending on your instructor, you’ll learn online through:

  • Lesson modules
  • Streaming video content
  • Virtual libraries
  • Posted lectures
  • Online simulations

There will be times when you interact with your instructor and classmates through online discussion boards, polls, and chat rooms.

Your learning revolves around materials that can be accessed on your own time within a set time frame. However, this is not a self-paced course. You’ll have structure and deadlines.

Synchronous classes are held in real-time. If you’re the kind of learner who likes active discussion and immediate feedback through live interaction, you’ll enjoy this online course format.

Every class is different, but generally, you’ll log into a virtual classroom at scheduled times to:

  • Listen to a lecture.
  • Ask questions.
  • Participate in class discussions.
  • Conduct group activities.
  • Participate in video-sharing.
  • Have chat conversations.
  • Use interactive whiteboards.
  • Take live polls.

You should prepare for your classes by finishing any assigned readings, compiling questions for your instructor, and thinking about how to contribute to the next live class.

Resources for Finance Students

Over a third of UND's student population is exclusively online; plus, more take a combination of online and on campus classes. You can feel reassured knowing you won't be alone in your online learning journey and you'll have resources and services tailored to your needs.

No matter how you customize your online experience, you’ll get the same top-quality education as any other on campus student.

  • Same degree: All online programs are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Your transcript and diploma are exactly the same as our on-campus students.
  • Same classes: You’ll take courses from UND professors, start and end the semesters at the same time and take the same classes as a student on campus.
  • Real interaction: You can ask questions, get feedback and regularly connect with your professors, peers and professionals in the field.
  • Your own academic advisor: As an invaluable go-to, they’re focused on you, your personal success and your future career.
  • Free online tutoring: We're here to help you one-on-one at no cost. Plus, get access to a variety of self-help online study resources.
  • Unlimited academic coaching: Need support to achieve your academic goals or feeling stumped by a tough course? We'll help with everything from stress and time management to improving your memory to achieve higher test scores.
  • Full online access: Dig into virtual research at UND's libraries. Improve your writing skills with online help from the UND Writing Center. Get online access to career services, veteran and military services, financial services and more.
  • 24/7 technical support: UND provides free computer, email and other technical support for all online students.
  • Networking opportunities: Our significant online student population means you’ll have a large pool of peers to connect with. UND has numerous online events and activities to keep you connected.

Best Online College

Our high alumni salaries and job placement rates, with affordable online tuition rates make UND a best-value university for online education. UND's breadth of online programs rivals all other nonprofit universities in the Upper Midwest making UND one of the best online schools in the region.

UND ranks among the best online colleges in the nation for:

  • Affordability
  • Student satisfaction (retention rate)
  • Academic quality (4-year graduate rate)
  • Student outcomes (20-year return on investment per Payscale.com)

Leader in Finance

Searching for the right place to spend his college years, Kaden Kueneman selected UND for the same reasons as many of his peers.

Read Kaden's Story

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