Finance

Academics

An analytical degree with many opportunities

Are you an analytical thinker? Students with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance are educated to help both business managers and private individuals to make decisions about capital and commodity markets. These financial decisions will determine how and to what extent price movements in these markets will affect the profitability of the businesses or private individuals to whom they serve.

SFA's finance graduates are a cut above the rest, who do interesting and important work that is essential to making the American and global economies work.

View program details.

Careers

A business degree will put you on track to earn the highest salaries available in your chosen field. SFA alumni who graduated with their bachelor's degree in finance between 2019 and 2023 earn an average salary of $66,794.

The following data shows the variety in industry, employer and job title of those alumni.

Top employment industries/sectors

The following is a list of the top industries/sectors our finance graduates gain employment.

  • Finance
  • Real Estate
  • Insurance
  • Natural Resources
  • Construction
  • Information Technology
  • Life Sciences
  • Retail
  • Services
  • Manufacturing
  • Consulting
  • Non-Profit
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing
  • Healthcare
  • Government
  • Education
  • Automotive
  • Religious Services
  • Aviation and Aerospace
  • Defense and Space
  • Transportation and Logistics
  • Hospitality

Employers of our finance graduates

Employers of our finance graduates include:

  • 10-NEEDHAM INC.
  • Aflac
  • Aliign Mineral Management
  • AllianceBernstein
  • Amazon
  • American National Bank of Texas
  • Angelina County & Cities Health District
  • Asset Living
  • Atlas Retail Services
  • Atria Senior Living
  • Bank of America Merrill Lynch
  • Beaufort County School District
  • Beazer Homes
  • Blue River Partners, part of IQ-EQ
  • BNY Mellon
  • Bolton Real Estate Consultants
  • Burns & Wilcox
  • Cadence Insurance
  • Caris Life Sciences
  • Celtic Bank
  • Century 21
  • Charles Schwab
  • Chick-fil-A Franchise
  • Church Street Financial Services
  • Cintas
  • Citizens 1st Bank
  • Citizens National Bank, NA
  • Collins Aerospace
  • Commercial Bank of Texas
  • Community National Bank & Trust of Texas
  • Comparion Insurance Agency
  • Competitive Edge Realty (Real Estate)
  • Computershare
  • Copeland Insurance Group
  • D.R. Horton
  • Delight Ministries
  • Dell Technologies
  • DFW Breakers LLC
  • Edward Jones
  • Etech Global Services
  • Evolution Spine
  • ExxonMobil
  • EY
  • Farmers State Bank
  • Fidelity Investments
  • First United Bank
  • Fisher & Paykel Appliances
  • Genuine RV
  • Goldman Sachs Ayco Personal Financial Management
  • Goosehead Insurance Agency
  • Greater Houston Healthconnect
  • Guaranty Bank & Trust
  • H-E-B
  • Huntington State Bank
  • Internal Revenue Service
  • J.P.Morgan Securities LLC
  • Jefferson Frank
  • KBKG - Tax Credits, Incentives & Cost Recovery
  • Lemon Seed Marketing
  • Lincoln Property Company
  • Louis A Williams & Associates
  • MAX.Live
  • Mayvin (Military)
  • Megatel Capital Investment
  • Merrill Lynch
  • Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC
  • MiRus
  • Mobile Mini Solutions
  • Moore Supply Co.
  • Motorhomes of Texas
  • New York Life Insurance Company
  • NRG Energy
  • Oak Wood Ventures
  • Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
  • OmniAmerican Bank is Now Southside Bank
  • Opportune
  • ORIX Corporation USA
  • Pennymac
  • PETA
  • Phoenix Capital Group
  • Pittsburg Title
  • PNC
  • Portacool, LLC
  • Royal Oaks Country Club | Houston, TX
  • SemCAMS
  • Service Corporation International
  • Sierra Nevada Corporation
  • South Texas College of Law Houston
  • State Farm
  • Stellar Bank
  • Suntex Marinas
  • TD Ameritrade
  • Texas Bank and Trust
  • Texas Capital Bank
  • Texas Department of Banking
  • Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
  • Texas Pipe & Supply
  • Texas Republic Bank
  • Toyota North America
  • United Rentals
  • U.S. Capital Advisors LLC
  • UT Southwestern Medical Center
  • Waste Connections
  • Way Engineering, Ltd.
  • WEDGE Properties Management, L.L.C.
  • Wells Fargo Advisors
  • Wesley-Rankin Community Center
  • West Fraser
  • Wholesale Payments
  • Wintrust Financial Corporation
  • Wrinkle, Gardner & Company

Job titles of our finance graduates

Job titles of our finance graduates include:

  • Collections Specialist
  • Business Consultant
  • Private Wealth Associate
  • Fulfillment Center Associate
  • Credit Analyst
  • SNS Coordinator
  • Community Assistant
  • Staff Accountant
  • Community Marketer
  • Merrill Financial Solutions Advisor
  • Special Education Assistant
  • New Home Counselor
  • Revenue Analyst
  • Syndicated Loans Analyst
  • Associate Risk Advisor - Property & Casualty
  • Lead-Billing Operations Specialist
  • Business Development Associate
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Senior Specialist, Private Wealth Services
  • Specialist, High Net Worth Rep
  • Assistant Director
  • Financial Services Representative
  • Investment Advisor
  • Investment Assistant
  • Portfolio Manager, Financial Institutions and Triple Net Lease Lending Division (FIN3)
  • Principal Analyst
  • Information Technology Process Analyst
  • Wealth Management and Trust Officer
  • Junior Credit Analyst
  • Loan Administrator
  • Securities Admin Services Analyst
  • Insurance Agent
  • Superintendent
  • East Coast Regional Director
  • Chief Operations Officer
  • Financial Advisor Career Development (FACD) Trainee
  • Senior Facilities Manager
  • Analytics / Inventory Intern
  • Controller
  • Analyst
  • Workplace Planning Consultant
  • Team Lead Reconciliation
  • High Net Worth Associate
  • Workplace Planning Associate
  • Factory Service Technician
  • General Manager Finance
  • Client Analyst
  • Accountant/Office Manager
  • Market Partner
  • Lobby Service Manager
  • Tax Examining Technician
  • Investment Professional
  • Account Executive
  • Research & Development Tax Specialist
  • Social Media Content Creator
  • Property Accountant
  • Commercial Lines Underwriter
  • Investment Analyst
  • Financial Analyst
  • Associate Vice President
  • Senior Financial Analyst
  • System Integration Specialist
  • Logistics Coordinator
  • Sales And Leadership Trainee
  • Accounting Assistant
  • Licensed Agent
  • Power Pricing Analyst
  • Property Management Associate
  • Assistant National Bank Examiner
  • Commercial Lender
  • Manager
  • Senior Associate
  • Loan Officer
  • Food Justice Demo
  • Capital Markets Associate
  • Title Examiner
  • Collateral Analyst
  • Manager, Sales- National Accounts
  • Assistant Golf Professional
  • Associate Compensation Analyst
  • Strategic Pricing Analyst
  • Program Financial Analyst
  • Senior Coordinator, Database
  • Account Manager
  • Customer Service Representative
  • Senior Specialist, Institutional Prime Brokerage
  • Risk Analyst
  • Assistant Bank Examiner
  • State Game Warden
  • Purchasing Administrator
  • Brand Engagement Advocate
  • SDP Sales Associate
  • Client Service Associate
  • Administration Coordinator
  • Treasury Analyst
  • Assistant Project Manager
  • Accountant
  • Wealth and Investment Management Analyst
  • High School Finance Instructor
  • Plant Accountant
  • Commissions Analyst
  • Senior Operations Analyst
  • Assistant Project Coordinator

Finance, BBA

Finance is continuously regarded as one of the most valuable majors, resulting in many of the best career prospects. Some of our SFA finance majors will choose to work for large businesses — brokerages, banks, hospitals, oil companies, insurance firms, real estate developers and so forth. Others will venture out on their own, serving as financial advisors to wealthy individuals or working on the buy side as a portfolio analyst.

All SFA undergraduate students must complete the university's core curriculum. Business students also must complete two business common courses, including the Career Success Passport, and BBA students are required to complete foundations of knowledge business courses.

Core finance courses

  • FINC 3333 - Introduction to Financial Management
  • FINC 3370 - Banking Fundamentals
  • FINC 3373 - Intermediate Financial Management
  • FINC 3357 - Introduction to Investments
  • FINC 4301 - Financial Statement Analysis

Additional courses

Adding the financial planning concentration or investment management concentration to your finance degree plan is optional. These concentrations help further prepare you for career opportunities in corporate finance, estate planning, investing, tax planning and more.

Finance, BBA without concentration

If you're pursing the finance, BBA without a concentration, you also must take the following in addition to the core finance courses:

Elective courses

Up to three credit hours from the following:

  • ACCT 3301 - Intermediate Accounting
  • ACCT 3302 - Intermediate Accounting
  • ACCT 3333 - Cost Accounting
  • ACCT 3343 - Federal Income Tax

12 to 15 credit hours from the following:

  • ECON 3331 - Money and Banking
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 3361 - Risk Management and Insurance
  • FINC 3365 - Principles of Real Estate Investment and Finance
  • FINC 3369 - Personal Finance
  • FINC 4310 - Speculative Markets
  • FINC 4315 - Personal Financial Planning
  • FINC 4320 - Selling Financial Services
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 4333 - International Finance
  • FINC 4348 - Estate Planning and Taxation
  • FINC 4358 - Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
  • FINC 4371 - Commercial Bank Management
  • FINC 4374 - Financial Analysis and Policy
  • FINC 4375 - Special Problems in Finance
  • FINC 4379 - Commercial Bank Lending
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 4385 - Internship in Finance
  • FINC 4390 - Student Investment Roundtable

Curriculum requirements

View curriculum requirements on the Loading... webpage within the online catalog.

Suggested course sequence

Our finance degree major academic planner serves as a guide to help you be "on track" for graduation by taking the right courses in the right order.

Finance, BBA with financial planning concentration

The financial planning concentration prepares you for a career helping individuals and families with a variety of personal financial issues, from investing and tax planning to insurance, estate planning and retirement preparation. A background in financial planning also qualifies you for a variety of other positions in related fields, including banking, accounting, nonprofit, and human resources.

Courses for this concentration are accredited by the Certified Financial Planning Board, becoming eligible to sit for the CFP exam upon graduation.

If you're pursuing the Banking, BBA with a concentration in financial planning, you also must take the following in addition to the core finance courses:

Required courses

  • ACCT 3343 - Federal Income Tax
  • FINC 3361 - Risk Management and Insurance
  • FINC 3369 - Personal Finance
  • FINC 4315 - Personal Financial Planning
  • FINC 4348 - Estate Planning and Taxation

Elective courses

Three credit hours from the following:

  • ACCT 3301 - Intermediate Accounting
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • ACCT 3302 - Intermediate Accounting
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • ACCT 3333 - Cost Accounting
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 3365 - Principles of Real Estate Investment and Finance
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 4310 - Speculative Markets
  • FINC 4333 - International Finance
  • FINC 4358 - Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 4371 - Commercial Bank Management
  • FINC 4374 - Financial Analysis and Policy
  • FINC 4375 - Special Problems in Finance
  • FINC 4379 - Commercial Bank Lending
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 4385 - Internship in Finance
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 4390 - Student Investment Roundtable

Curriculum requirements

View curriculum requirements on the Loading... webpage within the online catalog.

Suggested course sequence

Our finance with concentration degree major academic planner serves as a guide to help you be "on track" for graduation by taking the right courses in the right order.

Finance, BBA with investment management concentration

Kick-start a career in corporate finance, portfolio management or as an investment advisor! If you're pursuing the Banking, BBA with a concentration in investment management, you also must take the following in addition to the core finance courses:

Required courses

  • FINC 4310 - Speculative Markets
  • FINC 4358 - Security Analysis and Portfolio Management

Elective courses

Six credit hours from the following:

  • ACCT 3343 - Federal Income Tax
  • FINC 4320 - Selling Financial Services
  • FINC 4333 - International Finance
  • FINC 4390 - Student Investment Roundtable

Three credit hours from the following:

  • ECON 3331 - Money and Banking
  • FINC 3361 - Risk Management and Insurance
  • FINC 3365 - Principles of Real Estate Investment and Finance
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 3369 - Personal Finance
  • FINC 4315 - Personal Financial Planning
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 4348 - Estate Planning and Taxation
  • FINC 4371 - Commercial Bank Management
  • FINC 4374 - Financial Analysis and Policy
  • FINC 4375 - Special Problems in Finance
    • including:
    • ACCT 3301 - Intermediate Accounting
    • ACCT 3302 - Intermediate Accounting
    • ACCT 3333 - Cost Accounting
    • as well as any of those elective courses not taken above:
      • ACCT 3343 - Federal Income Tax
      • FINC 4320 - Selling Financial Services
      • FINC 4333 - International Finance
      • FINC 4390 - Student Investment Roundtable
  • FINC 4379 - Commercial Bank Lending
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major
  • FINC 4385 - Internship in Finance
    • The undergraduate catalog incorrectly omits this course elective for the finance major

Curriculum requirements

View curriculum requirements on the Loading... webpage within the online catalog.

Suggested course sequence

Our finance with concentration degree major academic planner serves as a guide to help you be "on track" for graduation by taking the right courses in the right order.

Finance minor

Finance-minded students pursuing any business or non-business degree can benefit from a minor in finance.

Curriculum details for BBA candidates

Required Courses

  • FINC 3333 - Introduction to Financial Management
  • FINC 3357 - Introduction to Investments
  • FINC 3370 - Banking Fundamentals
  • FINC 3373 - Intermediate Financial Management

Finance Electives

Six credit hours from the following:

  • ECON 3331 - Money and Banking
  • FINC 3361 - Risk Management and Insurance
  • FINC 3365 - Principles of Real Estate Investment and Finance
  • FINC 3366 - Real Estate Law
  • FINC 3367 - Real Estate Finance
  • FINC 3369 - Personal Finance
    • With no more than three hours from:
      • ACCT 3301 - Intermediate Accounting
      • ACCT 3302 - Intermediate Accounting
      • ACCT 3333 - Cost Accounting
      • ACCT 3343 - Federal Income Tax
  • FINC 4301 - Financial Statement Analysis
  • FINC 4310 - Speculative Markets
  • FINC 4315 - Personal Financial Planning
  • FINC 4333 - International Finance
  • FINC 4358 - Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
  • FINC 4371 - Commercial Bank Management
  • FINC 4374 - Financial Analysis and Policy
  • FINC 4375 - Special Problems in Finance
  • FINC 4390 - Student Investment Roundtable

Curriculum requirements

View curriculum requirements on the Loading... webpage within the online catalog.

Curriculum details for non-BBA candidates

Required Courses

  • ACCT 2301 - Principles of Financial Accounting
  • FINC 3333 - Introduction to Financial Management
  • FINC 3357 - Introduction to Investments
  • FINC 3370 - Banking Fundamentals

Electives

Six credit hours from the following:

  • ECON 3331 - Money and Banking
  • FINC 3361 - Risk Management and Insurance
  • FINC 3365 - Principles of Real Estate Investment and Finance
  • FINC 3366 - Real Estate Law
  • FINC 3367 - Real Estate Finance
  • FINC 3369 - Personal Finance
    • With no more than three hours from:
      • ACCT 3301 - Intermediate Accounting
      • ACCT 3302 - Intermediate Accounting
      • ACCT 3333 - Cost Accounting
      • ACCT 3343 - Federal Income Tax
  • FINC 3373 - Intermediate Financial Management
  • FINC 4301 - Financial Statement Analysis
  • FINC 4310 - Speculative Markets
  • FINC 4315 - Personal Financial Planning
  • FINC 4333 - International Finance
  • FINC 4358 - Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
  • FINC 4371 - Commercial Bank Management
  • FINC 4374 - Financial Analysis and Policy
  • FINC 4375 - Special Problems in Finance
  • FINC 4390 - Student Investment Roundtable

Curriculum requirements

View curriculum requirements on the Loading... webpage within the online catalog.