Finance Major

Are you inquisitive, persistent, and a natural problem solver? Want to help businesses and individuals be financially strong, ethical, and prepared for a bright future? If this describes you, a career in finance is an excellent academic choice.

Our finance program introduces you to real-world trends in corporate finance, ethical financial management, financial analysis and planning, insurance underwriting, investment banking, venture capitalism, and portfolio management.

Why choose a B.S. in Finance at Marian?

As a finance student, you will receive a thorough understanding of financial knowledge that offers you plenty of upward mobility and strong career outcomes. Additionally, you will learn fund allocation strategies for stocks, bonds, futures, mutual funds, and securities.

What makes us distinctive?

Enjoy a portfolio of experiential activities which include:

Investments: Manage an investment portfolio, present to stakeholders and learn investment skills from Austin Crites, Past President and Chair of the Indianapolis CFA Society.
Internships: 100% of our students complete one finance internship.
Mergers and Acquisitions: Conduct real-world consulting exercises such as identifying and analyzing acquisition targets for clients such as Eli Lilly, Danaher, Cummins, and Elanco.
Competitions: Compete in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) research challenge.

2022 Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute State Champions

Olivia Armstrong, Lisa Cantú, Fergus Washington-Smith, and Carter Kasianowicz emerged victorious in the 2022 CFA Institute Research Challenge. The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. Each student is tested on their analytic, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills.

Exceptional Career Outcomes

Our finance graduates work for firms such as Amazon, Cummins, Ernst & Young, Eli Lilly, First-Merchant Capital, IU Health, Mutual of Omaha, OneIndiana Financial Group, Pedcor Investments, PwC, Rolls-Royce, Silicon Valley Bank, and Valhalla.

100%

Job Placement

$59,155

Average Starting Salary

100%

Internship Placement

What will you study?

Our 128-credit finance degree includes general education, our business core, and required and elective courses in the finance major.

Courses for the finance major include:

FIN 111: Personal Finance
FIN 311: Advanced Corporate Finance
FIN 350: Money and Banking
FIN 352: Public Finance
FIN 356: Real Estate
FIN 357: Risk and Insurance
FIN 360: Investments
FIN 411: International Finance
FIN 430: Advanced Security Analysis
FIN 455: Cases in Accounting and Finance
AIM 320: Business Decision-Making

For complete details, review our Undergraduate Course Catalog or download our four-year plan of study and checklist.

Sample Four-Year Plan and Checklist

Add a double-major, minor, or concentration to your plan of study

In collaboration with your academic advisor, consider additional academic options that can make you even more marketable upon graduation.

Many of Marian’s finance majors choose a double-major in accounting, although some choose business analytics, marketing, or management.
Specializations like insurance, entrepreneurship or professional selling are other good choices for finance majors.

What are your career paths?

Finance majors choose from rewarding careers as investment bankers, financial managers, insurance agents, personal financial planners, security analysts, and stock brokers, among others. They work at banks, government agencies, consulting firms, insurance companies, small businesses, global Fortune 500 corporations, and nonprofit organizations.

According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, here is the national employment outlook and average salary information for typical finance jobs:

Occupation	Growth through 2026	Median Salary (2026)
Securities, commodities, or financial services agent	6 percent	$67,310
Budget analyst	7 percent	$73,840
Financial analyst	11 percent	$81,760
Financial advisor	15 percent	$90,530
Financial manager	19 percent	$121,750
Actuary	22 percent	$100,610

Graduate Programs

If your ultimate career goal requires graduate study in a master’s degree or doctoral program, earning your undergraduate degree in finance at Marian will prepare you to be a competitive candidate for admission to top graduate business schools.

Many finance graduates pursue certifications and licensure, such as:

Certified financial planner (CFP)
Chartered financial analyst (CFA)

If you want to work as a registered or licensed securities professional, for example, you can complete requirements through groups like the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which offers about two dozen national qualifying exams like:

Options principal (OP)
General securities principal (GP)
Compliance official (CO)
Investment company and variable contracts products principal (IP)