Finance Minor

Minor in Finance

Finance is a field of inquiry that examines how individuals and institutions manage risk in financial decision-making. Making decisions under uncertainty and navigating financial markets are critical skills for for-profit companies, non-for-profit entities, governments, and individuals alike. Sound financial planning and infrastructure allow organizations to reach their goals and stay resilient in the face of inevitable risks. The Minor in Finance provides students with an integrated, interdisciplinary education in the tools of financial decision-making and the dynamics of financial markets.

The goals for our students are two-fold. First, students will develop the skills needed to be effective financial problem solvers drawing upon multiple disciplines, including mathematics, engineering, computer science, and economics. Second, students will build upon their liberal arts education to apply these financial tools in different contexts to understand the broader impacts of finance and risk on different people, organizations, and societies. Through this program, students will develop not only technical skills but also important global perspectives to contribute as responsible citizens of the world.

The finance minor will be effective with the Class of 2029. Members of earlier classes may complete the Certificate in Financial Policy and Analysis. The minor consists of a minimum of six courses.

Core Courses (2):

  • ECON 140 – Financial Accounting & Analysis
  • ECON 240 – Corporate Finance

Ethics Course (1): One from the following

  • CE 203 – Envisioning a Sustainable World
  • CE 474 – Professional Issues for Civil Engineers
  • CS 200 – Computers and Society
  • GOVT 213 – Law & Society
  • GOVT 248 – Capitalism & Its Critics
  • GOVT 315 – Equality in the United States
  • HIST 105 – History of the Modern World
  • PHIL 102 – Basic Social Questions
  • PHIL 155 – Environmental Ethics
  • PHIL 260 – Political Philosophy

Skills Course (1): One from the following

  • CS 110* – Introduction to Computer Programming
  • MATH 272 – Linear Algebra with Applications

Applications Course (1): One from the following

  • ECON 223 – Money & Banking
  • ECON 322 – Financial Markets
  • ECON 323 – Money, Financial Intermediation, and the Economy
  • ECON 324 – Options & Futures
  • ECON 329 – Financial Modeling
  • ECON 351 – International Monetary Systems
  • MATH 347 – Financial Mathematics

Capstone Course (1): 

  • FINA 340 – Finance Capstone

* Students who took CM 151, CS 104, or CS 105 may petition for this course to substitute for CS 110.

Certificate in Financial Policy and Analysis

Members of the Classes of 2026, 2027, and 2028 may complete the Certificate in Financial Policy and Analysis. Members of Class of 2029 may complete the Minor in Finance. Students do not need to major in Economics in order to earn a Certificate in Financial Policy and Analysis. The Certificate has the following requirements.

Introductory Course (1)

  • ECON 101 – Principles of Economics

Mathematics Prerequisite Courses (2)

  • MATH 141 – Differential Calculus & Economic Modeling or MATH 161 – Calculus I
  • MATH 186 – Applied Statistics or MATH 335/336 – Probability and Mathematical Statistics or PSYC 120 – Quantitative Methods in Psychology

Theory Core Course (1)

  • ECON 251 – Intermediate Microeconomics

Required Core Courses (2)

  • ECON 140 – Financial Accounting and Reporting
    (This course was previously Econ 259. It does not count for the Economics major or minor.)
  • ECON 240 / ECON 320 – Corporate Finance

Elective Courses (3)

Category A (one required)

  • CS 104 – Introduction to Game Programming
  • CS 105 – Digital Media Computing
  • CM 151 – Introduction to Computational Science
  • MATH 272 – Linear Algebra with Applications

Category B (two required)

  • ECON 321 – Investments
  • ECON 322 – Financial Markets
  • ECON 323 – Money, Financial Intermediation, and the Economy
  • ECON 324 – Options and Futures
  • ECON 329 – Financial Modeling
  • MATH 347 – Financial Mathematics