Bachelor of Science in Finance

A career that pays dividends.

As a finance major, you will learn how individuals, businesses, and organizations acquire and use capital efficiently to create value. Two basic elements of finance include the tradeoff between expected returns and risk and the importance of the timing of future cash flows. This degree program offers four distinct career tracks for students to focus their studies – asset management, commercial banking, commercial real estate, and investment banking/corporate finance – which lets students align their knowledge and skills with their interests and goals.

What You'll Learn

The Bachelor of Science in Finance is a 120-hour program that provides students with an overview of the basic theory and practice of finance. As a finance student, you will analyze financial statements, develop and apply financial modeling skills, and apply principles of asset allocation and diversification to evaluate portfolio performance. 

Customized Coursework That Fits Your Career Goals

The Department of Finance offers students the ability to focus their coursework on one of the following career tracks to align with their interests and goals.

The Asset Management Career Track prepares students majoring in finance for lucrative and rewarding career paths in portfolio management, equity analysis, derivatives trading, fixed income markets, and alternative investments.

Students are encouraged to complete Bloomberg Market Concepts ideally during their sophomore year, and take the SIE (Securities Industry Essentials) exam by the end of their junior year. Both will prepare students for a rigorous study of finance and asset management throughout college.

High achieving and aspiring students are advised to take Level 1 of the CFA designation, the most prestigious in all of finance. Additionally, students are advised to take Level 1 of the CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) designation, if they are interested in alternative investments such as hedge fund strategies.

Engaged and high GPA students will have a chance to go on field trips to New York and Houston, and meet with LSU alumni and other professionals at various fund managers, financial institutions and consulting firms such as BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Varadero Capital, Bloomberg, Franklin Templeton, EnCap Investments, Denham Capital, Macquarie Bank, Amegy Bank, and Capital One.

Student competitions, such as Bloomberg Trading Challenge, ETF Global Portfolio Challenge, CFA Research Challenge, Southeastern Hedge Fund Competition, and University of Georgia Stock Pitch Competition, are highly recommended. 

Core Courses:

  • FIN 3716 Principles of Finance
  • FIN 3717 Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
  • FIN 3826 Fundamentals of Asset Management
  • FIN 4820 Financial Modeling and Analytics
  • FIN 4830 Financial Statement Analysis

Asset Management Track Electives:

  • FIN 3636 Financial Markets and Institutions
  • FIN 3460 Risk Management
  • FIN 3840 Fixed Income Securities
  • FIN 3845 Student Managed Investment Fund
  • FIN 3910 Topics in Finance
  • FIN 4828 Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
  • FIN 4840 Asset Allocation
  • FIN 4850 Financial Derivatives
  • FIN 4910 Advanced Topics in Finance

 

Alumni Impact Statement

As the President of the Asset Management Academy, which Dr. Kurtay founded in 2019 to foster research in investment management among undergraduate students, I can attest that many students benefited a great deal from a rigorous program and landed jobs/internships at the largest fund managers in the world such as Fidelity, PIMCO, Deutsche Asset Management, and PGIM, to name a few. 

Caroline Crawford, '22, Account Analyst, PIMCO
 
 
 

The Commercial Banking Career Track is a set of specially designed electives and activities that will expose students to careers in commercial banking and prepare them for rewarding careers based on their interests. The commercial banking industry will be heavily involved with the program to ensure that materials and experiences are current and relevant to the field. Events, competitions, and other activities will allow students to engage with banking professionals; industry involvement is critical for the success of the program and development of our students. 

Freshman Year (or year of entry) and all years thereafter

  • Become a student member of the Risk Management Association or other industry group (an “industry student membership”)
  • Participate in CBCT activities
  • Volunteer at one CBCT conference or industry event
  • Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA

Sophomore Year

  • Enter CBCT Mentorship Portal – Students will be matched with industry professionals and upper class students as mentors to help students understand the business of commercial banking and its potential as a career path.

Junior Year

  • Take finance electives specially designed for the CBCT
  • Enter CBCT Internship Portal – Students will be prepared for summer internships through coursework and seminars, culminating in a selection process that matches students with internship employers.
  • Begin commercial banking research for the Department of Finance

Senior Year

  • Continue finance electives specially designed for the CBCT
  • Enter CBCT Career Portal - Students will be prepared for career choices through coursework and seminars and assisted with career decision making.
  • Continue commercial banking research

Other opportunities available through the program:

  • Industry functions
  • Service projects
  • Competitions including Community Bank Case Study Competition and FDIC Academic Challenge

Core Courses:

  • FIN 3716 Principles of Finance
  • FIN 3717 Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
  • FIN 3826 Fundamentals of Asset Management
  • FIN 4820 Financial Modeling and Analytics
  • FIN 4830 Financial Statement Analysis

Commercial Banking Track Electives:

  • FIN 3636 Financial Markets and Institutions
  • FIN 3632 Bank Administration
  • FIN 3610 Credit Essentials
  • FIN 3460 Risk Management

More About the Commercial Banking Initiative

The Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Career Track prepares students for lucrative and rewarding career paths in brokerage/sales, development, property management, asset management, private investment, and many other paths within this exciting field.

Students are encouraged to participate in the CRE Cohort from their freshman year and will receive a student membership in the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), allowing them access to programs, mentorships, scholarships, internships, certificate programs, and more.

Engaged students will have the chance to attend industry conferences across the country and participate in CRE events within the region.

Finally, this program promotes interaction between students and professionals so that students can learn about potential career paths from those already in the industry.

Core Courses:

  • FIN 3716 Principles of Finance
  • FIN 3717 Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
  • FIN 3826 Fundamentals of Asset Management
  • FIN 4820 Financial Modeling and Analytics
  • FIN 4830 Financial Statement Analysis

Commercial Real Estate Track Electives:

  • FIN 3351 Principles of Real Estate
  • FIN 3352 Real Estate Investment and Valuation
  • FIN 3353 Real Estate Finance
  • FIN 4354 Real Estate Development

The Corporate Finance/Investment Banking Career Track prepares students for various roles in corporations and investment banks, typically starting at the analyst level. This area of finance deals with analyzing investment projects for corporations, making long-term investment decisions, taking private companies public (IPO process), mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, restructurings, and takeovers as well as managing private equity funds.

Core Courses:

  • FIN 3716 Principles of Finance
  • FIN 3717 Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
  • FIN 3826 Fundamentals of Asset Management
  • FIN 4820 Financial Modeling and Analytics
  • FIN 4830 Financial Statement Analysis 

Investment Banking/Corporate Finance Track Electives:

  • FIN 3636 Financial Markets and Institutions
  • FIN 3718 Multinational Managerial Finance
  • FIN 3720 Valuation, M&A and Buyouts
  • FIN 4740 Venture Capital and Private Equity
  • FIN 4910 Investing in Financial Distress, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy Opportunities

MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM

CFA Institute logo with blue and gree burst symbol

CFA® University Affiliation

The E. J. Ourso College of Business has a CFA® University Affiliation from the CFA Institute, a global association for investment professionals that awards the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. The CFA affiliates with globally diverse, high-profile institutions that cover a significant portion of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge and embrace the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct in their degree programs.

CFA University Affiliation recognition provides a signal to potential students, current students, and the marketplace that the E. J. Ourso College's curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA exams.

The CFA Institute administers the CFA and CIPM curricula and exam programs worldwide, publishes research, conducts professional development programs, and sets voluntary ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. The CFA Institute has more than 135,000 CFA charterholders in 133 countries and territories. More information may be found at www.cfainstitute.org.

Students interested in learning about a path to taking the CFA Exam can speak with an academic advisor at msfinance@lsu.edu

Finance Internship Overview

LSU finance majors who plan to have a paid internship during the academic year may be able to receive three hours credit in FIN 3930 (undergrad) or FIN 7930 (graduate). If you qualify (see requirements below) send the required forms to financeadvisor@lsu.edu.

Requirements to receive credit include:

  • Finance, real estate, insurance or business law related internship
  • 300+ hours of work (10 weeks @ 30 hrs/wk or 15 weeks of 20 hrs/wk, for example)
  • Pre-intern paperwork: Request Form & Supervisor Form
  • Weekly progress emails
  • Post-intern employer evaluation
  • Cohesive 30-page report (including weekly emails, sample of work and other questions)

Alumni and industry professionals with potential finance internship opportunities, please contact us at financeadvisor@lsu.edu.

Degree Plans & Working with OBSS

For degree plans and graduation-related questions, please see your academic counselor in the Office of Business Student and Success (OBSS) at 2000 BEC. OBSS will also answer questions about transferring courses from other institutions, including AP courses. Learn more about OBSS and find your academic counselor. 

Students must have their degree plan finalized with an academic counselor in OBSS as soon as possible. Students officially become finance majors after 60 credit hours and with at least a 3.0 overall GPA.

Questions About Scheduling Finance Courses

Questions about finance course scheduling should be directed to the BS Finance undergraduate advisor, Kurtay Ogunc - kurtay@lsu.edu.

When emailing about scheduling a FIN/BLAW course, include the section number and your 89 number. If you have a question or issue related to a prerequisite, explain your situation clearly, making sure the section you are requesting does not have a time conflict with another course in your schedule.

The finance advisor can only help students with FIN/BLAW courses. For other courses, contact the respective department. 

Waitlisted Classes

If you are waitlisted for a class, please do not email the advisor about being added to the course. The Department of Finance's policy is for you to show up on the first day of class and get permission to be added from the instructor. The finance advisor will add you once the instructor emails me their approval.

Career Tracks

The career tracks outlined on the website are suggested paths and courses for each. Students can take courses from other tracks to complete your 15-hour finance elective requirement (at least six hours 4000-level). For questions about the individual tracks, contact the following: 

Asset Management: Kurtay Ogunc - kurtay@lsu.edu   

Investment Banking/Corporate Finance: Mike Kirby - mkirby2@lsu.edu  

Commercial Banking: Brian Andrews - andrews@lsu.edu  

Commercial Real Estate: Brian Andrews - andrews@lsu.edu  

Internship Course

FIN 3930 is the course for finance majors with a paid, finance-related internship. Students may take it once. It counts toward one of the 3000-level electives. Students with an internship secured and wanting to enroll in the course should email Kurtay Ogunc. Additional information about internships can be found in the tab above. 

Tips for Securing Internships and Job Opportunities

Create a LinkedIn profile and follow the LSU Department of Finance LinkedIn page.

Upload your resume in Handshake and regularly browse through the available opportunities.

Visit the Olinde Career Center for great information on resume building, cover letter writing, and job search strategies. 

Schedule an appointment with Stephanie Gandy, the college's internship and professional development advisor.

Accelerate MS Finance Program

Students interested in the Accelerated MS Finance program should contact Dr. Cliff Stephens, the director of our master's programs.

 

 

“After joining the Asset Management Academy, I began a research project on hedge fund strategies and received a grant from LSU Discover to conduct my research. These efforts led me win 1st place at the LSU Discover research competition. More importantly, I was hired as an equity analyst at a top ten global asset management firm in New York City following a summer internship.” 

Jared Cyprian, DWS Group, Class of 2022
 

 

 

 

Alumni Impact Statements 

“My finance degree provided an invaluable opportunity for travel to NYC, San Antonio, and Houston to network with accomplished business leaders, including many LSU alumni. Some remain available as mentors several years after graduation. Faculty and other departmental resources provided opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations and develop the skills for success in my role as an M&A Analyst for a public company in healthcare services.”

Matthew Crapanzano (BS Finance ‘19)

“There is no doubt FIN 4830’s financial modeling and forecasting case studies were extremely helpful to my Excel skill development and critical to understanding how to construct a functional, three statement financial model from scratch. This practical training allowed me to clearly differentiate myself during a competitive recruiting process for a valuation & transaction advisory position after graduation.”

Camille Dunlap (BS Finance ‘21)

"LSU Finance provided me with a solid, fundamental understanding of Financial Statement Analysis and financial modeling that I utilize in my job every day. More importantly, it taught me what a commercial lender looks for when evaluating a company or loan opportunity. The course work and case study assignments were challenging and interesting and ultimately led me to choose a career in commercial banking in Houston, Texas.”

Tori Nunnally (BS Finance ‘21)

 

"My experience at the LSU Department of Finance has shaped me into the professional I am today and provided me with the tools to succeed at my job servicing institutional investors. The department balances the quantitative lessons learned in the classroom with real-world professional development outside the classroom, like through the department trip to New York."

Sam Chastain, BS Finance ‘19, MBA ‘20

 

Professor raises hand while speaking to class

 

Career Path

A finance degree applies to almost any industry. Our program will provide you with a unique set of knowledge, skills, and experience for each of the various roles in the finance industry.

Career Paths to Pursue

  • Financial analyst
  • Investment banker
  • Equity analyst
  • Portfolio manager
  • Investment consultant
  • Financial advisor
  • Commercial banker
  • Commercial real estate professional

Where Our Graduates Work

Our graduates are hired by a variety of employers, such as energy companies, consulting groups, banks and financial institutions, private equity firms, wealth management companies, real estate investment trusts, and developers.

Investment Banking 

CITI

Credit Suisse/UBS

Deutsche Bank

Evercore

Harris Williams

JPMorgan Chase

Piper Sandler

Stephens, Inc. 

Tudor Pickering & Holt

Asset Management

BlackRock

Dimensional Fund Advisors

Fidelity

Investec

Millennium

PIMCO

Raymond James

TIAA

Varadero Capital

Commercial Banking

Amegy

Cadence

Capital One

First Horizon

Frost Bank

Hancock Whitney

JPMorgan Chase

Texas Capital Bank

Wells Fargo

 

Valuation & Advisory

BDO USA, LLP

Deloitte

EY

Grant Thornton

Houlihan Lokey 

KPMG

Postlethwaite & Netterville

PwC

Weaver

General Corporate Finance 

Albemarle

Blue Cross Blue Shield

BXS Insurance

Chevron

Exxon

LWCC

Ochsner

Shell

Turner Industries

 

 

 

Your Next Step

The Accelerated Master of Science in Finance

Many undergraduate finance students choose to continue their studies by earning an accelerated MS Finance. This program gives students the opportunity to complete both a bachelor's and master's in finance in 4-4.5 years. Learn about the program and its benefits. 

Master Your Craft

Audience at graduation ceremony

 

 

Contact Us

Department of Finance

2900 Business Education Complex
501 South Quad Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
225-578-6291
finance@lsu.edu 

Kurtay Ogunc

Finance Undergraduate Advisor
2904 Business Education Complex 
225-578-6291
kurtay@lsu.edu 

Office of Business Student Success

2000 Business Education Complex
225-578-3211
advisor@lsu.edu