As an interdisciplinary major, the finance curriculum draws heavily from courses in business, general education, management, marketing, and accounting. It is designed to help students understand the dimensions of performance and risk relevant to financial services within a company; assess consumer financial needs, describe and apply financial concepts, theories, and tools; and prepare personal financial plans.
Students in the major will focus on the skills needed to qualify for entry-level employment positions such as financial analysts, personal financial advisors, actuaries, and other positions in securities, commodities, and financial services. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, it is expected that the finance and insurance industry will increase the number of jobs by 9% from 2010 to 2020.
Sue Brorson, head of the Business Department on the Crookston campus, is pleased with the addition. “Offering a degree in finance provides our students with another option for a career in a business field,” Brorson says. “It is a major that will fill a need within an organization that is both relevant and critical to success.
“Teaching contemporary financial measures of performance and risk as well as providing an understanding of how the financial services component industries interact with each other is an exciting opportunity for students and will prove a benefit to their future employers.”
A minor in humanities offered through the U of M Crookston Liberal Arts and Education Department was also approved at the May Board of Regents meetings, bringing the academic offerings to 28 majors, 20 minors, and 11 majors offered online.
