Program Overview
Major Area of Specialization in Finance (STEM)
The Finance major of the Bachelor in Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree prepares students for careers in Finance.
Differently from the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance (BSAF), the BSBA coursework is not specifically tailored for students arriving at the business school with a clear interest in careers in Finance. BSBA students sample different business disciplines before specializing in a major, and it is not uncommon to have BSBA students switch majors over time, or to graduate with double majors in Finance and another business discipline, or in Finance and a non-business discipline.
Differently from the Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) degree, the BSBA coursework places greater emphasis on quantitative skills, including, for example, a required computer programming class and higher-level statistics classes. Because of this, relative to the BBA degree, the BSBA may be a better fit for students who are quantitatively oriented.
Curriculum Requirements
In addition to satisfying the University General Education Requirements and Electives, students pursuing the BSBA in Finance must complete the BSBA Business Core and the specific coursework for the Finance major area of specialization as follows:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements 1 , 2 | ||
| Written Communication Skills: | ||
| WRS 105 | First-Year Writing I | 3 |
| WRS 106 | First-Year Writing II 3 | 3 |
| or ENG 106 | Writing About Literature and Culture | |
| Quantitative Skills: | ||
| Calculus I (fulfilled through the BSBA business core) | ||
| Areas of Knowledge: | ||
| Arts and Humanities Cognate | 9 | |
| People and Society Cognate | 9 | |
| STEM Cognate (9 credits) (fulfilled through the major) | ||
| Additional Requirements | ||
| UMX 100 | The University of Miami Experience | 0 |
| Electives | 15 | |
| BSBA Business Core Requirements 1 | ||
| ACC 211 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| or ACC 221 | Accelerated Principles of Financial Accounting | |
| ACC 212 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| or ACC 222 | Accelerated Managerial Accounting | |
| BSL 212 | Introduction to Business Law and Ethics | 3 |
| BTE 210 | Fundamentals of Business Technology and Innovation | 3 |
| BTE 320 | Python Programming: Fundamentals and Algorithms | 3 |
| BUS 150 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 211 | Professional Development for Finance and Accounting (or other approved Miami Herbert Business School career course) | 1 |
| or MGT 199 | Professional Development and Success in the Workplace | |
| BUS 300 | Critical Thinking and Persuasion for Business 3 | 3 |
| ECO 211 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECO 212 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FIN 302 | Fundamentals of Finance | 3 |
| MAS 311 | Applied Probability and Statistics (minimum grade of C- required) | 3 |
| MAS 312 | Statistical Methods and Quality Control | 3 |
| MTH 161 | Calculus I (minimum grade of C- required; fulfills Quantitative Skills Requirement) | 4 |
| MTH 162 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MGT 100 | Managing for Success in the Global Environment | 3 |
| MGT 303 | Operations Management | 3 |
| MGT 304 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| MGT 401 | Strategic Management (taken in the final semester) | 3 |
| MKT 201 | Foundations of Marketing | 3 |
| or MKT 301 | Marketing Foundations | |
| Quantitative Choice - Select one of these suggested courses approved by the Vice Dean for Undergraduate Business Education - check pre-requisites: | 3 | |
| Object-Oriented Programming | ||
| Database Management Systems | ||
| Applied Econometrics | ||
| Mathematical Economics and Applications | ||
| Introduction to Optimization and Decision Making | ||
| Stochastic Models in Operations Research | ||
| Computer Simulation Systems | ||
| Supply Chain Modeling and Analysis | ||
| Supply Chain Strategy | ||
| Major Area of Specialization in Finance 4 , 5 | ||
| Fundamentals of Finance (taken as part of the Business Core - minimum B grade required) | ||
| FIN 303 | Intermediate Financial Management 6 | 3 |
| FIN 320 | Investment and Security Markets 6 | 3 |
| Major Choice Courses | 12 | |
Select two courses (6 credit hours) at the 300-500 level from the Finance departmental offerings. 7 | ||
Select two courses (6 credit hours) at the 400 or 500 level from the Finance departmental offerings. | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
- 1
NOTE: WRS 105 and WRS 106 or ENG 106 or their equivalents, must be completed prior to attaining junior year classification, per the University General Education Requirements. Additionally, all 100 and 200-level Business Core courses must be completed by the end of the fifth semester of college work or during the semester in which the student is completing 75 credit hours.
- 2
At least one course with an international focus must be completed within the degree requirements. The appropriateness of the course is determined by the Vice Dean for Undergraduate Business Education.
- 3
Students who do not earn at least a C- in WRS 106 or ENG 106 must either repeat WRS 106 or ENG 106 and earn at least a C- or complete WRS 230 with at least a C- before enrolling in BUS 300.
- 4
In order to pursue a Finance area of specialization, a student must earn a grade of "B" (grade point of 3.0) or higher in FIN 302 (note that a grade of "B-" does not qualify), and must have a minimum cumulative University of Miami GPA of 2.5 before enrolling in FIN 303 or FIN 320.
- 5
All specific coursework for the major area of specialization in Finance must be completed with a grade of "C-" or higher (except for the minimum "B" grade required for FIN 302, as noted). A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required for all specific coursework taken in the major area of specialization.
All courses must be taken within the current pre-requisite structure.
- 6
Students are strongly encouraged to take FIN 303 and FIN 320 during the same semester.
- 7
Sample Plan of Study
This Sample Plan of Study represents one possible version of a new freshman business student’s 8-semester plan. The individual student's plan may vary depending upon the initial placement into English Composition and mathematics. Moreover, numerous plan variations are possible if a student enters the University with advanced college credits, wishes to participate in study abroad, chooses a special program option, or selects additional majors or minors.
Note that each major/minor at the University of Miami satisfies a particular "Area of Knowledge" within the general education requirements of the University. This means that it is possible to pursue two majors, or a major and a minor, within Miami Herbert Business School and fulfill both the STEM and People and Society Areas of Knowledge; a separate cognate in these areas would not be required. The only remaining general education Area of Knowledge is Arts and Humanities, which must be completed through a major, minor, or cognate outside of the Business School.
Students construct their individualized plans in collaboration with their assigned academic advisor.
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| ECO 211 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| MGT 100 | Managing for Success in the Global Environment | 3 |
| MKT 201 | Foundations of Marketing | 3 |
| MTH 161 | Calculus I | 4 |
| WRS 105 | First-Year Writing I | 3 |
| UMX 100 | The University of Miami Experience | 0 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BUS 150 | Business Analytics | 3 |
| ECO 212 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MTH 162 | Calculus II | 4 |
| WRS 106 or ENG 106 | First-Year Writing II or Writing About Literature and Culture | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACC 211 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| BSL 212 | Introduction to Business Law and Ethics | 3 |
| BTE 210 | Fundamentals of Business Technology and Innovation | 3 |
| BUS 211 | Professional Development for Finance and Accounting | 1 |
| MAS 311 | Applied Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACC 212 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 300 | Critical Thinking and Persuasion for Business | 3 |
| FIN 302 | Fundamentals of Finance | 3 |
| MAS 312 | Statistical Methods and Quality Control | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BTE 320 | Python Programming: Fundamentals and Algorithms | 3 |
| FIN 303 | Intermediate Financial Management | 3 |
| FIN 320 | Investment and Security Markets | 3 |
| MGT 304 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MGT 303 | Operations Management | 3 |
| Finance Major Choice | 3 | |
| Finance Major Choice | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Finance Major Choice | 3 | |
| Quantitative Choice Course | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MGT 401 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| Finance Major Choice | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Mission
- To develop innovative ideas and principled leaders that transform global business and society.
Goals
The Finance major area of specialization is designed to prepare business students for a wide variety of careers. Because finance is focused on valuation and decision making, it is applicable to virtually every possible type of organization.
Student Learning Outcomes
- BBA/BSBA graduates will be critical thinkers, able to select and apply appropriate models, tools, and techniques, and frameworks to enable them to render analytically sound business decisions.
- BBA/BSBA graduates will be able to identify, analyze and resolve ethical issues in business scenarios.
- BBA/BSBA graduates will demonstrate professional written communication skills.
- BSBA graduates will have strong technical skills.
