The financial economics major at Centre integrates the theory of finance with a broad background in economics. It includes more economics courses and more mathematics than the typical finance curriculum in a business department and for that reason provides better preparation for graduate work in finance and better preparation for the top-10 M.B.A. programs.

Finance is an applied field—probably the most successful applied field—within economics and contains applications of both microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory.

Although it is common to find separate business and finance departments, particularly at business schools, the two types of undergraduate finance programs have very different orientations. Finance majors in undergraduate business programs take a substantial number of electives in business fields such as marketing and management, but very little mathematics (which will hurt them should they wish to go to graduate school), and their program is very close to vocational training.

Centre’s financial economics program offers a broad background in the liberal arts tradition. It provides the overall fundamentals of economic theory combined with specialized knowledge in finance.

Like the economics major, the foundation for course work in the finance program is the principles of economics course, ECO 110. The course introduces topics in both macro and micro theory, as well as topics in institutions and policy analysis. A second tier of required major courses covers intermediate macro and micro economic theory (ECO 210, ECO 220), basic statistics and differential calculus with review (MAT 130, MAT 160), econometrics (ECO 390), and empirical methods in economics and finance (ECO 395).

Junior/senior work in financial economics emphasizes choice in the selection of courses. However, it is recommended that those courses include money and banking, managerial finance, investments, and corporate finance. Various packages of courses, internships, foreign study, and independent studies can be assembled to highlight particular student interests. Upper-level requirements involve a minimum of seven junior/senior courses, including a senior seminar (ECO 500).

Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics:*

GOV 110;
MAT 130, MAT 140 or equivalent, MAT 350;
ECO 110, 210, 220, 260, 390, 395, 500.
Also, four additional economics courses numbered 300 or higher to include any two of the following: ECO 330 Theory of Investment, ECO 353 Corporate Finance, ECO 430 Money and Banking, ECO 445 Managerial Finance, ECO 460 International Finance, or other such financial economics courses as may be offered.

*Students who expect to pursue graduate study in economics should elect the a bachelor of science degree and, at a minimum, complete the requirements for a minor in mathematics. Students seeking the M.B.A. degree should complete MAT 171 in addition to the requirements for the B.S. degree.

Contact Robert Martin for more information on the financial economics major.