Jun 04, 2026

DRAFT 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog

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DRAFT 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog

Finance (B.A./B.S.)

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus

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Students and instructor in trading lab.

Program Coordinator/Contact

Nicole Klein, Associate Director
Ness School of Management and Economics
Harding Hall 100
605-688-4141

Program Information

The B.A. and B.S. in Finance provides students advanced training in finance theory and practice, with applications in financial analytics, portfolio investments, and corporate finance. With a major in finance, graduates enter careers in banking, money management, investment banking, insurance, corporate treasuries, and federal, state, and local governments. Professional positions include chief financial officers, financial analysts, personal financial advisors, trust officers, portfolio analysts, stockbrokers and traders, commodity brokers and traders, financial accountants, compliance officers, budget analysts, and credit analysts.

Accreditation

The Ness School of Management and Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB).

Academic Requirements

Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in BADM 485 - Strategic Management , CSC /MGMT 325 - Management Information Systems (COM) , FIN 310 - Business Finance (COM) , HRM 460 - Human Resource Management (COM) , and MGMT 360 - Organization and Management (COM) .

If a student chooses to double major in two or more majors offered through the Ness School of Management and Economics, each major needs to have at least 15 credits that are distinct from the other major(s).

Requirements for Finance Major: 120 Credits

Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science

System General Education Requirements

Goal #1 Written Communication: SGR #1 Elective Credits: 6
Goal #2 Oral Communication: SGR #2 Electives Credits: 3
Goal #3 Social Sciences: ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (COM) [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3 (Major Requirement) and SGR #3 Electives Credits: 3
Goal #4 Arts and Humanities: SGR #4 Electives Credits: 6
Goal #5 Mathematics: MATH 121 - Survey of Calculus (COM) [SGR #5, HSDC] Credits: 4 and MATH 121L - Survey of Calculus Lab [HSDC] Credits: 1 or MATH 123 - Calculus I (COM) [SGR #5, HSDC] Credits: 4
Goal #6 Natural Sciences: SGR #6 Electives Credits: 6

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements

Capstone course in the major discipline
Upper division coursework Credits: 33

Bachelor of Arts Requirements: 6+

Modern Foreign Language Including the 202-Level Credits: 6+

Bachelor of Science Requirements: 10+

Natural Sciences Credits: 10+
- Any two lab sciences.
- Coursework must include 2 prefixes.
- MATH and STAT courses do not count toward the science requirement.

System General Education and/or major coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements. Consult program advisor for details. See the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for additional information about Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science specifications.

*The B.A. and B.S. in Finance is excluded from the college requirement of one declared minor outside of the major discipline OR a second major OR a teaching specialization.

Major Requirements

ACCT 210 - Principles of Accounting I (COM) Credits: 3
ACCT 211 - Principles of Accounting II (COM) Credits: 3
BADM 101 - Survey of Business (COM) [HSDC] Credits: 3
BADM 485 - Strategic Management Credits: 3 (Capstone)
BLAW 350 - Legal Environment of Business (COM) Credits: 3
CSC / MGMT 325 - Management Information Systems (COM) Credits: 3
DSCI 424 - Operations Research (COM) Credits: 3
or BADM 321 - Business Statistics II (COM) Credits: 3
ECON 119 - First Year Seminar Credits: 1
ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (COM) [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3
ECON 202 - Principles of Macroeconomics (COM) [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3
ECON 301 - Intermediate Microeconomics (COM) Credits: 3
or ECON 431 - Managerial Economics Credits: 3
ECON 319 - Seminar with Industry Leaders Credits: 1
ECON 330 - Money and Banking (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 310 - Business Finance (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 411 - Investments (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 413 - Advanced Corporate Finance (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 414 - Financial Derivatives (COM) Credits: 3
HRM 460 - Human Resource Management (COM) Credits: 3
MGMT 360 - Organization and Management (COM) Credits: 3
MKTG 370 - Marketing (COM) Credits: 3

Select from the following

Select one option listed below - Investments, Agricultural Finance, or General Finance. Credits: 9

Investments Option

Credits: 9

FIN 420 - Student Managed Investment Fund Credits: 3

Select from the following

Credits: 6

ACCT 310 - Intermediate Accounting I (COM) Credits: 3
AGEC 484 - Trading in Commodity Futures and Options Credits: 3
BADM 459 - Analytics (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 420 - Student Managed Investment Fund Credits: 3 (May be repeated for an additional 3 credits)

Agricultural Finance Option

Credits: 9

AGEC 478 - Agricultural Finance Credits: 3

Select from the following

Credits: 6

AGEC 473 - Rural Real Estate Appraisal Credits: 2
AGEC 473L - Rural Real Estate Appraisal Lab Credits: 1
AGEC 484 - Trading in Commodity Futures and Options Credits: 3
ACCT 430 - Income Tax Accounting (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 416 - Commercial Bank Management (COM) Credits: 3

General Finance Option

Choose three courses from the following – at least 2 must be prefixed FIN. Credits: 9

ACCT 430 - Income Tax Accounting (COM) Credits: 3
BLAW 454 - Real Estate Finance Credits: 3
FIN 416 - Commercial Bank Management (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 417 - International Finance (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 420 - Student Managed Investment Fund Credits: 3 (May be repeated for an additional 3 credits)

Supporting Coursework

ENGL 379 - Technical Communication (COM) Credits: 3
STAT 281 - Introduction to Statistics (COM) [SGR #5, HSDC] Credits: 3

Electives

Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Summary of Program Requirements

Bachelor of Arts

System General Education Requirements*: 28-29 Credit Hours
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements**: 6+ Credit Hours
Major Requirements: 65 Credit Hours
Supporting Coursework: 6 Credit Hours
Electives***: 14-15 Credit Hours

Bachelor of Science

System General Education Requirements*: 28-29 Credit Hours
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements**: 10+ Credit Hours
Major Requirements: 65 Credit Hours
Supporting Coursework: 6 Credit Hours
Electives***: 16-17 Credit Hours

*System General Education Requirements for students pursuing a baccalaureate degree shall include a minimum of 30 credit hours. Some general education coursework may be counted for Major Requirements, Supporting Coursework, and College Requirements.
**System General Education Requirements, Major Requirements, and Supporting Coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements.
***Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Academic Advising Guide Sheet

The goal of the academic advising guide sheets and sample plans of study is to promote undergraduate student success by guiding all students to timely completion of an undergraduate degree. Students are not limited to the course sequence provided for their academic program. Instead, the sample plan of study is one possible path to completing your degree and is meant to be used as a guide for planning purposes in consultation with an academic advisor. The plans also help students prepare for meetings with their academic advisor and track their progress in their selected academic program.