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Finance

Undergraduate
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Master the tools to solve today’s business challenges

As a discipline, finance continues to evolve as both an art and science. It is driven by quantitative methods and behavioral frameworks that address the challenges of raising capital and preserving wealth. As a Finance major at Simmons University, you will not only master analytical techniques for solving problems, but also gain a holistic perspective for effectively navigating our dynamic financial landscape.

Our rigorous program will provide you with a solid foundation in financial theory. You will develop a deep understanding of the time value of money, risk-return tradeoff, financial markets, capital budgeting, and investment analysis. Our program is carefully structured to integrate quantitative techniques with the theory and practice of modern financial analysis.

In our courses, you will learn about core financial instruments, market structures, financial institutions, and regulations that shape the marketplace. You will gain a deep understanding of financial risk measurement and management, including derivatives. 

Our interdisciplinary curriculum will prepare you to sit for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) professional certification exam, setting you up for success in launching your career. 

Why earn a bachelor's degree in Finance at Simmons?

Join a community dedicated to advancing women and gender equity, with faculty support and mentorship to help you achieve your goals.

Our program emphasizes working effectively with financial market data and information systems. We will equip you with the practical financial management skills needed to succeed in our data-driven economy.

Our curriculum also explores ethical conduct in finance. You will enter the field ready to lead both confidently and responsibly.

Explore finance careers in Boston

With our location in Boston, a center for finance, you will find plenty of opportunities to gain real-world experience. Finance majors benefit from experiential learning opportunities at Boston-area organizations such as Analysis Group, BDO, and Northern Trust.

With a BSBA in Finance, you will be prepared to thrive in roles such as:

  • Asset management
  • Commercial banking
  • Corporate advisory
  • Financial accounting
  • Financial services
  • Healthcare finance
  • Insurance
  • Investment banking
  • Private equity
  • Risk management
  • Securities analysis
  • Treasury operations
  • Wealth management

Our graduates have gone on to work at globally recognized organizations such as Bain & Company, Baker Tilly, Bank of America, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Brown Brothers Harriman, Charles Schwab, Harvard University, KKR, Liberty Mutual Insurance and State Street.

Prerequisites for Finance Majors

ECON100 Principles of Microeconomics 4
STAT118 Introductory Statistics 4

Required Core Courses

ACCT110 Financial Accounting 4
ACCT120 Managerial Accounting 4
BUS100 Introduction to Business and Management 4
BUS234 Organizational Communication & Behavior 4
BUS250 Principles of Marketing 4
BUS260 Financial Management 4
BUS270 Business Analytics 4
BUS325 Operations Management 4
BUS370A Internship and Career Strategies 2
BUS370B Learning From Internship Experience 2

Required Financial Courses

ACCT200 Intermediate Accounting I 4
ACCT201 Intermediate Accounting II 4
BUS311 Investments 4
BUS315 Corporate Finance 4
ECON101 Principles of Macroeconomics 4

Capstone

BUS340 Strategic Management 4

Required Courses

ACCT110 Financial Accounting 4
BUS260 Financial Management 4

Electives (choose three)

ACCT200 Intermediate Accounting I 4
BUS214 International Business 4
BUS311 Investments 4
BUS315 Corporate Finance 4

You'll work with your advisor to tailor a program to your interests and career goals. Simmons offers many options for customizing your studies, including dual majors, accelerated programs and a wide variety of complementary minors.

A minor in finance is also available and provides you with a solid background in financial analysis. The minor requires ACCT 110, BUS 260 and three electives from the required Finance courses. It complements study is several disciplines including Business and Management, Marketing, Economics, Financial Math, Data Analytics and the social sciences.

Internships are a key component of the finance program. You'll work in finance organizations in the greater Boston area and beyond, including recent internships at Merrill Lynch, Hill Holiday, Boston Children's Hospital, and Infinity Pharmaceuticals. 

Internships encourage you to sharpen their skills, refine your career interests, build your resumes, and develop important relationships.

  1. Leadership

1a: Simmons graduates can provide principled, ethical leadership in challenging situations at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

1b: Simmons graduates can lead and participate in effective teams, using best practices in team organizational dynamics and emotional intelligence to produce positive outcomes.

1c: Simmons’ graduates are fluent in reinvention concepts of adaptability, trendspotting, and creative abrasion.

  1. Knowledge of Core Business Disciplinary Language, Analytical Tools and Frameworks and Ability to Communicate Effectively in Professional Situations

2a. Simmons graduates understand and can apply appropriate vocabulary, AI models, analytical tools, and frameworks of their chosen discipline to problems in organizations.

2b. Simmons graduates can communicate business concepts effectively and professionally, choosing appropriately from a portfolio of written, oral, and visual techniques in person, electronically, and virtually, including the ability to develop and use visualizations.

2c. Simmons graduates will incorporate experience from internships, work study, study abroad, and project management to be more fully prepared to enter the workforce at a professional level.

  1. Critical and Analytical Thinking 

3a: Simmons graduates can use analytical skills to identify and diagnose specific organizational problems and/or opportunities, generate and evaluate alternative solutions, and make actionable recommendations.

3b: Simmons graduates will be competent in their ability to apply quantitative reasoning, statistical analysis, and data-driven decision-making techniques to solve real-world business problems, interpret complex datasets, and effectively communicate analytical findings to diverse audiences.

3c. Simmons’ graduates will master integration techniques and concepts in order to solve problems across various business domains.

  1. Understanding Gender Identity in Organizations

4a: Simmons graduates identify and appraise the strategic and behavioral roles of gender identity and diversity (broadly defined) in organizations and are prepared to effectively manage their careers and organizations in that context.

4b: Simmons graduates develop personal and career development strategies that foster a continuous self-reflective process of learning to work across dimensions of difference in an organization.

  1. Integrative Problem Solving in Complex Contexts

5a. Simmons graduates will be able to critically analyze complex situations and environments by employing reflective practices and integrating diverse perspectives, particularly those of individuals with differing cultural backgrounds, identities, and nationalities, to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation.

5b. Simmons graduates will demonstrate the capacity to synthesize knowledge from multiple disciplines to develop integrative and adaptable solutions to strategic organizational challenges, considering global and technological dimensions.

  1. Ethical Application of Technology in the Workplace

6a. Simmons graduates can effectively identify and use technology and tech-enabled tools and make thoughtful judgments about their use, related to issues of ethics, privacy, data validity and bias, data and information security.

Spotlight on Finance Students and Alums

View All News
Photo of Abigail Willis in front of a sign for "The Hardford"

Abby Willis ’19 Shares her Simmons Transformation: From Too-Shy, to Assistant Director & Financial Analyst

“Simmons really taught me how to learn, whether that was learning from other people or actively learning as you solve problems.”

Headshot of Joanne Wilson

Joanne Wilson ’83 Wins Rappaport Alumnae Achievement Award

Congratulations to Joanne Wilson who embodies the spirit of the award with her focus on women- and minority-owned businesses. Wilson is a limited partner in venture funds committed to investing only in women, Black, and Latino founders.

Our Faculty

Mansfield Holmes

Mansfield Holmes

Associate Professor of Practice

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