DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE
UNDERGRADUATE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Website: https://business.fsu.edu/departments/finance
Chair: Don Autore; Assistant Chair: Kelsey Syvrud; Professors: Ang, Autore, Cheng, Hutton; Associate Professors: Christiansen, Dougal, Mityakov, Perfect; Assistant Professors: Filippou, Kim; Senior Lecturers in Finance: Bliss, Mahon, G. Smith; Assistant Lecturers in Finance: Herring, Khoshnoud, Lam, Schrowang, D. Smith, Syvrud, Wang; Bank of America Eminent Scholar in Finance: Ang; Truist Associate Professor of Finance: Christiansen; Gene Taylor Bank of America Professor of Finance: Hutton; Dean L. Cash Professor of Finance: Autore; Truist Associate Professor of Finance: Mityakov
Finance is considered one of the basic functions of our private enterprise system. Finance can be defined as the art and science of managing money. Each of the many firms, businesses, institutions, and governmental agencies in our economic system has the problems of obtaining, administering, and managing its funds efficiently and wisely. Nearly every decision made by an organization has important financial implications. Thus, the finance student is introduced to and studies the theory, concepts, applications, institutional environment, and analytical tools essential for proper decision making. Finance is designed as preparation for a broad variety of careers, since all organizations need individuals knowledgeable about finance. Careers may be in financial management and analysis, banking, financial institutions, financial markets, investments, portfolio analysis and management, financial planning, and multinational finance. Finance is also considered good preparation for graduate study in law or business. The department also offers a combined BS/MSF pathway and a combined BS/MBA pathway that allows highly qualified undergraduate students the opportunity to accelerate their coursework and take up to nine semester hours of graduate coursework, which may be counted toward both the BS and MSF or MBA degrees. Detailed descriptions of the MSF and MBA programs can be found in the Graduate Bulletin.
Digital Literacy Requirement
Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:
Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically
Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement. Undergraduate majors in finance satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of “C–” or higher in CGS 2100 (state mandated business prerequisite requirement) or CGS 2518.
Note: CGS 2518 with a grade of “C–” or better is required for students in the Finance major and is a prerequisite to all 4000-level courses offered in the Finance Department.
Required Risk in Business and Society Course
All undergraduates at Florida State University intending to enter a business major should complete RMI 2302, Risk in Business and Society, with a “C–” or better by the end of their sophomore year, but no later than their fifth mapping term.
Required Professional Development Course
All undergraduates entering Florida State University in Fall 2019 and later must complete a one-credit course in professional development, GEB 1030, with a “C–” or better by the end of their fifth mapping term. However, students are encouraged to complete the course by the end of their sophomore year to take full advantage of the material.
State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites for Finance
The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) houses the statewide, internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by Florida's public colleges and universities, and they have developed operational procedures and technical guidelines for the catalog that all institutions must follow. The statute governing this policy can be reviewed by visiting https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/1006.73.
FLVC has identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in Finance. To obtain the most up-to-date, state-approved prerequisites for this degree, visit: https://cpm.flvc.org/programs/138/1158.
Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites but may not be admitted into the program.
Requirements
Requirements for the Finance Program
Candidates for the Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with a major in finance must complete a minimum of one hundred twenty semester hours. Normally, four semesters of work are devoted to the CoreFSU Curriculum and additional foundation courses in mathematics, economics, and statistics. The finance major must complete the business common body of knowledge, which includes work in accounting, quantitative methods, management, business law, marketing, computer science, business communications, and basic finance. The finance major requirements consist of an additional eighteen semester hours of work in advanced finance and accounting courses.
Requirements for a Major in Finance
All students must complete the following: (1) the University-wide baccalaureate degree requirements summarized in the “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” chapter of this General Bulletin; (2) the state of Florida common program prerequisites for finance majors; (3) the general business core requirements for finance majors; (4) the general business breadth requirements for finance majors; and (5) the major area requirements for finance majors.
Note: To be eligible to pursue finance major, students must meet the admission requirements for the AACSB accredited business programs in the College of Business. These admission requirements are described in the “College of Business” chapter of this General Bulletin.
General Business Core Requirements for Finance Majors
All finance majors must complete the following six courses. A grade of “C–” or better must be earned in each course*
BUL 3310 The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business (3)
*FIN 3403 Financial Management of the Firm (3)
GEB 3213 Business Communications (3)
ISM 3541 Introduction to Business Analytics (3)
MAN 3240 Organizational Behavior (3)
MAR 3023 Basic Marketing Concepts (3)
General Business Breadth Requirements for Finance Majors
All finance majors must complete the two courses as follows. Each course must be completed with a grade of “C–” or better.
FIN 3244 Financial Markets, Institutions, and International Finance Systems (3)
QMB 3200 Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions (3)
Capstone Course
All finance majors must complete the capstone class in Strategic Management and Business Policy (MAN 4720) with a grade of “C–” or better.
Major Area Requirements for Finance Majors
All finance majors must complete six courses (eighteen semester hours) as listed below.
A grade of “B–” or better must be earned in FIN 3403 and a grade of “C–” or better must be earned in CGS 2518 and FIN 3244 to be eligible to enroll in any 4000-level course offered by the Finance Department.
A grade of “C–” or better must be earned in FIN 4424, FIN 4504, and the two additional finance electives used to satisfy the finance major area requirements. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be earned in the courses used to satisfy the finance major area requirements.
Finance majors cannot repeat FIN 3403 more than three times. Non-finance majors are not subject to this repeat policy.
ACG 3171 Analysis of Financial Statement Presentation (3)
Note: The two course sequence, ACG 3101 (Financial Accounting and Reporting I) and ACG 3111 (Financial Accounting and Reporting II), may be substituted for ACG 3171.
ACG 3331 Cost Accounting and Analysis for Business Decisions (3)
Note: ACG 3341 (Cost Accounting) may be substituted for ACG 3331.
FIN 4424 Problems in Financial Management (3)
FIN 4504 Investments (3)
Plus two electives from the following list of courses:
FIN 4324 Commercial Bank Administration (3)
FIN 4433 Venture Capital and Private Equity
FIN 4412 Short-Term Financial Management (3)
FIN 4453 Financial Modeling and Forecasting (3)
FIN 4514 Security Analysis and Portfolio Management (3)
FIN 4604 Multinational Financial Management (3)
FIN 4730 Strategic Consulting for Finance (3)
FIN 4934r Senior Seminar in Finance (3)
GEB 4455 Perspectives on Free Enterprise (3)
*REE 4204 Real Estate Finance (3) or
*REE 4313 Real Estate Investment (3)
*Students may count only one of these REE courses as a Finance major elective.
Honors in the Major
The Department of Finance offers honors in the major to encourage talented students to undertake independent and original research as part of the undergraduate experience. For requirements and other information see the “University Honors Office and Honor Societies” chapter of this General Bulletin.