Finance
Program Details
If you've got a head for numbers, a Xavier degree in finance adds up to a great investment. As a student in the finance major, you’ll discover the techniques for making and managing investments, allocating resources and managing cash flows at some of the top companies and financial institutions in the country. You’ll also learn about more than just the bottom line through challenging courses focused on academics, ethics and real-world experience. Upon graduation, you’ll be ready for a meaningful career in the financial industry.
The finance major at Xavier University was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #28 undergraduate finance major in the nation for 2025. 98 percent of our students, including those in the finance major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduation (Class of 2023). Xavier University's Williams College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Finance
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Finance major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- MATH 140 or 170: Calculus............ 3cr.
- ENGL 101: English Composition............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective............ 3cr.
- ACCT 200: Introductory Financial Accounting............ 3cr.
- BUAD 101: The Business Profession............ 0cr.
- CORE 100: First Year Seminar............ 3cr.
- CORE 101: GOA First Year Experience............ 0cr.
Spring
- THEO 111: Theological Foundations............ 3cr.
- Historical Perspectives Elective............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective............ 3cr.
- ECON 200: Microeconomic Principles............ 3cr.
- BAIS 220: Management of Business Technology............ 3cr.
- BUAD 102: The Business Profession I............ 0cr.
- CORE 102............ 0cr.
Fall
- ECON 201: Macroeconomic Principles............ 3cr.
- FINC 300: Business Finance............ 3cr.
- PHIL 100: Ethics as Intro to Philosophy............ 3cr.
- BUAD 201: The Business Profession II............ 3cr.
- BAIS 210: Quantitative Methods............ 3cr.
- Creative Perspectives............ 3cr.
Spring
- MKTG 300: Principles of Marketing............ 3cr.
- ACCT 201: Introductory Managerial Accounting............ 3cr.
- BAIS 211: Introduction to Business Analytics............ 3cr.
- Theological Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Scientific Perspectives & Lab............ 3cr.
- BUAD 202: The Business Profession II............ 0cr.
Fall
- PHIL 200: Philosophical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- MGMT 201: Business & Professional Communication (OC/WRIT flags)............ 3cr.
- Business Elective, FINC 490 or Internship for Credit............ 3cr.
- FINC 350: Financial Statement Analysis............ 3cr.
- FINC 365: Investments............ 3cr.
- BUAD 301: The Business Profession III............ 0cr.
Spring
- MGMT 200: Organizational Management............ 3cr.
- ECON 300: International Trade & Business Environment............ 3cr.
- FINC 385: Financial Modeling............ 3cr.
- FINC Elective............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- BUAD 302: The Business Profession III............ 0cr.
Fall
- Humanities Elective............ 3cr.
- Natural Science Elective and Lab............ 3cr.
- BLAW 300: Legal Environment (ERS/DCR flags)............ 3cr.
- FINC 401: Financial Management............ 3cr.
- FINC Elective............ 3cr.
- BUAD 401: The Business Profession IV............ 0cr.
Spring
- ENGL 205: Literature & Moral Imagination............ 3cr.
- MGMT 302: Quality & Productivity in Operations............ 3cr.
- Business Core Capstone............ 3cr.
- FINC Capstone (492 or 495)............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
- BUAD 402: The Business Profession IV............ 0cr.
- CORE 499: Reflection on the Core Curriculum............ 0cr.
Finance Courses
Xavier is known for providing an education that’s both challenging and personal. Here are some courses that are part of the finance major at Xavier:
Investments (FINC 365) - This course introduces techniques for analyzing investments in equities, fixed-income securities, options, and futures. Emphasis is on asset selection and risk management.
Intermediate Financial Management (FINC 401) - Intermediate Financial Management examines the issues of capital budgeting, capital structure, cost of capital, payout policy, and working capital management at the intermediate level. The course also introduces students to corporate governance and corporate risk management.
Financial Modeling (FINC 385) - This course is designed to develop the student's ability to apply financial modeling techniques in the identification, analysis, and solution to financial problems. Emphasis in this class is on financial forecasting, valuation, and risk analysis.
Cases and Problems in Finance (FINC 495) - This class is a capstone to the Finance major, integrating material from the other required finance courses. The class consists of case studies involving decision making in the areas of financial analysis, capital budgeting, capital structure, valuation, and related areas.
Finance Outcomes
99% of Xavier students, inclusing those in the finance major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduating (Class of 2022).
Careers: Acountant, Auditor, Budget Analyst, Credit Analyst, Financial Analyst, Financial Planner, Hedge Fund Manager, Investor Relations Associate, Investment Banking Analyst, Personal Financial Advisor, Tax Associate, Venture Capitalist
Student Job Placements: Fifth Third Bank, Fidelity Investments, Grant Thorton, U.S. Bank, Medpace, UBS Financial Services, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Total Quality Logistics, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Ernst & Young, PNC Bank, KeyBank, General Electric, Deloitte
More: Xavier's Career Development Office assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, conducting workshop series on interviewing and resume writing techniques and maintaining an educational, vocational and employer information resource center. More than 100 nationally known companies visit the campus annually to interview graduating seniors for positions in business and industry.
Finance Clubs
Finance Association
Students in this club get opportunities to network with finance executives, learn about finance careers and bond with fellow finance majors.
Minorities in Business
The vision of M.I.B is to position Xavier University as a target school for Fortune 500 diversity recruitment programs. Our mission is to create a vibrant and supportive community that fuels the professional growth and success of our members.
Women In Business (XWIB)
Preparing and empowering women to be tomorrow’s leaders through professional training, personal development workshops, mentoring and service.
When we seek something more, we become something greater.
Find more information about how you can become a Musketeer.
Request Information5/3 Trading Center on Campus
The Fifth Third Trading Center is a 1,350 square foot educational trading facility designed to replicate the trading floors in investment banks, brokerage firms and hedge funds on Wall Street. Students in the finance major have access to real-time data feeds from leading providers of financial information including Bloomberg LP and S&P Capital IQ.
Investment Funds for Finance Majors
The Department of Finance is home to two student-managed investment funds with a combined market value of over $7 million. The Xavier Student Bond Investment Fund is a fixed income portfolio managed by MBA students and the D’Artagnan Capital Fund is an equity portfolio managed by students in the undergraduate finance major.
Cincinnati: A City of Opportunity for Finance Majors
Cincinnati, Ohio features some of the largest companies in the world, which means students in the finance major have countless opportunities for careers, internships and mentorships at places like Kroger, Procter & Gamble, Fifth Third Bancorp and Western & Southern Financial group. The city is highly ranked in Best City for College Graduates (smartasset.com) and in Best Places to Start a Career (WalletHub).
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The Smith Scholars Honors Program offers business students a more innovative, challenging curriculum in a cohort setting. This highly-selective program emphasizes experiential learning through funded global travel, work-study opportunities and close connections and support from professors and peers.
Finance Major at Xavier University
A degree in Finance is designed to develop an appreciation of financial management and financial operations. Everyone majoring in Finance at Xavier must take courses designed to acquaint them with the various financial records of a firm, the character and appraisal of corporate securities, and the financial techniques applicable to the various phases of the discipline.
Xavier University's Williams College of Business is accredited by the AACSB. AACSB-accredited schools offer students a relevant and challenging curriculum, the highest quality faculty and career opportunities that are not found at other business schools.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."