Finance

Undergraduate Programs

Description

Finance deals with the theory, organization and operations of the financial system from both the social and managerial perspectives.  Students are expected to develop expertise in making organizational and personal judgements and decisions involving financial data using analytic tools.  Students present their analyses in both written and oral form.  

The program aligns with the Minnesota State Finance Transfer Pathway. 

Majors

Program Locations Major / Total Credits
Finance BS Financial Planning and Insurance BS - Bachelor of Science
  • Mankato
69 / 120
Finance BS General Finance BS - Bachelor of Science
  • Mankato
69 / 120
Finance BS Quantitative Finance BS - Bachelor of Science
  • Mankato
120 / 120

Certificates

Program Locations Major / Total Credits
Business Analytics CERT
  • Mankato
17 / 17

Minors

Program Locations Total Credits
Financial Planning Minor
  • Mankato
18

Policies & Faculty

Policies

Admission to the Finance Major Admission typically occurs at the beginning of the student’s sophomore year.  Multiple criteria will be considered for admission to the Finance major.  Admission is competitive; meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Deadlines for application are: October 1 for Spring Semester and March 1 for Fall Semester.

Criteria Considered for Admission to the Finance Major

  1. Minimum cumulative (including Transfer) Grade Point Average of 2.5.
  2. Completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of "C" (2.0): CIS 101, MATH 130, ACCT 200,  BUS 295, ECON 201.

Requirements for the Financial Planning Minor

  1. Students must be admitted to a major at Minnesota State Mankato, and
  2. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher when starting the Finance minor.

Academic Advising. Students will initially receive their advising from the professional advisors in the College of Business Student Center. When a student applies to the College of Business (which is done during BUS 295), he/she will be assigned a faculty advisor in the major area of study. Questions regarding the assignment of advisors can be answered in the College of Business Advising Center, 151 Morris Hall, 389-2963.

College of Business Policies

Students who are business minors, non-business majors or those who are not seeking a four-year degree may take up to 24 credits in the College of Business.

Students must be admitted to a major to take upper division (300/400) courses in the College of Business.

Students must be admitted to the College of Business major to be granted a Bachelor of Science degree in any College of Business majors.

Residency. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 30 resident credits at the upper division (300-400) level in the College of Business at Minnesota State Mankato.

Transfer students pursuing a major or minor in the College of Business must complete at least 50% (one-half) of their major or minor coursework at Minnesota State Mankato.

GPA Policy. Students pursuing the Finance major must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 ("C") on the total courses required for the major and a 2.25 overall GPA to meet graduation requirements.

Students pursuing the Financial Planning minor must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 ("C") on the total courses required for the minor to meet graduation requirements.

P/N Grading Policy. No more than one-fourth of a student’s major shall consist of P/N grades.

Assessment Policy. The College of Business believes that the ongoing assessment of its programs makes a vital contribution to the quality of those programs and to student learning. Student Participation is an important and expected part of the assessment process.

Internships. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in one or more internship programs related to their field of study before graduation. Qualifying internships may receive academic credit counting towards a student’s major, but are not required to be taken for credit. To receive academic credit, students must be registered during the semester the internship takes place. Registration instructions and other business internship resources can be found at: cob.mnsu.edu/internship/

Contact Information

150 Morris Hall

Department of Finance

College of Business

(507) 389-2966
https://cob.mnsu.edu/academics/finance/

Faculty

Chair
  • Yilin Chen, Ph.D., FRM®
Faculty

100 Level

Credits: 3

Fundamental concepts of managing cash flows: preparation of personal budget, personal debt management, financial goal establishment, savings and investments, insurance.

Prerequisites: none

300 Level

Credits: 3

An introduction to finance relating to problems, methods, and policies in financing business enterprise.

Prerequisites: ACCT 200

Credits: 3

Current topics of significance in Finance. May be repeated repeated for credit.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Introduction to analytic tools and techniques using business applications.Grading Method

Prerequisites: ECON 207

Credits: 0

Curricular Practical Training: Co-Operative Experience is a zero-credit full-time practical training experience for one summer and an adjacent fall or spring term. Special rules apply to preserve full-time student status. Please contact an advisor in your program for complete information.

Prerequisites: Permission of the Chairperson of the department; co-op contract; other prerequisites may also apply.

400 Level

Credits: 3

This course is intended for students who have completed FINA 362 (Business Finance) and wish to apply the introductory finance concepts and theories to practical problems in corporate finance and valuation. In particular, the course will use Microsoft Excel to cover topics such as time value of money, stock and bond valuation, cost of capital, capital budgeting, financial statement and ratio analysis, and option pricing and strategies.

Prerequisites: FINA 362

Credits: 3

Principles and techniques for estate planning. Examination of various retirement plans available, and the legal and tax environment impacting an estate's portfolio.

Prerequisites: FINA 100 or FINA 362 

Credits: 3

Fundamental concepts of personal financial management: insurance, budgeting, credit, savings, investments, retirement and estate planning, and consumer debt management.

Prerequisites: ACT 330, FINA 458, FINA 460, FINA 470. Select FINA 100 or FINA 362.

Credits: 3

Formulation of investment policy of individuals and institutions, factors influencing the values of securities, and techniques of portfolio selection and management.

Prerequisites: FINA 362 

Credits: 3

This course encompasses advanced principles and concepts concerning the nature and types of debt financing, the valuation and use of leases, the process and tools of risk management, the calculation and estimation of financial ratios, the financial planning and forecasting processes, and the understanding of working capital.

Prerequisites: FINA 362 

Credits: 3

Applications of financial principles and analytical tools through the use of case studies and problems from local businesses.

Prerequisites: FINA 362 

Credits: 3

Tools and techniques to aid in individual and institutional portfolio management.

Prerequisites: FINA 362 and FINA 460 

Credits: 3

Introduction to money and capital markets, instruments and institutions. Consideration of the management problems of financial institutions.

Prerequisites: FINA 362 

Credits: 3

Fundamental concepts of employee benefits in relation to pertinent legislation, modern management techniques, and financial constraints that affect the formulation and implementaion of a benefit plan.

Prerequisites: FINA 100 or FINA 362

Credits: 3

Examination of the fundamentals of the insurance industry; the risk management process; and commercial insurance exposures and policies including commercial property, general liability, and workers' compensation.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Examination of personal insurance exposures and policies including auto, health, home and life.

Prerequisites: none

Credits: 3

Fundamental principles: valuation, brokerage, financing, law, property management, land descriptions and basic investment.

Prerequisites: FINA 100 or FINA 362 

Credits: 3

Trading practices and procedures utilizing these contracts in hedging and risk management policies for business.

Prerequisites: FINA 362 

Credits: 3

Fundamental concepts of commercial bank management: banking trends and performance evaluations. Managing the balance sheet and evaluating loan requests.

Prerequisites: FINA 362

Credits: 1-3

Study tours are led by Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty and provide students with opportunities to visit companies and attend lectures by renowned experts from key sectors of economy, government, and business.

Prerequisites: Permission Required

Credits: 3

Students are responsible for generating investment ideas consistent with the Maverick Fund Investment Policy Statement. Coreq: FINA 460

Prerequisites: FINA 362.

Credits: 1-9

Supervised experience in business, industry, state or federal institutions.

Prerequisites: Permission Required

Credits: 3

Supervised experience in business, industry, state or federal institutions.

Prerequisites: Permission Required

Credits: 1-3

.

Prerequisites: Permission Required