Finance

Credit: Rafael Matsunaga/Flickr

Finance is the study of resource allocation, that is, the process, markets, institutions, and instruments that facilitate the transfer of money and wealth.

This program offers students an opportunity to study the finance function in the business firm, the financial services firm, and the financial system.

The finance major provides students with the theoretical framework and analytical tools and techniques to handle a variety of finance and business functions. The program is designed to prepare a student for financial positions with non-financial corporations, the financial services industry, energy companies, small businesses, and real estate firms.

Additionally, finance majors can specialize further by applying for the Financial Analyst Program (FAP). Students are selected based on a competitive process. This one year program provides an opportunity for a select group of outstanding business students to work closely with finance faculty and MBA fund mangers to develop their skills and experience as analysts. This program may be combined with any of the finance tracks.

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Prospective University of Texas at Austin students should visit UT Admissions to learn about the application process and how to declare a major.

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Undergraduates currently enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin who wish to change to a business major need to apply for an internal transfer. McCombs School of Business accepts students for the fall semester only.

Students are encouraged to attend an internal transfer information session and check their eligibility to apply through the McCombs Internal Transfer website.

Find out more about the internal transfer process, including the procedures, requirements to apply, historical summary of acceptance, and additional opportunities.

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View the School of Business undergraduate degree plans to learn more about the required courses for the finance major.

Visit the course offerings page for up-to-date information on finance courses offered through McCombs.

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Finance majors may pursue a general Finance degree, or choose from one of seven tracks:

General Finance
Finance with Required Accounting Minor
Energy Finance, Law, and Science
Corporate Finance & Investment Banking
Investment Management & Banking
Quantitative
Real Estate

Specializations appeal to different students based on their interests. For instance, investment banking engages students into a world of valuating, acquiring, and underwriting companies. For those interested in working with SAP, projecting forecasts, and analyzing quarterly earnings, corporate finance appeals to them. In addition to these tracks, finance majors can also apply for the Financial Analysts Program (FAP). The FAP offers students hands-on experience while working closely with finance faculty and professionals.

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The typical finance student is very determined, driven, and competitive. Due to the nature of the field, students in finance must have strong quantitative skills and be adept at managing risk. This field is so broad and has so many options, that most students with strong quantitative skills can find a track or specialization that fits them.

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Analytical skills
Ability to adapt to changing conditions
Insightful; must examine company's well-being and understand strengths/weaknesses
Knowledgeable in theory-to-practice concepts
Quantitative reasoning
Ability to turn data and raw numbers into projections
Ability to stay current with financial market and news