The rigorous Finance curriculum introduces you to corporate finance and capital markets/investments. Through core classes on valuation, accounting and fixed income analysis, you’ll gain the technical and analytical skills necessary to understand how financial markets function, as well as how businesses operate and make decisions within these markets.
You’ll complete four required courses to give you a broad foundation in financial principles:
- Intermediate Accounting I will build on the knowledge you gained in your business core accounting classes in order to develop the skills to prepare and analyze corporate financial statements, and you’ll understand how managerial incentives interplay with financial reporting.
- Advanced Financial Management covers a wide range of topics related to modern corporate finance including capital structure, valuation, dividend policy, stock splits/repurchases, mergers and acquisitions and financial distress.
- Investments in Equities explores equity markets, valuation and portfolio management. You’ll study theoretical models and learn to apply them to real-world scenarios. Topics include stock market exchanges, mutual funds, portfolio management and diversification.
- In Analysis of Fixed Income Securities, you will learn financial theory and its application to analyze the valuation of various bond types, calculation of yield to maturity and the measurement of interest rate risk.
In addition, you’ll take 9 hours of Finance electives, letting you tailor your education to your interests and aspirations. You may opt to follow a track in corporate finance or investments. Electives cover topics that include venture capital and private equity, risk management and investment banking.
Select Finance majors may apply to take one of Freeman’s signature courses, which requires instructor approval.
- In Burkenroad Reports, you’ll do the job of a sell-side analyst and produce a research report on a publicly traded company. You’ll meet with the company’s top management, visit company sites, develop financial models and publish an in-depth investment research report.
- Students in the Darwin Fenner Student Managed Fund manage a portion of Tulane’s actual endowment. You’ll read and discuss academic research papers and apply theory to making buy, sell and hold recommendations.
- In the Selber Course on Hedge Funds, you’ll get a broad introduction to alternative investing through the study of applied case studies. You’ll be mentored by industry professionals to produce a prospectus for a hypothetical hedge fund and present it in a simulated conference.
- Students in the Selber Course on Distressed Debt explore the strategy of investing in the debt of companies facing possible default. You’ll study applied case studies and be mentored by industry professionals to develop a “pitch book” analyzing a distressed company and proposing an investment in its debt.
In addition to elective requirements within your major, you will also complete 12 hours of general business electives. For these courses, you can choose from any area, as long as you are not also counting them toward your major requirements. With electives, you can explore topics outside your major that will apply to the career path you ultimately choose. If you wish, you can use these 12-credits towards an additional Freeman major, minor or certificate (our Freeman academic advisors can guide you through your options).
Highlights from Our Finance Coursework
Consult the Tulane catalog for complete degree requirements.
A variety of courses will introduce important skills and concepts to help prepare you for a major in Finance:
Required Foundational Coursework for a Finance Major:
- ACCN 2010 Financial Accounting
- ACCN 3010 Managerial Accounting
- ECON 1010 Microeconomics
- ECON 1020 Macroeconomics
- FINE 3010 Financial Management
- MATH 1210 Calculus I
- MGSC 3005 Statistics for Business
- MGSC 3010 Intro to Business Analytics
Required Finance Major Courses:
- ACCN 3100 Intermediate Accounting I
- FINE 4100 Advanced Financial Management
- FINE 4110 Investments in Equities
- FINE 4120 Analysis of Fixed Income Securities
Finance Major Electives:
Students may choose from an approved list of Finance electives, including:
- ACCN 4570 Risk Analytics in Accounting
- ENRG 4730 Energy Investment Banking
- FINE 4010 Financial Modeling for Real Estate
- FINE 4130 Venture Capital and Private Equity
- FINE 4140 Risk Management
- FINE 4160 Equity Analysis/Burkenroad Reports
- FINE 4170 Financial Modeling
- FINE4330 Mergers & Acquisitions Investment Banking Practicum
- FINE 4340 Selber Course on Distressed Debt
- FINE 4350 Selber Course on Hedge Funds
- FINE 4380 Climate Change, Sustainability, and Financial Markets
- FINE 4390 Advanced Topics in Private Capital Markets
- FINE 4600 Cases In Valuation & Financing
- FINE 4610 Darwin Fenner Student Managed Fund Honors Seminar
- LGST 4140 Insurance & Risk Management
Note: Not all electives are offered every year. Some are only offered in the Spring or Fall.
Career Track Recommendations
The following recommendations are provided to help students with focused interests select electives but are not required. Students should work with their assigned Freeman Academic Advisor to make sure that courses are not double-counted for multiple degree requirements.
Corporate Finance Track
- FINE 4130 Venture Capital and Private Equity
- FINE 4160 Equity Analysis/Burkenroad Reports
- FINE 4600 Cases in Valuation & Financing
Investments Track
- FINE 4140 Risk Management
- FINE 4160 Equity Analysis/Burkenroad Reports
- FINE 4610 Darwin Fenner Student Managed Fund Honors Seminar
- FINE 4340 Selber Course on Distressed Debt
- FINE 4350 Selber Course on Hedge Funds
Complementary Coursework
Finance majors often use their general business electives to complement their major coursework with a Certificate in Energy, Certificate in Real Estate Finance & Investment, or an Accounting Minor.
Current students are encouraged to log into Gibson and select Degree Works Audit to check their progress and to meet with their Business Academic Advisor to review course selection.
