Majoring in Finance

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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 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 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 or earn a specialization in energy or entrepreneurship. Electives cover topics including venture capital and private equity, risk management and investment banking.

Select Finance majors may apply to take one of Freeman’s signature courses, which require 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.

These select core courses will introduce important skills and concepts to help prepare you for a major in Finance:

Degree Requirements

Required Courses

• ACCN 3100 Intermediate Accounting I
• FINE 4100 Advanced Financial Management
• FINE 4110 Investments in Equities
• FINE 4120 Analysis of Fixed Income Securities

Three additional courses from an approved list of Finance electives:

Career Track Recommendations

The following recommendations are provided to help students with focused interests select electives, but are not required.

Energy Specialization

Tap into Freeman’s expertise to learn about the rapidly changing field of energy, both traditional sources and renewable energy. An energy specialization requires 9 semester credit hours of approved coursework.

*Courses taken as a required course cannot be counted among the nine additional credits.
† Course may be counted as a finance elective.

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.