Finance

The Major

Why Study Finance?

Students choose a major based on a variety of reasons:

  • Projected income
  • Parental influence
  • Future job prospects
  • Previous job experiences
  • Passion for the job activities
  • Opportunities for advancement

Each of these has played a role in why students elect to major in Finance at Winthrop.  Many students start out as Finance majors.  However, it is not uncommon for students to switch to Finance after taking the Principles of Finance course (FINC 311).  This is one of the core courses that all students in the College of Business must take.

Compelling reasons to major in Finance include:

  1. Job Prospects Are Strong

    The financial services industry now drives our economy.  Banks, insurance companies and investment firms are among the largest employers of business students.  These companies have a huge appetite for graduates with strong financial skills.  In our region, major employers include Bank of America, TIAA-CREF, Wells Fargo and Vanguard.

    Finance majors are also in demand by small businesses, governmental units (Federal, state and local) and non-profit organizations.  Annually, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has hired one or more of our Finance graduates for the past several years.  Winthrop University now has a special relationship with the OCC that ensures that our finance majors can interview for internships and permanent positions.

  2. High Starting Salaries

    Our Finance graduates typically command some of the highest starting salaries among College of Business graduates.

  3. The Language of Business

    Finance/Accounting is the language of business.  Employees with strong financial skills are highly valued in any business organization.  This typically leads to enhanced opportunities for advancement.

  4. Problem Solving

    If you enjoy solving problems, Finance is for you.  Please note that the study of Finance is not like math.  Instead, our mission is to analyze the financial health of a business or individual in order to identify areas for improvement and to recommend appropriate strategies.

  5. Moving Up the Corporate Ladder

    Finance provides an excellent career path to become an officer of a business organization.  Many CEOs of large corporations owe their current position to their financial training.

  6. Finance is Fun and Useful

    You will learn practical skills that you can use in your everyday life such as how to compute loan payments when you buy a house or car or how to compute the amount of money you will need to save for retirement.  You will also learn how to invest your personal and retirement monies.