Learn More and ApplyFinance (BSB)

DePaul's Finance program will provide you with a solid foundation in financial management and an understanding of public and private financial processes, financial markets, analysis and investments.

As a Finance major, you will take courses in:

• Corporate finance​
• Analytics
• Investment theory and practice

You will also take multiple elective courses. Depending on your career goals, you may take a series of courses that focus on one of the following areas:

• Banking and financial services
• Corporate financial management
• Investment analysis/ management
• Risk management

DePaul's Driehaus College of Business is located in downtown Chicago, in the heart of the city's financial district, providing you with countless opportunities to intern and work professionally with leading companies in the business industry. You are encouraged to complete an internship with a Chicago-area business during the summer preceding either your junior or senior year.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand financial theory and how it can be applied to financial decision making. Develop appropriate cash flows and discount rate analysis of projects, and financial instruments (e.g. bonds and stocks). Apply and interpret the appropriate risk measures (e.g. beta, standard deviation) to situations under uncertainty. Understand the role of agents and impact of governance.
• Understand the structure of the financial markets and the roles of institutions in those markets. Understand the flow of funds in the private and public markets. Know the determinants of the cost of funds. Understand how derivative instruments work and can be used for risk management.
• Develop appropriate cash flows and discount rate analysis of projects, and financial instruments (e.g. bonds and stocks).
• Apply and interpret the appropriate risk measures (e.g. beta, standard deviation) to situations under uncertainty.
• Understand the role of agents and the impact of governance.
• Understand the flow of funds in the private and public markets.
• Know the determinants of the cost of funds.
• Understand how derivative instruments work and can be used for risk management.

College Core Requirements

Business Core Requirements

All undergraduate students in the Driehaus College of Business complete foundational courses in the areas of accountancy, economics, finance, management, and marketing. The core curriculum also includes courses that emphasize the increasingly quantitative and technological nature of business, the importance of the entrepreneurial mindset, and how students can use their business education to address important social challenges.

Course Requirements

For a student to complete the Bachelor of Science in Business, the following Business Core courses totaling at least 60.0 hours are required:

¹

Strobel students take specially designated sections of all required ACC classes, including ACC 101 and ACC 102 (excluding ACC 250, ACC 300, ACC 301).​

²

Actuarial Science and Economic Data Analytics majors must take CSC 241.

MIS majors must take MIS 360.

³

MKT majors and Sales minors must take MKT 276.

⁴

A course taken for Global Business Perspective that is in a student's major or minor field must be completed with a minimum grade of C- .

Business Core Timeline

• BUS 101, BUS 102 and BUS 103 are intended to be completed by students during their first year of enrollment in the college.  
• Business core requirements may be prerequisites to other courses.
• Planning is essential to a student’s graduation timeline.
• Academic advisors work with students to co-create customized degree completion plans and assist with balancing course load.

Business Ethics

All undergraduate students in the Driehaus College of Business complete a course in Business Ethics. It is recommended students take MGT 248 or PHL 248 in Philosophical Inquiry or MGT 228 or REL 228 in Religious Dimensions in the Liberal Studies Program (or University Honors Program) Requirements.

Second Majors and Minors

The addition of a second major or minor may affect the Business Core classes required for a student. Meet with an academic advisor to confirm requirements.

Math Requirements for all business majors (except Actuarial Science majors)

• MAT 137 may be replaced by MAT 348 or MAT 351.

Global Business Perspective

If a FIN course is shared between Global Business Perspective and the Finance major, additional hours of Open Elective credit are required.

Grade Minimum Requirements for Finance Major

A minimum grade of C- is required for the following: ACC 101, ACC 102, BUS 101, BUS 102, BUS 103, BUS 202, ECO 105, ECO 106, FIN 310, MAT 137, and any FIN course used for Global Business Perspective.

Liberal Studies Requirements

Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.

¹

Students must earn a C- or better in this course.

Learning Domains

Arts and Literature (AL)

•  3 AL Courses Required

Historical Inquiry (HI)

• 2 HI Courses Required 

Math and Computing (MC)

• Not Required

Philosophical Inquiry (PI)

• 2 PI Courses Required¹

Religious Dimensions (RD)

• 2 RD Courses Required¹

Scientific Inquiry (SI)

• 1 Lab Course Required

Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)

• 1 SCBI Course Required

¹

PHL 248 / MGT 248 is required in PI or REL 228 / MGT 228 is required in RD.

Notes

Specified required courses within Liberal Studies may have grade minimums (e.g. C- or better). Please consult your advisor or your college and major requirements.​

Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the Experiential Learning requirement.

In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.

Major Requirements

Course ​Requirements

¹

RE 350 and FIN 350 are cross listed and may only be completed once for credit.

The Department of Finance enforces all course prerequisites; exceptions will not be made.

Students are encouraged to seek an internship with a Chicago-area business during the summer preceding either their junior or senior year.

Open Electives

Open elective credit (26.0 hours) is needed to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.

Global Business Perspective

If a FIN course is shared between Global Business Perspective and the Finance major, additional hours of Open Elective credit are required. Any FIN course used toward Global Business Perspective must be passed with C- or higher.

Career Management Course

Students are required to complete the Career Course (250) associated with the major. Students who double major may choose the Career Course (250) associated with either major provided that hours for graduation are satisfied.​ Students should take the Career Course as soon as possible.

Experiential Learning

If FIN 393 or FIN 324 is completed in the Finance major consult with academic advisor regarding options for Experiential Learning.​

Graduation Requirements

All Finance (FIN) courses and any courses used toward the Finance major must be completed with a minimum grade of C- and with a combined GPA of 2.000 or higher.

Curricular Specializations

The Department offers four recommendations for students who would like to focus their studies on one area of expertise. These areas are optional; no curricular specialization is required for the major.

Banking

Corporate Finance

Risk Management

Investment/Financial Analysis