Finance (B.S.B.A.)
Bloomsburg's fully-accredited major in finance covers three major areas: corporate finance, investments and financial institutions and prepares graduates for strong entry positions in business as well as for graduate studies such as BU's MBA program.
The corporate finance area is about financial functions in large and small companies. The investments area covers the securities markets and techniques for security selection. The financial institutions area is about the management of commercial banking, pension funds, insurance companies, and other financial institutions. Coursework also includes an international finance course. Students majoring in finance are prepared to pursue careers in each of these areas.
The department also offers a minor in legal studies especially for those considering careers in business law, and in international business, for those who see their future in global financial markets.
Students can also choose from a wide array of minors and concentrations university-wide, including minors and concentrations in:
- Business
- Computer Information Science
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- Human Resources Management
- Information Assurance
- Information and Technology Management
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
- Political Science
- Statistics
- French
- German
- Chinese
- Spanish
The program is a key element of BU's College of Business, a recipient of the coveted accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, ranking Bloomsburg among the best business colleges in the world.
An important component of a Bloomsburg education is that all the classes are taught by professors, and most are in the 15- to 30-student range. Students have access to faculty outside of class and everyone has a department adviser. This helps not only in keeping the educational program on track, but also in guiding students to internships that often lead to post-graduation employment offers before the senior year even begins.
The College of Business offers two student computer labs and an independent server large enough to run a medium-sized corporation that is also accessible from residence halls. Software is typical of what might be found in most business environments and students are expected to gain proficiency in using database management, spreadsheets and word processing.
As a Finance major, you'll take general education courses in English composition, public speaking, economics, applied matrix algebra, business and economic statistics and eithr calculus or business and economic mathematics. All business majors take the same set of core courses, drawing upon the strength of all business programs at BU: financial and managerial accounting, information technology, principles of management, business policies and strategies, marketing principles and practice, and law and legal environment.
Finance majors take courses about financial markets and institutions, investment management, advanced corporate finance and international finance, then work closely with their adviser to choose additional business courses to hone their education to apply to specific career objectives.
Minor in Legal Studies
The minor in legal studies promotes the interdisciplinary study of law, enabling undergraduate students in any major to understand and make use of the diverse perspectives on law and the legal system in our complex and rapidly changing society. Legal studies enable graduates to become more effective citizens and participate in the shaping and application of law in the United States and around the world. It enhances the ability of graduates to integrate legal and other methodologies in gathering and evaluating data, making effective arguments, reaching consensus and solving the problems of the future.
The minor recognizes and capitalizes upon the contributions of faculty at Bloomsburg whose teaching and scholarship addresses topics in law and the humanities and social sciences and the impact of law on business, education and society. Faculty in English, philosophy, political science, geography and earth science and finance and business law serve on the interdisciplinary advisory board.
Career Concentration in International Business
The globalization of the world's economy is a reality. The 100 largest industrial corporations are represented by a variety of countries and regions of the world. Many U.S. corporations derive most of their profits from international operations and multinational corporations operate without clear ties or obligations to any one country. World trade, finance and currency flows are guided by the WTO, the decisions of the G-7 and the IMF. Business is conducted in many languages and disputes are resolved in many transnational forums. As a result, future business leaders in all fields must possess the knowledge and business tools to participate successfully in this international and multicultural environment.
The career concentration in international business requires the completion of 18 credit hours of related course work plus demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language (which may be English for international students for whom English is a second or foreign language). The career concentration is an interdisciplinary program designed to assist students develop appropriate skills and knowledge to prepare for their entry into and mobility within professions or careers related to international business. Completion of the concentration will be recognized on the student's official transcript.