Finance / Business Law

Finance is a field about money. Businesses around the world need money in order to invest in the assets needed to produce their products. Individuals provide these funds for business through their savings in financial institutions and their purchases of bonds and stocks. People trained in finance help businesses decide which assets to buy and how to raise the money to pay for them. Finance professionals also help individuals select from the many investment alternatives available to them (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and many others). Finance majors may specialize in a variety of areas, including corporate finance, investments, banking, real estate, insurance, and financial planning. Jobs in finance typically involve financial analysis or sales, or a combination of the two. Financial analysis involves working with data in order to evaluate investments or financing sources. Sales involves working with people in order to help them select investments or financial services. Most jobs involve working with both numbers and people.

Types of professional employment include: Real Estate Development Actuary Benefits Analyst Mortgage Broker Real Estate Investment Analyst Branch Manager Claims Adjuster Securities Trader Real Estate Appraiser Stockbroker Credit Analyst Budget Manager Lease Brokerage Insurance Agent Loan Officer Financial Analyst Insurance Underwriter Financial Planner Corporate Treasurer Investment Analyst

Companies that frequently interview on the UW-Whitewater campus: • Kohler Co. • Strong Funds • Firstar Bank • BankOne • M&I Bank • Andersen Consulting • Northwestern Mutual Life Ins. • Prudential Insurance • American Family Insurance • Merrill Lynch • Norwest Financial • Investor's Diversified Services

Required Finance Curriculum: 240-344 Business Finance (required of all business majors) 240-345 Investments 240-360 Financial Institutions 240-444 Corporate Finance 240-456 Security Analysis In addition, four elective courses should be chosen from the areas of accounting, economics, banking, real estate, insurance, financial planning, options and futures, international finance, and internship. No special preparation is required beyond the regular college preparatory curriculum, but mathematics and accounting courses are recommended. Because of the importance of communication skills in all finance careers, writing and speaking courses are also valuable. The Finance and Business Law Department offers a major in finance with optional emphases in the areas of real estate, insurance, or financial planning. Specific elective courses are required for the three emphasis areas, as follows: Real Estate 240-348 Real Estate 240-457 Real Estate Development 240-458 Real Estate Investment 240-442 Estates and Trusts or 210-451 Income Tax Accounting Insurance 240-446 Insurance 240-460 Advanced Property & Casualty Insurance 240-464 Advanced Life & Health Insurance 240-442 Estates and Trusts or 230-345 Advanced Business Statistics Financial Planning 240-401 Financial Planning 240-446 Insurance 210-451 Income Tax Accounting 240-442 Estates and Trusts or 240-464 Advanced Life & Health Insurance

Finance Association - This association is the largest business student organization on campus. Its activities help to supplement students' formal education by exposing them to the "real world" of finance. Activities include speakers from various areas of finance, field trips to businesses in the midwest, publication of a resume book of graduating seniors, an investment competition, community service, and social functions. Portfolio Management Group - The Portfolio Management Group is a student investment club, which actually invests money contributed by members and by businesses. One goal is to help students learn how to evaluate investment alternatives by sponsoring speakers from the investment field and going on field trips. Honor Society - Outstanding finance majors are recognized by the UW-Whitewater chapter of the national Financial Management Association Honor Society. The Milwaukee chapter of the Financial Executives Institute also recognizes outstanding students each year.