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Finance

Finance

Bachelor of Arts

Degree Type

Emphasis

Department

School of Business

Whether you want to work on Wall Street in stocks and bonds or you want to help individuals build their assets as a personal financial advisor, the Finance emphasis will provide the foundation you need to achieve your professional goals.

Program Overview

Finance student

Learn how to navigate the world of finance.

The Finance emphasis will teach you about the theory and application of financial analysis. You’ll learn how to prepare, analyze and interpret financial information and apply financial theories to make sound business decisions. In the program, you’ll also learn how to apply the basic principles of security markets to create, evaluate and manage security portfolios and understand the risk-reward relationships that go into every financial decision. For an immersive educational experience, you can join Western’s award-winning team in the Rocky Mountain Investment Challenge or launch a start-up in the Innovation + Creativity + Entrepreneurship (ICE) Lab on upper campus.

With high salaries and in demand careers, Finance is a very popular choice among Business Administration students. Upon graduation, you can pursue careers in financial analysis, financial management, accounting and compliance at large firms like Charles Schwab, FactSet, Northwestern Mutual and Wells Fargo in Denver and Colorado Springs.

An in-demand career

A finance emphasis gives students a well-rounded skill set, preparing them for a wide variety of industries, specializations and career opportunities.

Program Requirements

At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.

Program Requirements

A minimum of 57 credits is required, including the 21-credit Business Administration Base Curriculum, the 15-credit Business Administration Nucleus:

Course List
Code Title Credits
Base Curriculum
ACC 201Introduction to Financial Accounting3
ACC 202Introduction to Managerial Accounting3
ECON 201Macroeconomics (GT-SS1)3
ECON 202Microeconomics3
Select one of the following mathematics courses:3-4
MATH 140
College Algebra (GT-MA1)
MATH 141
Precalculus (GT-MA1)
MATH 151
Calculus I (GT-MA1)
One of the following:3
BUAD 220
Spreadsheets and Analysis
CS 120
Professional Computer Skills
One of the following:3
MATH 213
Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1)
ECON 216
Statistics for Business and Economics
Total Credits21-22

The 15-credit Business Administration Nucleus forms the core for each of the emphasis areas and also comprises the bulk of the Standard Program. It is important that the student achieve a high level of understanding of the basic fundamental concepts represented by these courses to be successful in the completion of the required upper- level course work and in their business career. If BUAD 350 Human Resource Management Human Resource Management is used to satisfy the requirements of the Business Administration Nucleus, then it cannot be used to satisfy the elective requirement within the major.

Course List
Code Title Credits
Business Administration Nucleus
BUAD 185Business Communication3
BUAD 210Legal Environment of Business3
BUAD 270Principles of Marketing3
BUAD 360Managerial Finance3
One of the following:3
BUAD 333
Organizational Behavior
BUAD 350
Human Resource Management
Total Credits15

And the following courses:

Course List
Code Title Credits
BUAD 322Financial Planning3
BUAD 402Commercial Bank Management3
BUAD 460Advanced Managerial Finance3
BUAD 461Investments3
BUAD 491Strategic Management3
Two of the following:6
BUAD 380
Commercial Lending & Credit Analysis
BUAD 415
Portfolio Management
ECON 361
Money, Banking, and Financial Markets
Total Credits21

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation.  Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above).  Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued. 

Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
BUAD 101 Business of Life 3
ENG 102 Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) 3
Gen Ed Natural Sciences w/lab 4
HWTR 100 First Year Seminar 1
MATH 140 College Algebra (GT-MA1) 3
 Credits14
Spring
ACC 201 Introduction to Financial Accounting 3
ECON 201 Macroeconomics (GT-SS1) 3
ENG 103 Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) 3
Gen Ed Natural Sciences w/lab 4
Gen Ed Area III 3
 Credits16
Year Two
Fall
ACC 202 Introduction to Managerial Accounting 3
BUAD 185 Business Communication 3
ECON 216 Statistics for Business and Economics 3
Gen Ed Area I 3
Gen Ed Area III 3
 Credits15
Spring
BUAD 220 Spreadsheets and Analysis 3
ECON 202 Microeconomics 3
Gen Ed Area I 3
Gen Ed Area III 3
Elective Elective 3
 Credits15
Year Three
Fall
BUAD 210 Legal Environment of Business 3
BUAD 240 Strategic Negotiations 3
BUAD 270 Principles of Marketing 3
BUAD 360 Managerial Finance 3
ECON 361 Money, Banking, and Financial Markets 3
 Credits15
Spring
BUAD 333
or BUAD 350
Organizational Behavior
or Human Resource Management
3
BUAD 380
or BUAD 415
Commercial Lending & Credit Analysis
or Portfolio Management
3
BUAD 460 Advanced Managerial Finance 3
Elective Elective 6
 Credits15
Summer
BUAD 322 Financial Planning 3
 Credits3
Year Four
Fall
BUAD 402 Commercial Bank Management 3
BUAD 461 Investments 3
Elective Elective 9
 Credits15
Spring
BUAD 491 Strategic Management 3
Elective Elective 9
 Credits12
 Total Credits120

Careers

Take the first steps toward your dream career.

Career preparation is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling role in hundreds of professional fields after graduation.

Ready to apply or learn more about Western today?

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Find Your Career

The data is automatically collected by Lightcast, a firm that sources job market data. The statistics illustrate general trends in U.S. careers, but do not precisely represent every job and salary.

Scholarships

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your scholarships!

Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.

Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.

Find your scholarships!

Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship

The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.

Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.

  • This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
  • Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
  • GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).

Due date has been extended to April 1 for 2023. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.

Apply

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).

Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:

  • This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
  • Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
  • The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
  • The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
  • GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).

The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.

Apply

Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship

The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.

Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).

  • Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
  • The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
  • The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.

The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.

For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.

For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.

Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.

For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.

Get Involved

ICElab

Apply your education to the real-world.

Take your education outside of the classroom—build your professional network, gain practical experience and jump-start your career.

  • Career Fairs: Connect with future employers during the various career fairs in the School of Business and around Colorado.
  • ICELab: The Innovation + Creativity + Entrepreneurship (ICE) Lab on upper campus is a space that provides startups and expanding businesses with the materials and support needed to succeed.
  • Office of Career Success: Business students have a department-specific career services professional.
  • Study Abroad: Experience Harlaxton College in the English Midlands.

Incubating success

A group of students study in the ICElab, an entrepreneurial hub that supports new and growing businesses with coworking spaces,
professional development, and a diverse network of mentors, programs, and opportunities.

News & Research

Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission

Western Earns Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission

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Western Dominates Rocky Mountain Investment Challenge

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Colleges for Business Degrees: Benefits of a BA from Western

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Pair of Western graduates profiled in Careers in Professional Selling magazine

Pair of Western graduates profiled in Careers in Professional Selling magazine

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Western Students Win Second Straight Rocky Mountain Investment Challenge

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Department Information

School of Business

Associate Dean

Paula Mann, CPA

Associate Dean of the School of Business, Assistant Professor of Accounting

Contact Information

970.943.2231

Campus Location

Western Colorado University
Borick Business Building 223
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231

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