Finance

If you enjoy math, statistics, data analytics, and solving complex problems, finance offers an exciting way to apply those strengths in the real world. Finance professionals use analytical thinking to evaluate investments, forecast market trends, manage risk, and help businesses and individuals make informed financial decisions.

As a finance major, you’ll deepen your finance expertise through engaging coursework to sharpen your quantitative skills. You’ll also learn how financial markets, companies, and economies operate and graduate with practical skills you can apply to a range of finance careers.

In addition to earning a general finance degree, you can choose from two optional concentrations:

• Asset Management
• Financial Planning and Wealth Management

Finance can be about more than managing money for businesses. A finance degree gives you the tools to make a meaningful impact in your community. Many students are drawn to finance because they’ve seen firsthand how financial challenges can affect businesses and communities, and they want to be part of the solution.

A hallmark of the Finance major at Ithaca College is our emphasis on experiential learning. From your first year forward, you'll apply financial concepts through real-world projects, industry-standard technology, investment analysis, and professional experiences that prepare you for careers in investment banking, asset management, corporate finance, financial planning, and beyond. As a finance student, you'll have opportunities to:

• Use our state-of-the-art Trading Room and professional finance software, including live market and trading simulations.
• Manage a portion of the South Hill Fund, a student-run investment portfolio valued at nearly $1 million.
• Develop and deliver an investment pitch in New York City to finance professionals.
• Attend the Global Asset Management for Education conference to listen to Federal Reserve Presidents, industry leaders, and investment professionals from some of the most elite investment houses.
• Join Beta Alpha Psi, the premier international honor society for finance, accounting, and business analytics students.
• Network with alumni and industry leaders while exploring career opportunities in major financial centers.

More than 90% of our students graduate with jobs in firms from San Francisco to Boston and with job titles such as junior analyst, client service associate, junior financial manager, and real estate analyst. Examples of firms include:

• Bank of America (Merrill)
• Berkshire Hathaway
• Corning
• Fidelity Investments
• Freddie Mac / Freddie Mae
• Goldman Sachs
• JPMorgan Chase
• Morgan Stanley