Finance (Financial Analyst) - Bachelor of Business Administration

Finance is the crossroads of economics, strategy and accounting, and the study of how firms and individuals allocate resources over time and under uncertain conditions. The finance curriculum provides a core foundation in corporate finance, investments, and financial institutions. The theory and concepts are then applied to problem-solving in a variety of areas including financial markets and institutions, corporate finance, international financial management, stock valuation and portfolio allocation, fixed-income markets, derivatives, risk management and insurance, and entrepreneurial finance.

Courses in the BBA in Finance are organized into four concentrations: Financial Analyst, Banking and Financial Planning, Risk Management and Insurance, and Entrepreneurial Finance. Students may pursue one or more concentrations. If a student chooses not to pursue a concentration, they may select four courses from any concentration or any BFIN prefix above BFIN 310.

Requirements

Completion of the courses listed below (including any prerequisites) with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in these courses. At least twelve of the credits for the major must be completed at NMSU.

Students must complete all University degree requirements, which include: General Education requirements, Viewing a Wider World requirements, and elective credits to total at least 120 credits with 48 credits in courses numbered 300 or above. Developmental coursework will not count towards the degree requirements and/or elective credits, but may be needed in order to take the necessary English and Mathematics coursework.

Prefix Title Credits
General Education
Grades of C- or better are required in general education communications courses
Area I: Communications
English Composition Level - 1
Choose one from the following:4
Composition I4
Composition I4
Composition I4
English Composition - Level 2
ENGL 2210GProfessional & Technical Communication3
Oral Communication
Choose one from the following:3
Effective Leadership and Communication in Agriculture3
Introduction to Communication3
Public Speaking3
Introduction to Communication Honors3
Area II: Mathematics
MATH 1220GCollege Algebra 13
Area III/IV: Laboratory Sciences and Social/Behavioral Sciences
Area III: Laboratory Sciences 24
Grades of C- or better are required in ECON 2110G and ECON 2120G.
ECON 2110GMacroeconomic Principles3
ECON 2120GPrinciples of Microeconomics 3
Area V: Humanities 23
Area VI: Creative and Fine Arts 23
General Education Elective 23
Viewing A Wider World 36
Departmental/College Requirements
Foundation Requirements
MATH 1430GApplications of Calculus I3
Choose one from the following (grade of C- or better required):
If MATH 1350G is taken before MATH 1220G then the Statistics course will Satisfy the Area II Requirement for Gen.Ed and MATH 1220G must be taken as a foundation requirement 13
Introduction to Statistics3
Statistical Applications3
Business Core: Lower Division (minimum grades of C- required)
ACCT 2110Principles of Accounting I3
ACCT 2120Principles of Accounting II3
BCIS 1110Introduction to Information Systems3
BUSA 1110Intro to Business3
Business Core: Upper Division
BCIS 338Business Information Systems I3
BLAW 316Legal Environment of Business3
BFIN 341Financial Analysis and Markets3
MGMT 309Human Behavior in Organizations3
MGMT 449Strategic Management3
MKTG 303Principles of Marketing3
Choose one of the following:3
Enterprise Resource Planning3
Production and Operations Management3
Project Management in Organizations3
Upper division Economics or Applied Statistics elective from the following prefixes: A ST (excluding A ST 311), ECON3
Upper Division Business Elective from the following prefixes: A ST, ACCT, B A, BCIS, BLAW, ECON, ENTR, BFIN, I B, MGMT, MKTG (exlcuding A ST 311)3
Major Courses
BFIN 355Investments3
BFIN 360Financial Information Technology3
BFIN 385Analysis of Financial Markets and Institutions3
BFIN 406Theory of Financial Decisions3
Twelve credits from:12
Financial Analyst Concentration (12 credits from the following)
Financial Futures Markets3
Investment Analysis3
Fixed Income Markets, Instruments and Derivatives3
Derivative Markets and Securities3
Real Estate Appraisal3
International Managerial Finance3
Finance Internship and Cooperative Education I1-3
Independent Study1-3
or
Four courses from any BFIN prefix above BFIN 310 or from any concentration below, for students not wishing to declare a concentration
Second Language: (not required)
Electives, to bring the total credits to 120 413
Total Credits120
1

Students may be required to takeMATH 1215 Intermediate Algebra, depending on their math placement. MATH 1220G College Algebra or MATH 1430G Applications of Calculus I or MATH 1350G Introduction to Statistics fulfills the general education requirement in math.

2

 See the General Education section of the catalog for a full list of courses.

3

See the Viewing a Wider World section of the catalog for a full list of courses.

4

Elective credit may vary based on prerequisites, dual credit, AP credit, double majors, and/or minor coursework. The amount indicated in the requirements list is the amount needed to bring the total to 120 credits and may appear in variable form based on the degree. However students may end up needing to complete more or less on a case-by-case basis and students should discuss elective requirements with their advisor.

Every candidate for this major must fulfill the general education common core, College of Business foundation and business core, Viewing a Wider World requirements and general electives, in addition to the requirement for the major. Given below is a suggested study plan for a student pursuing a Finance major. If a student chooses to pursue one or more than one concentration, they should choose the electives that pertain to the concentration. If students choose not to pursue a concentration, they may take courses from any concentration or from any BFIN prefix above BFIN 310. 

A Suggested Plan of Study for Students

Plan of Study Grid
Junior
FallCredits
BFIN 341 Financial Analysis and Markets 3
BFIN elective 3
 Credits6
Spring
BFIN 355 Investments 3
BFIN 360 Financial Information Technology 3
BFIN 385 Analysis of Financial Markets and Institutions 3
 Credits9
Senior
Fall
BFIN 406 Theory of Financial Decisions 3
BFIN elective 3
 Credits6
Spring
BFIN elective 3
BFIN elective 3
 Credits6
 Total Credits27