The Finance Program offers two bachelor degree programs to the students, which are also described in detail in the JMU catalog:

• BBA in Finance
• BS in Quantitative Finance

The majority of finance students are in the BBA in Finance program, which offers a strong foundation in the principles of valuation, financial statement analysis, and the concepts behind sound financial decision making.

The successful finance student must have strong analytical skills and the ability to write and speak clearly and convincingly. Both the required and elective courses in the finance major help develop these skills. Many finance courses require the use of spreadsheets, statistical packages, graphics programs, presentation software, data modeling software, and word processing. Using these computer programs will aid in the development of the skills necessary for a degree that is marketable in the business community.

A capstone course is required in the last semester of the BBA in finance degree program regardless of the finance track chosen. The capstone course incorporates all the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the program. Students will be required to apply financial knowledge and integrate knowledge from all the other disciplines of study. This integration will aid the development of sound and effective decision-making skills.

You will be expected to read publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Financial Times, to ensure you are knowledgeable about current events in finance. These readings will enhance your learning experience by showing "real life" applications of financial theories at work.