Your Future in Finance
Develop the analytical, technical and decision-making skills to understand markets, evaluate opportunities and make smarter financial decisions. Through hands-on learning and Austin industry connections, you’ll build the experience to launch your career in finance.
Why Earn Your Finance Degree at St. Edward’s?
A Finance degree from St. Edward’s combines rigorous financial training with the personalized mentorship, real-world experience and industry connections that help you turn what you learn into a career. As part of the AACSB-accredited Bill Munday School of Business, you’ll prepare to navigate a changing financial landscape with technical expertise, sound judgment and a strong ethical foundation.
Hands On Learning
Experience Finance in Action
Put your skills to work managing investments, analyzing real financial data and tackling real-world business challenges. In the Student-Managed Investment Fund course, you can serve as a fund manager or analyst, make investment recommendations and help manage a real portfolio — building experience that translates directly to the financial world.
Technology and Certifications
Build Your Bloomberg Skills
Learn with the tools finance professionals use in our Trading Lab, featuring 12 Bloomberg terminals. Complete Bloomberg certifications, strengthen your market analysis skills and even compete in the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge, where a St. Edward’s team placed in the top 4% globally in 2025.
Career Preparation
Connect to the Financial World
Gain experience through internships with organizations such as UBS Wealth Management, S&P Global, Frost Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Kestra Financial and NXP Semiconductors. Career events, visiting professionals and the Financial Management Association give you additional opportunities to explore careers, expand your network and connect with the industry.
Support
Learn From Experienced Mentors
In small classes, you’ll learn from faculty who bring academic expertise, industry experience and professional connections into the classroom. Your professors and career mentors will get to know your goals and help you explore pathways in investment analysis, banking, financial planning, consulting, corporate finance and beyond.
Life as a Finance Student at St. Edward's University
As a Finance major, you’ll be part of a close-knit business community where your learning extends well beyond the classroom. Connect with other future finance professionals through the Financial Management Association, meet industry leaders at career and networking events, and work alongside professors who bring real-world financial expertise and connections into your experience.
You’ll have opportunities to test your skills through case competitions, consulting and research projects, Bloomberg certifications and hands-on investment analysis — including the chance to help manage a real portfolio through the Student-Managed Investment Fund.
And Austin becomes an extension of your classroom. Just minutes from downtown, you’ll study in one of the country’s most dynamic business and technology environments, with access to internships and professional connections across banking, investment management, fintech, technology, startups and global companies. All of it comes with the community and personal scale of the Hilltop — a place where you can get involved, build relationships and start creating your own path.
Highly Successful Finance Program
Build your financial expertise through a program designed around experience, industry-relevant skills and career preparation. From managing real investments to earning professional credentials, you’ll graduate ready to put your knowledge to work.
Preparing for Your Future in Finance
Build career-ready experience through internships, investment analysis, faculty-led research and consulting projects, case competitions and other hands-on opportunities. Finance students have interned with organizations including UBS Wealth Management, S&P Global, Frost Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Kestra Financial and NXP Semiconductors. You can also manage real investments through the Student-Managed Investment Fund, sharpen your skills in the Bloomberg-equipped Trading Lab, and connect with professionals through industry events and the Financial Management Association. With Austin’s dynamic business and technology landscape just minutes from campus, you’ll have even more opportunities to build your network and explore where a career in finance can take you.
Making an Impact
Finance alumna Marcela Andrés ’05 has built a career spanning finance, education, entrepreneurship and innovation. After graduating from St. Edward’s, she worked as a consultant and underwriter in Austin before bringing her financial expertise to a new challenge: improving education and strengthening communities.
Today, Marcela is the founder and CEO of designEDengagement, where she leads work focused on student recruitment and enrollment, AI in education, family engagement and community partnerships. Her leadership has taken her from the Hilltop to TEDx and SXSW EDU, and in 2025, she was recognized as one of the Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs.
For Marcela, a foundation in finance became more than preparation for a single career — it gave her the skills to build, lead and create impact in an entirely new field.
Frequently Asked Questions about a Finance Degree from St. Edward's University
As a Finance major, you’ll learn to analyze financial data, evaluate investments and understand how financial markets influence business decisions. You’ll develop skills in corporate finance, portfolio management, risk analysis and investment strategy while learning to use financial tools and data to make informed recommendations.
By graduation, you’ll be prepared to assess financial opportunities, communicate your analysis and apply sound financial judgment to real-world business challenges.
Find what you need to apply and important deadlines. When you are ready, there are three ways for you to apply to St. Edward’s:
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It’s easy to apply using our convenient online application.
Major Requirements:
The BBA in Finance requires 66–67 hours of major coursework.
General Education Requirements:
All majors require 44 hours of general education that students complete over four years, in addition to their major courses.
View and download the full degree plan for our Finance major (PDF)
A few examples of the Finance courses students take:
- Intermediate Financial Management – Study corporate finance theories and examine how they apply to corporate decisions in the areas of capital structure, working capital, corporate structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and more.
- Investment Principles and Analysis – Analyze investment vehicles and consider investment decisions in the context of risk-return analysis. Discuss security market operation and portfolio management.
- Financial Institutions and Markets – Develop an understanding of money and capital markets; the flow of funds in the economy; the role of credit; the term structure of interest rates; risk management; regulation and deregulation; and financial crises.
- Special Topics in Finance: Student Managed Investment Fund – The Student-Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) course offers finance majors a unique, hands-on experience in managing a real investment portfolio. Students will take on the roles of fund managers and analysts making investment recommendations intended to achieve long-term growth. This course covers the essential principles of portfolio management, financial analysis, and investment strategies. Additionally, the course considers ethical aspects in investing. Throughout the semester, students will work collaboratively in teams, present their investment recommendations to an advisory board, and provide regular performance reports. The course is designed to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application, preparing students for careers in finance, investment management, and related fields.
Yes. More than thirty industry certifications are embedded in the BBA curriculum, including credentials from Bloomberg, Microsoft, Google and LinkedIn, ensuring our graduates are career-ready. In addition, finance students are encouraged to set a goal of obtaining a professional certification after graduation. Such certifications can further establish their credibility and expertise in an area of specialty.
These can include:
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) – This credential has become the most respected and recognized investment designation in the world.
- Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) – This certificate program is for those who want to develop advanced, globally relevant, practice-based investment performance and risk evaluation skills.
Finance students gain relevant work experience in internships and local, national and even international organizations during their time at St. Edward’s. Many serve as campus and community leaders, obtaining the skills they need to advance in their careers post-graduation.
Internships
Finance students make huge contributions at their respective internship sites. They assist with data mining and mapping, analyze financial data, and develop predictive metrics. They put complex financial concepts to practice, such as modern portfolio theory, portfolio development and investor behavior. These experiences prepare them for both the job search and graduate school. Our students intern at organizations such as UBS Wealth Management, S&P Global, Frost Bank, BBVA Compass, Merrill Lynch, Chase, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Kestra Financial, Tech Ranch and NXP Semiconductors.
Financial Management Association International (FMA)
Student organizations, like the FMA, offer Finance students the opportunity to connect with local professionals. In addition to hosting speaker series and other events, the FMA sponsors the FMA National Honor Society, the only international honor that specifically recognizes the achievement of Finance majors and demonstrates their expertise in areas such as financial economics and decision-making.
Our distinguished faculty members are scholar-practitioners with years of industry experience in their areas of expertise. They are actively engaged in their fields, and many have close ties with Austin-area businesses. This helps expose students to real-world business situations and connects them to valuable opportunities for learning and growth.
“My two main objectives are to teach students skills they need to be successful in their personal and professional lives, and to teach them how to think critically and analytically.”
– Camelia Rotaru, PhD, Chair, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance; Professor of Finance
View a list of our faculty members and their contact information on the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance webpage.
Learn About Admissions and Financial Aid
At The Bill Munday School of Business, one of only about 25% of business schools in the United States accredited by AACSB International, you’ll learn in small classes with professors who bring extensive industry and professional experience into the classroom. Through hands-on projects, case studies, and experiential learning, you’ll strengthen both your technical expertise and professional communication skills.