Finance


A finance degree from KU will prepare you to work in a variety of fields, including corporate finance, investment banking, commercial banking, asset management, real estate and personal financial planning. Your general business education, as well as your specific training in finance, will prepare you for competitive jobs.

Finance Department website

Sample of Related Skills

  • Access and analyze financial statements to evaluate the financial health of the firm and the strategies it employs to create value for its shareholders  

     
  • Develop and apply financial modeling skills for the valuation of the firm and of individual capital assets, securities, and other investment vehicles  

     
  • Apply principles of asset allocation and diversification to formulate portfolio strategies   

     
  • Understand the characteristics of the principle asset classes and key securities to be able to evaluate their appropriateness as investments in a broad range of portfolio applications  

     
  • Understand concepts like the time value of money, the risk/expected return relationships and asset-class and security diversification, to construct an investment portfolio that satisfies a hypothetical client’s objectives and constraints  

     
  • Demonstrate knowledge of major domestic and global financial institutions and the role of those institutions in the global economy and financial markets  

     
  • Develop preliminary working knowledge of the Standards of Practice and Codes of Conduct of financial practitioners (CFA, CFP, etc.) and use them to address ethical challenges that may be presented in a professional setting 

Popular Career Paths

Corporate Finance: Refers to the financial activities of a private business including analyzing revenue and expenses to contribute to an effective use of capital, advising managers about project costs, making capital investments, and helping companies grow

Investment Banking: Involves underwriting, trading securities (stocks and bonds), providing financial advisory services (such as mergers and acquisition advice), financing of deals, and managing assets

Commercial Banking: Entails a range of activities from sales, investment banking and trading, analyzing credit, and approving loans

Asset Management: Involves managing the money of clients to achieve specific financial objectives within guidelines under which an investment pool is organized

Real Estate: Involves such areas as development, construction, leasing, and financial transactions

Personal Financial Planning: Entails helping clients make decisions about long-term financial issues to achieve their financial goals 

Jobs to Consider

Places to Seek Employment

  • Apartment Complexes
  • Appraisal Firms
  • Brokerage Firms
  • Captive Finance Companies
  • Commercial Banks
  • Credit Unions
  • Developers
  • Federal Agencies
  • Federal Reserve Banks
  • Financial Partnerships
  • Foundations
  • Hedge Funds
  • Hospitals
  • Commercial Banks
  • Credit Unions
  • Developers
  • Real Estate Brokers
  • Real Estate Investment Trusts
  • Regulatory Agencies
  • Savings & Loan Associations
  • Investment Banks
  • Mortgage Banks
  • Multi-line Insurance Firms
  • Mutual Funds
  • Private Equity Funds
  • Insurance Firms
  • Hedge Funds
  • Insurance firms
  • Investment Banks
  • Mortgage Banks
  • Schools and Universities
  • Sole Practitioners
  • State and Local Governments
  • Trust Companies
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • Private Banking
  • Private Businesses
  • Foundations
  • Financial Partnerships 

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