Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Nature of the Program
Finance is the study of the creation and management of wealth and the allocation of resources in capital markets. A finance major learns how to evaluate and control risk, appropriately price new projects, perform capital expansion for firms, and maximize returns from investments. The finance program prepares students for a variety of positions in financial enterprises. Areas of Emphasis within the major are aligned with career opportunities existing in investments, wealth management, corporate valuation and management, personal finance, insurance, risk management, energy finance and commercial banking.
People with degrees in finance have careers such as:
- Financial Manager
- Commercial Banker
- Credit Manager
- Financial Analyst
- Financial Planner
- Institutional Portfolio Manager
- Insurance and Risk Manager
- Insurance Underwriter
- Investment Banker
- Loan Officer
Faculty
Department Chairperson
- Ann Marie Hibbert - Ph.D., Florida International University
Behavioral Finance, Corporate Finance, Fixed Income Securities, Derivative Securities
Professors
- Victor Chow - Ph.D., CFA (University of Alabama)
Investments, Portfolio Management. - Ann Marie Hibbert - Ph.D. (Florida International University)
Behavioral Finance, Corporate Finance, Fixed Income Securities, Derivative Securities. - Alexander Kurov - Ph.D., CFA (Binghamton University (SUNY))
Financial Market Microstructure, Futures Markets. - Paul J. Speaker - Ph.D. (Purdue University)
Corporate Finance, Public Sector Financial Management, Business Valuation, and Business of Forensics.
Associate Professors
- Ashok Abbott - Ph.D. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
Financial Institutions, Corporate Finance, and Mergers and Acquisitions. - Ruiyuan Chen - Ph.D. (University of South Carolina)
Empirical Corporate Finance, Banking, International Finance, Government Ownership. - Pawan Jain - Ph.D, CFA, CFP (University of Memphis)
market microstructure, REITs, Corporate Governance, FinTech. - Bingxin Li - Ph.D. (University of Houston)
Derivatives Modeling, Financial Risk Management, Empirical Asset Pricing, and Energy Finance. - Sabatino (Dino) Silveri - Ph.D. (Arizona State University)
Empirical Corporate Finance, Financial Institutions, Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Governance, Executive Compensation, Market Microstructure - He (Helen) Wang - Ph. D. (University of South Carolina)
Corporate Finance, International Finance, Corporate Social Responsibility. - Gulnara Zaynutdinova - Ph.D. (Washington State University)
Empirical Asset Pricing, Institutional Investors, Mutual Funds and Investor Behavior.
Teaching Assistant Professors
- Jiahao Gu - Ph.D., CFA (West Virginia University)
Principles of Finance, Financial Markets and Institutions, and Portfolio Theory - Robert (Brant) Hammer - M.S. (West Virginia University)
Applied Investment Management, Financial Institutions, Principles of Finance, Corporate Finance, and FinTech
Clinical instructor
- Kaitlin Nickasch - M.S. (West Virginia University)
General Insurance, Property and Liability Insurance, Life and Health Insurance
Service Assistant Professor
- Michael Zhao - M.S. (West Virginia University)
Emeriti
- Naomi Boyd
- Howard L. Brewer
- William B. Riley
- Frederick C. Scherr
Admissions for 2025-2026
For specific information regarding the admissions requirements for First Time Freshmen to the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, please visit Chambers admissions.
Students who are direct admitted to the major as first-time freshmen must possess an overall university GPA of at least 2.5 and have completed the course prerequisites listed in the table below with minimum grade of C-, unless otherwise noted, to be eligible to enroll in upper-division course work.
Students who are not direct admitted to the major (i.e. Business) will declare the major at the beginning of the semester in which they satisfy the course prerequisites listed below. Applicants also must possess an overall GPA of at least 2.5 to be considered for admission to the major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 201 & ACCT 202 | Principles of Accounting 1 and Principles of Accounting 2 | 6 |
| BCOR 121 | Introduction to Business Applications | 2 |
| ECON 201 & ECON 202 | Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics * | 6 |
| ECON 225 | Elementary Business and Economics Statistics | 3 |
| or STAT 211 | Elementary Statistical Inference | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
| Accelerated Academic Writing | ||
| Choose one of the following; a minimum of C- is needed in MATH 150 or D- in MATH 154 or MATH 155 | 3-4 | |
| Algebra with Applications and Applied Calculus | ||
| Pre-Calculus Mathematics and Calculus 1 ** | ||
| Applied Calculus ** | ||
| Calculus 1a with Precalculus and Calculus 1b with Precalculus | ||
| Calculus 1 ** | ||
| Total Hours | 23-27 | |
- *
A minimum grade of B- is required in ECON 201 and ECON 202 for admission to the program.
- **
A minimum grade of C- is required in MATH 150 for admission to the program. A minimum grade of D- in MATH 154 or a higher college calculus course satisfies the calculus requirement for admission to the program.
Major Code: 2142
Click here to view the Suggested Plan of Study
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Degree Requirements
To qualify for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration students must meet the following criteria:
- Complete a minimum of 120 credit hours.
- Possess an overall GPA of 2.0.
- Possess a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all major courses, calculated using all attempted GPA hours unless excluded by the D/F repeat policy.
- The John Chambers College of Business and Economics accepts all baccalaureate transferable course work completed at public and private colleges in West Virginia and other regionally accredited institutions. Since the College is AACSB accredited, upper-division courses (courses equivalent to 300/400 level at WVU) must be evaluated by the Dean or designee before they may count toward business core, major core and major restricted electives in the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration or Bachelor of Science in Economics program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 31 | |
| Program Requirements | 26 | |
| Business Core Requirements | 33 | |
| Finance Major Requirements | 30 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 | 16 | |
| BCOR 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 14 | |
| Total Hours | 31 | |
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 201 | Principles of Accounting 1 (Minimum grade of C-) | 3 |
| ACCT 202 | Principles of Accounting 2 (Minimum grade of C-) | 3 |
| BCOR 121 | Introduction to Business Applications (Minimum grade of C-) | 2 |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics (Minimum grade of B-; may fulfill GEF 4) | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics (Minimum grade of B-; may fulfill GEF 8) | 3 |
| Select one of the following (Minimum Grade of C-; may fulfill GEF 8): | 3 | |
| Elementary Business and Economics Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistical Inference | ||
| Select one of the following (Minimum Grade of C-; may fulfill GEF 1): | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
| Accelerated Academic Writing | ||
| Select one of the following; minimum grade of C- in MATH 150 or D- in MATH 154 or higher; (may fulfill GEF 3): | 3-8 | |
| Algebra with Applications and Applied Calculus | ||
| Pre-Calculus Mathematics and Calculus 1 | ||
| Applied Calculus | ||
| Calculus 1a with Precalculus and Calculus 1b with Precalculus | ||
| Calculus 1 | ||
| Total Hours | 26 | |
Business Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENTR 102 | Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| BCOR 199 | Introduction to Business | 3 |
| BCOR 299 | Business Communication (Fulfills Writing and Communication Skills Requirement) | 3 |
| BCOR 320 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BCOR 330 | Information Systems and Technology | 3 |
| BCOR 340 | Principles of Finance (Minimum grade of B- to advance to FIN courses, except FIN 350) | 3 |
| BCOR 350 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BCOR 360 | Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| BCOR 370 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| BCOR 380 | Business Ethics | 3 |
| BCOR 460 | Contemporary Business Strategy | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Finance Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Possess a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all major courses, calculated using all attempted GPA hours unless excluded by the D/F repeat policy. | ||
| FIN 305 | Intermediate Finance (B- or better in BCOR 340) | 3 |
| FIN 310 | Investments (B- or better in BCOR 340) | 3 |
| FIN 315 | Financial Data Analytics (B- or better in BCOR 340) | 3 |
| FIN 320 | Financial Statements Analysis (B- or better in BCOR 340) | 3 |
| FIN 330 | Financial Institutions (B- or better in BCOR 340) | 3 |
| FIN 350 | General Insurance | 3 |
| Required Area of Emphasis | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- *
FIN 491, Professional Field Experience, may not be used to fulfill finance elective credit. A maximum of six credit hours of professional field experience may be counted towards the 120 credit hours required for the degree.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOR 199 | 3 | ACCT 201 | 3 |
| BCOR 191 | 1 | ECON 201 (GEF 4) | 3 |
| BCOR 121 | 2 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| Select one of the following (GEF 3): | 3 | Select one of the following: | 3 |
| GEF (Choose from F2B, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 | ||
| ENTR 102 | 3 | ||
| GEF (Choose from F2B, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ACCT 202 | 3 | BCOR 299 | 3 |
| ECON 202 (GEF 8) | 3 | BCOR 330 | 3 |
| ECON 225 (GEF 8) | 3 | BCOR 340 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | BCOR 370 | 3 |
| GEF (Choose from F2B, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 | FIN 350 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BCOR 350 | 3 | BCOR 320 | 3 |
| BCOR 360 | 3 | BCOR 380 | 3 |
| FIN 305 | 3 | FIN 310 | 3 |
| FIN 320 | 3 | FIN 315 | 3 |
| FIN 330 | 3 | GEF (Choose from F2B, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Area of Emphasis | 3 | BCOR 460 | 3 |
| Area of Emphasis | 3 | Area of Emphasis | 3 |
| GEF (Choose from F2B, F5, F6, F7 or F8) | 3 | Area of Emphasis | 3 |
| Minor or General Electives | 6 | Minor or General Electives | 6 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Areas of Emphasis Offered:
- Banking
- Corporate Finance and Valuation
- Energy Finance
- Financial Planning
- General Finance
- Investments
- Risk Management and Insurance
Banking Area of Emphasis
The Banking Area of Emphasis prepares finance majors for successful careers in the banking industry. Graduates will be familiar with the composition of this sector, its regulatory environment, and factors influencing commercial bank performance.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIN 460 | Bank Management | 3 |
| FIN 461 | Applied Bank Management | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Options, Futures and Other Derivatives | ||
| Business Valuation | ||
| Mergers and Acquisitions | ||
| Advanced Financial Statement Analysis | ||
| Applied Investment Management | ||
| International Finance | ||
| Advanced Topics in Financial Planning | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Corporate Finance and Valuation Area of Emphasis
The Corporate Finance/Valuation Area of Emphasis prepares finance majors for successful careers in financial management for private and public corporations, valuation, and entrepreneurial enterprises. Graduates also meet the professional standards required for the Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) certification.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIN 420 | Business Valuation (minimum grade of B-) | 3 |
| FIN 421 | Mergers and Acquisitions (minimum grade of B-) | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Advanced Financial Statement Analysis | ||
| Advanced Corporate Finance | ||
| International Finance | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Energy Finance Area of Emphasis
The Energy Finance Area of Emphasis prepares students for jobs in the energy sector. The energy market is big, it's global, and so are its challenges. Its capital needs are second to none. The transition to clean energy adds to its challenges and opportunities. Students are trained for jobs in financial engineering, funding, commodity trading, project proforma modeling, deal structuring, and risk analysis.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIN 411 | Options, Futures and Other Derivatives | 3 |
| FIN 430 | Energy Financial Economics | 3 |
| FIN 431 | Energy Law and Regulations | 3 |
| FIN 432 | Energy Financial Accounting | 3 |
| FIN 433 | Energy Financial Risk Management | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Financial Planning Area of Emphasis
The Financial Planning Area of Emphasis provides students with a strong foundation for becoming a practicing financial planner. The curriculum meets the educational requirements for the Certified Financial Planning designation (CFP).
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIN 370 | Personal Finance | 3 |
| FIN 452 | Employee Benefit Plans | 3 |
| FIN 453 | Estate and Tax Planning for Financial Advisors | 3 |
| FIN 485 | Advanced Topics in Financial Planning | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
General Finance Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Finance Electives * | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
- *
The General Finance area of emphasis is available to Finance majors who do not meet the requirements of other Finance Major areas of emphasis.
Investments Area of Emphasis
The Investments Area of Emphasis prepares students for careers in the very dynamic asset management industry. These include roles such as research analysts, traders, financial analysts, investment bankers portfolio managers and chief investment officers.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Security Analysis and Portfolio Management | ||
| Options, Futures and Other Derivatives | ||
| Business Valuation | ||
| Applied Investment Management (Course may be repeated once for a total of 6 credits) | ||
| International Finance | ||
| Advanced Topics in Financial Planning | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Risk Management and Insurance Area of Emphasis
The Risk Management and Insurance area of emphasis prepares students for practices and procedures in the business of corporate risk management and insurance industry operations.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Life and Health Insurance | ||
| Employee Benefit Plans | ||
| Estate and Tax Planning for Financial Advisors | ||
| Property and Liability Insurance | ||
| Risk Management | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Major Learning Outcomes
Finance
The undergraduate finance curriculum offers rigorous study and investigation of a variety of topics related to financial markets, decision making, products, and institutions. Within the undergraduate finance major, we subscribe to the following learning goals for each of our undergraduate students.
- Competence in core technical areas
- Knowledge of financial markets and institutions
- Ability to value and analyze financial products and firms
- Execute financial decisions for firms and individuals that demonstrate an understanding of risk and return