What is Finance?
The Finance major at Bellarmine combines accounting and economics by taking information and data from the business environment and applying economic analysis to the issues and data we observe.
Common career paths for graduates with a Finance degree include banking, consulting, financial planning, insurance, corporate finance, investment banking, and more.
What makes Bellarmine鈥檚 approach to Finance stand out?
Finance students at Bellarmine have valuable exposure to the liberal arts disciplines of philosophy, English, history, mathematics, and political science that develop them into the well-rounded thinkers that businesses want.
This program also offers an opportunity for students to complete the undergraduate Finance degree along with an MBA in five years, giving them a distinct advantage in the workforce.
The Student Perspective
Diana Fernandez-Davila is a senior triple majoring in Finance, Economics, and Accounting.
Fernandez-Davila took advantage of internship opportunities to explore potential career
paths and has already secured a job after graduation as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers,
one of the Big Four accounting firms.
Here鈥檚 what Fernandez-Davila had to say about her experience in the Finance program.
Q: How has your experience in this program helped you prepare for life after Bellarmine?
DFD: The Finance and Accounting majors really encourage you to get an internship while you鈥檙e in school, and that鈥檚 great because you get to see what you鈥檙e doing before you get into the workforce. You get to go out there and see what your life could be like and if you like the field. I really enjoyed having internships and seeing what I liked and what I didn鈥檛 like before getting into the workforce.
Q: What type of internships have you done?
DFD: I did CPA internships, and I did three of them鈥攐ne in tax, two in audit. In the beginning I knew I probably wouldn鈥檛 want to do tax, so I did an internship just to rule it out completely. It was good because then I could focus on getting an audit full-time job because I knew tax wasn鈥檛 an option. All three internships were great. They usually pay pretty well, they鈥檙e flexible with school hours, and you get hands-on experience.
Q: What is the relationship like with professors in this department?
DFD: Anytime I have questions I know I can schedule a meeting or pop in any professor鈥檚 office. They鈥檙e usually available and they want to help you. It鈥檚 nice to have them know you and not have to go every semester reintroducing yourself and trying to get to know the professors. Usually, I have a few repeat professors every semester, so that鈥檚 nice.
Q: Do you think the closer relationship with faculty makes it easier to get internships and build a professional network?
DFD: It has. Even getting my internships, I think all three places I worked have been Bellarmine alums who interviewed me, so it鈥檚 been a lot easier to get a foot in the door. I wasn鈥檛 as nervous in the interviews because I knew I had common ground, I had something we could talk about if all else failed.
Q: How would you describe the learning environment at Bellarmine and in the Finance department specifically?
DFD: The learning environment is really great. I always stay on campus to study because I find it better to be able to [focus], and then again if I have any questions I know where [professors鈥橾 offices are, they鈥檙e usually open. I鈥檓 always sitting on the second floor where the Business school is and Dr. Fairfield always says hi to me and [asks me how I鈥檓 doing], so it鈥檚 really nice to have that communication and that relationship with professors.
Q: How has Bellarmine鈥檚 liberal arts focus influenced your Finance studies?
DFD: It鈥檚 been nice to get classes that I wouldn鈥檛 have taken otherwise if they hadn鈥檛 been required, so it鈥檚 been nice to get theology and philosophy and different ways of thinking. It鈥檚 been nice to see the other side of [things], not just numbers and finance.
Q: Do you think those courses help you on the Finance side of things?
DFD: I think so. In finance it鈥檚 great to have psychology and stuff like that to see different perspectives, but even outside of finance it鈥檚 good to be well-rounded in general, like being able to talk about different things鈥攜ou never want to be left out or feel like you don鈥檛 know something.
Q: Can you describe the academic support systems in this major, whether from faculty, student-led initiatives, or university programs?
DFD: The support system has been great. I was a tutor for accounting, which is one of the classes required for Finance, so I know if you need help there鈥檚 always the Tutoring Center for you to go to. Again, the professors are always open, they鈥檙e more than happy to help you. And then I鈥檝e always enjoyed studying in a group, I鈥檝e just found it better to stay motivated. There are always people that are going to want to study and get together and talk about the classes.
Q: What would you say to a prospective student interested in studying Finance at Bellarmine?
DFD: I would say that it鈥檚 a great degree to get, especially here at Bellarmine. You鈥檙e going to have great career opportunities, you鈥檙e going to have a solid foundation in finance, accounting, and economics鈥攊t鈥檚 very well-rounded.
Q: Do you feel like your experience in this program has helped you find a purpose or calling for life after college?
DFD: I think so. I think Finance has given me good peace of mind because I know I鈥檓 going to have a good education to get a good career. I know the job market can sometimes be an issue, but if it ever were I think I have a good education and a good diploma, so I don鈥檛 have to worry as much. I鈥檝e had a great experience at Bellarmine.
The Faculty Perspective
Dr. Brad Stevenson is an Associate Professor of Finance with an MBA and a Ph.D. in
Finance from the University of Cincinnati. His research interests include financial
markets and institutions with an emphasis on institutional efficiency, institutional
risk, and monitoring ability.
Stevenson says a major advantage of the Finance program is its interdisciplinary approach, providing students with a well-rounded understanding of the field.
鈥淔inance is a blend of economics and accounting. As such, the Finance major at Bellarmine is interdisciplinary. Our students take finance, economics, and accounting classes beyond the business core as part of their major. This gives them a strong background in all three disciplines. Our majors are especially well-versed in accounting and economics compared to Finance majors from other institutions,鈥� Stevenson says.
Finance students have access to a wide variety of paid internships, which offer both real-world experience as an extension of the classroom and an opportunity to explore potential career paths. Stevenson says Finance students are also encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities like the Economics, Finance, and Investment Club, which hosts speakers from financial industries and runs a student-led investment fund where students can gain real investment experience.
Bellarmine鈥檚 liberal arts approach is also a difference maker setting it apart from other Finance programs. Stevenson says this approach gives Bellarmine Finance graduates an advantage by ensuring they have a comprehensive education beyond their area of focus, preparing them for success in both their career and in life.
鈥淟ike all degrees at Bellarmine, the Finance major is grounded in the liberal arts tradition. Not only will students learn about finance, they will become better critical thinkers, communicators, and ethical leaders. This prepares them not only for their first job out of college, but also for their career beyond that first job.鈥�
Visit the Finance program page for more information including program highlights and career opportunities.