Finance

Finance

As a kid, did you like the idea of saving or investing your allowance? Do movements in the financial markets fascinate you? Dreaming of a career on Wall Street? Then a bachelor’s degree in finance at The University of Scranton may be one of the best investments you'll ever make.

About

Finance focuses on risk and return. It is described as the science and art of managing money.

Why Finance is in Demand:

  • According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, due to a “growing range of financial products and the need for in-depth knowledge of geographic regions” finance positions are growing faster than the average for employment in the United States.
  • The job outlook for financial analysts is expected to grow 6%, and 17% for financial managers from 2020-2030. (Occupational Outlook Handbook)
  • In May 2021, the median pay for financial managers was $131,7100, and $81,4100 for financial analysts, according to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Occupational Outlook Handbook)

Is it for me?

  • Would your teachers describe you as a logical thinker?
  • Do you have a strong work ethic?
  • Do you enjoy analyzing numerical data?

Five Reasons to Choose Scranton for Finance

1.
Outstanding reputation.   Scranton's Kania School of Management is accredited by AACSB-International, setting the gold standard for business school accreditation. Fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide hold this prestigious distinction.
2.
Nationally recognized.   Scranton is nationally ranked among the “Best Undergraduate Business Schools” by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, our Kania School of Management has been included in The Princeton Review’s “Best Business Schools” for 16 consecutive years.
3.
Experience Wall Street in Scranton.   Here’s your chance for truly experiential learning with stock and foreign-currency markets through our Alperin Financial Center, a state-of-the-art financial center that simulates a trading floor. Dr. Jordan Petsas takes students there to gather data for group projects and Dr. Aram Balagyozyan takes students there every time the Fed meets.
4.
Small university.   Students appreciate the close-knit campus community where classes are limited to no more than 30 students. Professors get to know students on an individual level and become advisors inside and outside the classroom. Many alums credit their finance professors with helping them land their first job.
5.
Exceptional faculty with valuable connections.   You’ll learn from some of the best faculty and staff in the industry who are dedicated teachers and active researchers. All of our finance instructors hold doctoral degrees and several hold additional designations including the CFA Charter. In addition, they bring industry experience and real-world connections through their diverse backgrounds in banking, auditing and consulting. Our full-time instructors were educated at leading institutions both in the U.S. and overseas (including China, India, Pakistan, and Greece) and, as a result, students experience a variety of perspectives and backgrounds.

Many students come to The University of Scranton to learn finance, financial management and investments because they are attracted by its unrivalled facilities. Brennan Hall has the latest equipment in the labs, Bloomberg terminals in the Alperin Trading Room, and the high quality teaching facilities in the classrooms. When they leave, they remember the quality of professors. The students are well prepared for the real world challenges.

-Riaz Hussain, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

  • Preparing You For Personal & Professional Successplus or minus

    A degree in finance from The University of Scranton earns you “career capital” in the job market. Our graduates are distinguished and valued by employers for their: 

    • Analytical and critical thinking skills
    • Written and oral communications
    • Interpersonal skills
    • Self-awareness
    • Commitment to ethics and social values

    In addition to dissecting case studies and participating in faculty-led discussions, classes feature guest speakers from prominent firms such as JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley. Students not only have the opportunity to meet potential employers, they polish their social skills and learn how to network effectively.

    Internships:

    Your time at college is exciting, but also a bit nerve-racking. There are so many career options to consider. How do you know if you are going in the right direction? What is the best way to find your dream job?

    The answer? Internships. For many of our students, they provide an opportunity to make valued connections and gain practical experiences in their field.  There’s far less risk involved with a three-month summer internship than shaking hands on a permanent job offer after graduation. We strongly encourage our students to pursue internships with these reasons in mind.

    Here are just some of the companies where you can explore possibilities while gaining valuable experience:

    • AXA Equitable
    • Bloomberg LP
    • Federal Reserve Board
    • Morgan Stanley
  • What You'll Learnplus or minus

    Curriculum

    Our curriculum is rigorous and designed to equip you with a solid foundation in the fundamentals of finance and capital markets.

    Students learn the key principles of financial management, such as:

    • Management of daily cash flow
    • Investment techniques
    • Portfolio management
    • International finance 

    Specialized courses – such as Fixed Income Securities – are based on the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) curriculum, which is a mark of distinction recognized globally by investment professionals. 

    In addition, you’ll benefit from a broad and integrated learning experience through coursework grounded in economics as well as finance. This provides an additional skillset to set you apart in the job market. In fact, most of our students double major in finance and economics.

    Students have the opportunity for hands-on learning through the PRISM Group, which manages a portion of the university endowment fund. During the academic year, the group meets on a weekly basis to discuss investment strategy.

    The markets are constantly evolving and so is our curriculum. At Scranton, you’ll receive an education that reflects the latest in theory and application. In fact, we recently introduced a Fixed Income course.

    Click here to see the curriculum.

    Faculty-mentored Research

    Scranton undergraduate students have the unique opportunity to participate in faculty-mentored research. One example of this is an Assessment on Research in International Finance, Exchange Rate, and EU with Dr. John Kallianiotis. By participating in this research, students gain skills in data analysis and learn how to prepare material for publication.

    CFA Investment Research Challenge: 

    The business climate today has never been more competitive, but Scranton students are prepared for the challenges ahead. One example? The Investment Research Challenge competition sponsored by the CFA Society of Philadelphia. In this challenge, “students work in teams to research and analyze a publicly traded stock - sometimes even meeting face-to-face with company management,” as described here. “Each team produces a research report on their assigned stock and come up with a buy, sell, or hold recommendation.” 

    In the last four years, University of Scranton teams have placed in the final four of their competition’s division, competing against teams from Wharton, Villanova, Temple and other top universities. More recently, in 2014, our students placed third out of seventeen regional colleges and universities. Will you be one of the team members who will help us reach first place in the next couple of years? Read more about it here.

  • Pursue Your Passion and Make a Differenceplus or minus

    As a Jesuit institution, our mission is to educate socially responsible students who are eager to tackle society’s problems in our local communities and on a global scale.

    Drs. Jordan Petsas, chair of the department, and Aram Balagyozyan are wonderful examples of how it is possible to carry out this mission. They teach courses online to refugees abroad through an organization called Jesuit Commons: Higher Education at the Margins (JC:HEM) and both received awards from the University in 2014 for “Excellence in Integrating Mission and Justice into the Curriculum.” Read more about their work here.

    There are many ways for students to get involved in service learning on campus as well, and our faculty and staff are here to help guide you.

    Graduates from Scranton think deeply about contemporary social issues and utilize their education to make a tangible impact on the world. 

Careers

Where will Finance Take Me?

One of the many reasons that students choose to major in finance at Scranton is our proximity to the financial capital of the world. New York City is just two hours from campus. 

Our program will prepare you for a range of career choices in the corporate sector, financial services industry or government. Here are some examples of positions that await you: 

  • Financial Analyst
  • Collateral Analyst
  • Fixed Income Analyst
  • Trader
  • Securities Broker
  • Research Analyst
  • Equity Analyst

Top Graduate Schools:

Thinking ahead to a master’s degree or Ph.D.?  You’ve come to the right place. Scranton graduates are admitted to top graduate and professional schools throughout the country, including Ivy League universities. Examples include:

  • Cornell School of Law
  • Dickinson School of Law
  • James Madison University
  • Penn State University
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • University of Chicago
  • Villanova School of Law
  • Wharton School of Business

Employment:

If the financial services industry is where you want to launch your career, Scranton has a proven track record of getting ambitious students like you in a position to succeed. 

Did you know that more than 1,000 Scranton alumni are CEOs of their company or organization? 

Some of the most recognizable global investment banking and securities firms in the world employ University of Scranton finance graduates.

You don’t have to go to a university in New York to end up on Wall Street. These are just a few of the prestigious companies counting Scranton grads among their ranks:

  • AXA Financial
  • Bank of America
  • Citigroup
  • Goldman Sachs
  • JPMorgan Chase
  • Morgan Stanley
  • UBS

But what happens if you have something else in mind? You’ll find Scranton finance graduates employed in a wide variety of private and public companies, non-profit organizations, or in the government.

How Scranton Gives You a Competitive Edge

Competitive Edge

As you walk across campus, you’ll often see students chatting with professors over coffee to bounce ideas.

Faculty and staff make it their priority to get to know each student on an individual level. Our experienced instructors are not only top teachers and strong researchers, but also advocates for you professionally.

Accreditation

AACSB

The Kania School of Management is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Take the Next Step

Get the Facts

View PDF with Program Overview
& Curriculum

For More Information

Office of Admissions
The Estate
Scranton, PA 18510
1-888-SCRANTON or (570) 941-7540
570-941-7572
admissions@scranton.edu

Department of Economics, Finance, and International Business
Iordanis Petsas, Ph.D.
Department Chair
(570) 941-4048
iordanis.petsas@scranton.edu