Major in Finance at Northwest Missouri State University

Why Major in Finance?

Finance majors at Northwest focus on four areas: financial services, financial computing, corporate finance and finance management.

Financial Services prepares students for the financial services industry. This comprises the professions of brokerage, insurance, real estate, and banking. In this business sector the students will need to understand the products customers purchase and how to relate this information to the customer.
Financial Computing brings together course work in both finance and computer science. This area of finance lends itself to the use of many financial decision-making models which are constructed and manipulated with computer technology. This option will lead to employment where there is a need to process data for financial decision making.
Corporate Finance provides students with the tools to work within the corporate structure under the chief financial officer, where accounting and financial information is used to make corporate decisions. Students will communicate with both the financial and accounting personnel and identify accounting information and financial models for decision making.
Financial Management permits students to prepare for a position in management rather than a staff position in finance under the corporate treasurer. This option blends the knowledge of finance and management so the student is prepared to make management decisions that require an understanding of finance. Almost all decisions in business require a balance of interests from all functional business areas, using the decision-making process and the tools of finance to guide the corporation to the achievement of its goal.

Northwest's Finance Comprehensive major is accredited by the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Career Ready. Day One.

Northwest ensures students are career ready, day one through internships, field experiences and networking opportunities. Read Ashton's story »

Career Opportunities

95%
placement rate

More than 95% of students who graduated with a degree in finance obtained employment or continued their education within six months after graduation.

The following is a listing of common positions for graduates with a finance major:

Loan Officer
Asset Management
Business Consultant
Financial Representative
Accountant
Financial Advisory
Financial Analyst
Settlements Processor
Property Manager
Stockbroker
Real Estate Agent
Real Estate Appraiser
Financial Planner

*Based on self-reported data in recent years.

Profession-Based Learning Experiences

New Venture Pitch Competition is designed for ambitious students and aspiring entrepreneurs to present ideas to business professionals, small business owners and potential investors. Students present their ideas to judges who in the future could represent their boss or client.

Study Abroad

Study Abroad is an opportunity for students to apply hands-on international experience to their own academic development. Faculty members supervise short-term study abroad programs that prepare students before, during and after the program. Two types of study abroad programs are available – faculty-led and traditional study abroad.

The traditional program may be a semester, summer or year-long program and is taught by Northwest’s international partner institutions. Students from the business school have recently traveled and studied in China, Africa and Eastern Europe including Hungary, Austria and Czech Republic.

For more information about study abroad opportunities »

Student Organizations

Financial Management Association (FMA) is a student organization at Northwest Missouri State University. The purpose of the organization shall be to: (1) Assist in the professional, educational, and social development of college students interested in finance, banking, and investments. (2) Provide an association for college students actively interested in these fields. (3) Encourage interaction between business executives, faculty, and students of business and finance.

For a full list of student organizations with in the School of Business »

Internships

Although internships are not required in the finance major, they are highly encouraged to gain real-world experiences.

Ryan Haas I had the opportunity to work for the largest steel manufacturing corporation in our great nation. I was an inside sales Intern at Nucor-LMP in Maryville. It was one of my duties to design and produce ideas for a ‘No Texting and Driving’ campaign. My ideas will be seen by Maryville, the Northwest community, and Nodaway County schools.

Ryan Haas '13

Donald Porter This summer, I had the opportunity to work for the Cerner Corporation in their 10-week velocity internship program at Cerner’s world headquarters in Kansas City. As a business consultant intern, I worked on many real projects that enabled my department to better handle client and associate IT issues and problems.

Donald Porter '12

The Northwest Difference

Founded in 1905, Northwest is a traditional campus with more than 7,200 undergraduate and graduate students. Located in the middle of everywhere, Maryville is two hours from Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri and 2 ½ hours from Des Moines, Iowa.

The Bearcat Advantage provides out-of-state students the opportunity to earn in-state tuition rates that can save more than $6,000. With the average undergraduate financial aid award of $5,467 for in-state students and $8,286 for out-of-state students, Northwest offers a quality education at an affordable price.
At Northwest, the American Dream Grant covers 100% of the tuition and fees for Pell-eligible students.