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Finance Major

Learn the skills of financial analysis and management as you prepare to help businesses and individuals achieve their economic goals.

Zimpleman College of Business | On-Campus

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What You'll Learn

Thinking about a career in which your actions and recommendations directly fuel personal, community, and industry growth? Drake University’s Finance major connects these broad outcomes with the principles and practices for selecting investments, developing portfolios, raising funds, and making organizational decisions.

The curriculum in this CFA Institute® University Affiliated Program includes wide coverage of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK), including the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, which helps prepare you to sit for the Level 1 CFA exam and start your path to earning the investment sector’s most respected credential. Additionally, as an affiliated program, Drake’s B.S.B.A. in Finance provides you with scholarship opportunities to decrease the cost of the exam.

The financial and data analytics tools professionals use are integrated into your coursework, ensuring you’re equipped to track market trends and extract valuable insights from day one. A comprehensive business core that covers marketing, accounting, management, business law, economics, and strategy also grounds your technical expertise in the day-to-day workings of the business environment.

About the Finance Major

  • Customize your studies or develop expertise in one of five areas of finance: investment management, corporate finance, personal financial planning, financial institutions management, or financial data analytics.
  • Use industry-standard Bloomberg Terminals and attain a Bloomberg Market Concept Certificate to boost your résumé.
  • Gain vital experience through case competitions and managing the $1,000,000 Krause Challenge Fund.
  • Complete a comprehensive business core that equips you with complementary skills and a broadened perspective to enhance your value to employers.
  • Join graduates at top employers, including Ernst & Young, the FDIC, Global Atlantic Financial Group, Morgan Stanley, Principal Financial Group, and Rocket Mortgage.

Program Facts

  • On campus
  • Attend full-time or part-time
  • 120 total credits; 78-78.5 credits for the major and business core
  • Finance minor: 15 credits

Program Options

Spark a career attracting and allocating capital or add additional skills to supplement another business major. Either way, our program’s rigorous, applied instruction shows you how finance can serve as a force for good.

B.S.B.A. in Finance

Drake’s Finance Program combines a comprehensive business core with experience-based training in finance, so you graduate with the skills to help organizations expand, communities thrive, and individuals reach their investment goals. As a CFA Institute® University Affiliate, the curriculum is designed to reflect and incorporate the best practices followed by finance professionals.

Finance Minor

Learn the major strategic concepts and practices of financial management while strengthening how you analyze data, make decisions, and communicate your findings. Available only to Zimpleman College of Business students.

Meet the Faculty

From seasoned professionals who have managed multi-billion dollar portfolios to active researchers exploring emerging industry trends like the use of AI in valuation, our award-winning faculty bring a dynamic blend of expertise, experience, and passion to the classroom.

Thomas Root

Thomas Root

Co-Academic Director

Jimmy Senteza, PhD, CFA

Jimmy Senteza, PhD, CFA

Deputy Provost, Academic Affairs; Professor, Finance

Jayoung Yoon, PhD

Jayoung Yoon, PhD

Assistant Professor, Finance

Inchul Suh, PhD

Inchul Suh, PhD

Associate Professor, Finance

Toby White, PhD, CFA, FSA

Toby White, PhD, CFA, FSA

Associate Professor, Finance and Actuarial Science

Kevin Croft, MBA, ASA, CFA

Kevin Croft, MBA, ASA, CFA

Distinguished EMC Associate Professor of Practice in Actuarial Science and Risk Management; Director of the Kelley Center for Insurance Innovation

All Faculty Members

Outside the Classroom

Take advantage of broad opportunities to build skills, experiences, and connections to fuel your growth and advance your career. Land an internship in Des Moines’ thriving business sector, join the investment club, or serve the local business community as a consultant.

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Internships

Get career-shaping professional experience and test your skills in real-world settings. Virtually all Finance majors complete one or more internships by graduation, taking advantage of Des Moines’ thriving financial services sector.

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Student Clubs

Forge crucial bonds with students, professors, and professionals while accelerating your career growth. Join Drake’s Investment Club, the Finance Society, or any of the 13 other business-related student organizations on campus looking for someone like you.

A professor, sitting at a desk, converses with a Drake Finance major , standing, about a math problem written on a whiteboard

Research

Explore opportunities to nurture an enterprise from your idea, serve the local business community, and collaborate with faculty, fellow students, and area business leaders.

Drake Finance majors connect their laptops to Bloomberg software to learn how to analyze market data

Bloomberg Terminals

Gain facility with the top tool used by financial professionals. You’ll observe and analyze market data with Bloomberg Terminals and earn a Bloomberg Markets Concepts (BMC) certificate to demonstrate your knowledge to future employers.

For a business-related challenge, Drake Finance majors analyze a series of graphs printed on paper to identify a solution

Challenges and Portfolio Management

Obtain invaluable investment experience as you manage the Krause Fund, a portfolio worth over $1 million. Or collaborate on a problem with other Finance majors and compete against other college teams in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) Challenge competition.

Standing in front of a building with uneven tiles, two Drake majors in graduation gowns throw their caps into the air

Scholarships

100% of full-time Drake undergraduate students receive scholarship support. You may be eligible for both merit- and need-based aid to significantly offset the costs of your education. The Zimpleman College of Business additionally offers scholarships to students preparing for the CFA® exam.

Careers & Skills

Knowledge of finance and business operations plus advanced skills in analysis and communication translates to broad opportunities in banking, corporate finance, investments, fintech, and other fields that need professionals to develop innovative growth strategies. Plus, a BMC certificate and preparation for the CFA® exam help you unlock even more options.

Graduates embark on roles as financial managers, investment advisors, security analysts, consultants, and financial planners at leading employers locally, across the country, and around the world.

Employers

  • Athene USA
  • Ernst & Young
  • Eurofins Scientific
  • The FDIC
  • Global Atlantic Financial Group
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Principal Financial Group
  • Rocket Mortgage
  • Rockwell Collins
  • Vision Financial Group

Skills

  • Securities analysis
  • Financial planning
  • Investments management
  • Data analysis
  • Business communications
  • Financial analysis and modeling
A Drake Finance major in a light blue school sweatshirt stands in front of a glass brick wall

Salary & Growth Outlook

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The average salary for financial analysts as of 2024. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Related Programs

Explore other programs that pair an interest in business with analytical talent. Many students increase their opportunities by choosing to double major in one of these strategic areas.

Accounting, BSBA

Provides a strong foundation in financial reporting, auditing, and managerial accounting, preparing students for careers in public, corporate, and governmental accounting and CPA exams.

Data Analytics, BSBA

Study topics such as marketing, finance, corporate law, and organizational behavior, applying statistics and computer science to drive informed decision-making.

Economics, BSBA

Acquire the skill set to analyze and interpret the broader business environment, and build an attractive résumé for careers in law, business, and government.

Take the Next Step

Finance isn’t just profits and losses. At Drake, you’ll understand how its principles empower economic and social progress.

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Four Finance majors wander through Drake's campus after leaving a classroom building