Finance Program

Our program is recognized by CFA Institute, which certifies financial professionals, for adhering to standards of ethics, education and professional excellence.

This designation ensures that students who complete CFA's University Recognition Program receive the highest quality business education, are proficient in the essential areas of study for finance professionals, ethically centered, and prepared for the best jobs in the field.

His greatest decision: a great SBU education

Finance major Bristol Barnes was well-prepared for his internship with the Bank of New York, and for his real-world job at JPMorgan Chase Bank.

Start by building a solid business core

Finance majors pursue a curriculum that emphasizes core courses in accounting, marketing, organizational behavior, quantitative analysis, economics and business law.

These foundational courses, which we refer to as our "business core," are taken in your freshman and sophomore years, accompanied by courses in the liberal arts.

Major courses, the focus of your final two years of study, target three key areas: corporation finance, investments, and financial institutions and markets. Required electives take you on a deeper dive into financial management, including courses in international finance, portfolio management, economics, financial statement analysis and bank management.

There is some flexibility built into the program, allowing students to complete a secondary concentration, such as a minor in economics, computer science, mathematics, or a foreign language.

Hands-on, experiential learning: a SIMMple plan

In the Students in Money Management program, students oversee investments in a real endowment fund.

We believe in learning by doing, so there are a number of opportunities for students to put their classroom knowledge to work.

In the Students in Money Management (SIMM) program, students run an investment portfolio of approximately $560,000. Under the supervision of a finance professor and an advisory board, they meet regularly and make all investment and buy-sell decisions as a group.

Learn more about SIMM at School of Business Clubs & Organizations.

If you're looking for hands-on experience, finance internships are plentiful, not to mention a great way to enhance your resume and to network with industry professionals.

Learn more at School of Business Internships.

Students also have the opportunity to conduct independent research, or take an algorithmic trading class in which they participate in national competitions.

Program Information

The School of Business offers a BBA in finance and a minor in finance.

Bachelor of Business Administration in finance

The finance program offers a balance between economic theory and accounting with concentration and emphasis on the monetary system and its relationship to the firm and financial management.

Degree requirements and a four-year plan of study for the finance major

Upon successful completion of the Finance program at St. Bonaventure University, graduates:

will understand the structure and role of the Federal Reserve in the financial system;
will be able to measure relevant risk and apply it to the valuation of securities and portfolios;
will have developed the ability to manage risk through both diversification and the use of derivative instruments;
will be able to demonstrate the ability to solve complex capital budgeting problems using discounted cash flow techniques;
will be able to demonstrate the ability to apply advanced regression techniques to financial research projects;
will be able to present and defend the financial analysis of an organization.

Finance minor

For non-majors, the 18-hour minor in finance is one of nine School of Business minors offering students at opportunity to study a specific area of business in more detail.

Requirements for a finance minor

Priceline founder to keynote ‘Startup Pitch’ Wednesday for SBU’s new Innovation Center

May 05, 2020

The founder of Priceline will keynote the SBU Innovation Center’s “Startup Pitch” from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 6.

Following Jeff Hoffman’s presentation will be a “Shark Tank”-style competition, featuring three St. Bonaventure student-run startup companies pitching judges with their entrepreneurial ideas.

The student startups presenting Wednesday are:

SETrack (@track_se) provides postsecondary institutions with a program that assists students in their transition from high school to college. Its mission is to help develop structure in student lives as well as building relationships between each member of SETrack through group work and group correspondence.
LeaseEasy is a real estate company dedicated to providing the best student housing experience possible. It specializes in off-campus housing that is safe, affordable and, most important, simple.
Halo (@HaloUV) has a product that will kill the germs in your car. Using a UVC light in a case the size of a water bottle, Halo fits right in your cup holder. When turned on, the light will cast out around the car and kill the germs.

Hoffman (@SpeakerJeff) is a successful entrepreneur, motivational speaker, bestselling author, Hollywood film producer, producer of a Grammy-winning jazz album, and executive producer of “Success in Your City,” an Emmy-winning television show.

Hoffman has played a role in a number of well-known startups, including Priceline.com, Booking.com and uBid.com.

Tom Cullen, director of the Innovation Center (@sbu_innovation), will be the emcee for the event. Dr. Dennis DePerro, university president, will offer a welcome.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2019, St. Bonaventure was named the #1 regional university value in New York and #2 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.

Michael Gallagher, St. Bonaventure University

Dr. Michael Gallagher

Associate Professor of Finance

Finance Department Chair

(716) 375-2063

Send an email

Swan Business Center 102C