Bachelor of Science in Finance

The Asset Management Career Track prepares students majoring in finance for lucrative and rewarding career paths in portfolio management, equity analysis, derivatives trading, fixed income markets, and alternative investments.

Students are encouraged to complete Bloomberg Market Concepts ideally during their sophomore year, and take the SIE (Securities Industry Essentials) exam by the end of their junior year. Both will prepare students for a rigorous study of finance and asset management throughout college.

High achieving and aspiring students are advised to take Level 1 of the CFA designation, the most prestigious in all of finance. Additionally, students are advised to take Level 1 of the CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) designation, if they are interested in alternative investments such as hedge fund strategies.

Engaged and high GPA students will have a chance to go on field trips to New York and Houston, and meet with LSU alumni and other professionals at various fund managers, financial institutions and consulting firms such as BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Varadero Capital, Bloomberg, Franklin Templeton, EnCap Investments, Denham Capital, Macquarie Bank, Amegy Bank, and Capital One.

Student competitions, such as Bloomberg Trading Challenge, ETF Global Portfolio Challenge, CFA Research Challenge, Southeastern Hedge Fund Competition, and University of Georgia Stock Pitch Competition, are highly recommended. 

Core Courses:

• FIN 3716 Principles of Finance
• FIN 3717 Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
• FIN 3826 Fundamentals of Asset Management
• FIN 4820 Financial Modeling and Analytics
• FIN 4830 Financial Statement Analysis

Asset Management Track Electives:

• FIN 3636 Financial Markets and Institutions
• FIN 3460 Risk Management
• FIN 3840 Fixed Income Securities
• FIN 3845 Student Managed Investment Fund
• FIN 3910 Topics in Finance
• FIN 4828 Security Analysis and Portfolio Management
• FIN 4840 Asset Allocation
• FIN 4850 Financial Derivatives
• FIN 4910 Advanced Topics in Finance

Alumni Impact Statement

As the President of the Asset Management Academy, which Dr. Kurtay founded in 2019 to foster research in investment management among undergraduate students, I can attest that many students benefited a great deal from a rigorous program and landed jobs/internships at the largest fund managers in the world such as Fidelity, PIMCO, Deutsche Asset Management, and PGIM, to name a few. 

Caroline Crawford, '22, Account Analyst, PIMCO

The Commercial Banking Career Track is a set of specially designed electives and activities that will expose students to careers in commercial banking and prepare them for rewarding careers based on their interests. The commercial banking industry will be heavily involved with the program to ensure that materials and experiences are current and relevant to the field. Events, competitions, and other activities will allow students to engage with banking professionals; industry involvement is critical for the success of the program and development of our students. 

Freshman Year (or year of entry) and all years thereafter

• Become a student member of the Risk Management Association or other industry group (an “industry student membership”)
• Participate in CBCT activities
• Volunteer at one CBCT conference or industry event
• Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA

Sophomore Year

• Enter CBCT Mentorship Portal – Students will be matched with industry professionals and upper class students as mentors to help students understand the business of commercial banking and its potential as a career path.

Junior Year

• Take finance electives specially designed for the CBCT
• Enter CBCT Internship Portal – Students will be prepared for summer internships through coursework and seminars, culminating in a selection process that matches students with internship employers.
• Begin commercial banking research for the Department of Finance

Senior Year

• Continue finance electives specially designed for the CBCT
• Enter CBCT Career Portal - Students will be prepared for career choices through coursework and seminars and assisted with career decision making.
• Continue commercial banking research

Other opportunities available through the program:

• Industry functions
• Service projects
• Competitions including Community Bank Case Study Competition and FDIC Academic Challenge

Core Courses:

• FIN 3716 Principles of Finance
• FIN 3717 Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
• FIN 3826 Fundamentals of Asset Management
• FIN 4820 Financial Modeling and Analytics
• FIN 4830 Financial Statement Analysis

Commercial Banking Track Electives:

• FIN 3636 Financial Markets and Institutions
• FIN 3632 Bank Administration
• FIN 3610 Credit Essentials
• FIN 3460 Risk Management

More About the Commercial Banking Initiative

The Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Career Track prepares students for lucrative and rewarding career paths in brokerage/sales, development, property management, asset management, private investment, and many other paths within this exciting field.

Students are encouraged to participate in the CRE Cohort from their freshman year and will receive a student membership in the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), allowing them access to programs, mentorships, scholarships, internships, certificate programs, and more.

Engaged students will have the chance to attend industry conferences across the country and participate in CRE events within the region.

Finally, this program promotes interaction between students and professionals so that students can learn about potential career paths from those already in the industry.

Core Courses:

• FIN 3716 Principles of Finance
• FIN 3717 Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
• FIN 3826 Fundamentals of Asset Management
• FIN 4820 Financial Modeling and Analytics
• FIN 4830 Financial Statement Analysis

Commercial Real Estate Track Electives:

• FIN 3351 Principles of Real Estate
• FIN 3352 Real Estate Investment and Valuation
• FIN 3353 Real Estate Finance
• FIN 4354 Real Estate Development

The Corporate Finance/Investment Banking Career Track prepares students for various roles in corporations and investment banks, typically starting at the analyst level. This area of finance deals with analyzing investment projects for corporations, making long-term investment decisions, taking private companies public (IPO process), mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, restructurings, and takeovers as well as managing private equity funds.

Core Courses:

• FIN 3716 Principles of Finance
• FIN 3717 Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
• FIN 3826 Fundamentals of Asset Management
• FIN 4820 Financial Modeling and Analytics
• FIN 4830 Financial Statement Analysis 

Investment Banking/Corporate Finance Track Electives:

• FIN 3636 Financial Markets and Institutions
• FIN 3718 Multinational Managerial Finance
• FIN 3720 Valuation, M&A and Buyouts
• FIN 4740 Venture Capital and Private Equity
• FIN 4910 Investing in Financial Distress, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy Opportunities