B.B.A. in Finance

Full Description

The Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance provides students with an academic background appropriate for entry into a financial career, including financial management, investments, banking/financial institutions, risk/insurance and related areas. The courses are designed to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between business finance and the economic system in the context of managerial analysis and decision making.

Finance students may apply early to the M.B.A. degree or to the Master of Arts in Economics degree and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the University Catalog for more information. The combined program with the Master of Arts in Economics degree requires a minimum 3.200 overall Kent State GPA.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Transfer Student: A minimum 2.000 overall GPA is required for admission into the major. Students who have previously attended Kent State must also have a minimum 2.000 GPA in their former Kent State coursework and a minimum C grade in COMM 15000, ENG 21011, FIN 36053 and MATH 11010.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a broad fundamental knowledge of the theory and practice of investments, international business finance, business and corporate finance and financial markets and institutions.
2. Demonstrate the critical thinking skills needed to apply financial theory to specific business situations.
3. Demonstrate the skills needed to work effectively as a finance professional in a group or task force environment.
4. Demonstrate the computer skills needed to successfully employ commonly used software packages (specifically, spreadsheet, word processing and presentation software) in the performance of their duties as finance professionals.

Students earning a B.B.A. degree in Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship are expected to have the following:

1. Core Business Knowledge - Recall the strategic frameworks that are used to make business decisions.
2. Analytical Skills - Use analytical methodologies and critical thinking skills to evaluate and solve business problems. Articulate and deliberate their ideas in writing.
3. Digital Technology – Demonstrate the technological skills necessary to analyze business problems and develop solutions.
4. Written Communication - Write effective business communications.
5. Oral Communication - Make effective business presentations, using appropriate technologies.
6. Teamwork – Collaborate effectively with others to achieve a common business purpose.
7. Business Ethics – Recognize ethical business dilemmas and use ethical decision making to resolve the dilemma.
8. Global - Analyze the key global factors when making business decisions.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Maximum 6 credit hours of accounting (ACCT) courses can be applied toward the electives. Students may not receive major elective credit for more than 3 credit hours from the following four courses: FIN 46089, FIN 46096, FIN 46192 and FIN 46295. Any excess credit hours can be used for general electives, if needed. Students should meet with the chair of the Department of Finance or an academic advisor for a listing of courses that will provide the best possible preparation for the following career tracks: corporate finance,  banking, investments (CFA or CFP), real estate or law.

²

A student changing to a program in the college, transferring or incoming students with college credits, may be waived out of BUS 10123 if:

• 30 or more credit hours have been earned and any two classes (from ACCT 23020, ACCT 23021, FIN 26074, MGMT 24163, MKTG 25010 or CIS 24053) have successfully been completed.
• 60 or more credit hours have been earned and the student has successfully completed one course from (ACCT 23020, ACCT 23021, FIN 26074,MGMT 24163, MKTG 25010 or CIS 24053)
• At the discretion of the dean's office, the student has sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge in a business field (as demonstrated by a CLEP exam or Credit by Exam) but does not meet the requirements listed above.

³

Students who have taken MATH 10041 for another program may use it as a substitute for BA 24056.

⁴

Minimum C grade is required in ENG 21011 or HONR 20197.

⁵

Students may take or use any course at any level as long as the minimum 39-credit hours requirement for upper-division courses is satisfied for graduation with a B.B.A. Exceptions: Maximum 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses. A minor (business or non-business) is encouraged. Any other exceptions must be approved by the assistant dean. FIN 36280 is repeatable for a maximum of 6 credits for students in the major, the credits may only count towards general electives. FIN 46280 is repeatable for a maximum of 6 credit hours for students in the major; credits will automatically count towards general electives when taken both times. Students who want to use the credits earned the second time taken towards the accounting or finance elective major requirement will need to request an override from an academic advisor to have the credits applied to the major requirement.

Progression Requirements

• Minimum 2.000 overall GPA
• Minimum C grade in COMM 15000, ENG 21011, MATH 11010 (or placement out of MATH 11010), FIN 26086 and FIN 36053 and all required finance (FIN) major courses.

Graduation Requirements

• Minimum C grade in required finance (FIN) major courses.
• Students must complete at least 50 percent of business credit hours (required for the business degree) in-residence on a Kent State University campus.
• Students must complete at least 50 percent of their major credit hours in residence on a Kent State University campus.
• Students must complete two measures of outcomes assessment as specified by the college for complete satisfaction of the B.B.A. degree.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

AACSB, International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business