The finance, investment, and banking curriculum prepares students for careers in corporate financial management, the investments and securities business, and the management of financial institutions—e.g., banks and insurance companies. The theory of finance and its applications are emphasized. Students learn about: security analysis and valuation, security trading, government policy and financial markets, financial forecasting, capital structure, financial risk management, venture capital, security issuance and international finance.

A significant part of the coursework teaches you to understand risk and uncertainty, both at an intuitive level and at a technical level. More important, you learn to construct models of financial decisions—e.g., an investor’s portfolio choice problem, the issuance of securities by corporations and the structure of financial investments by banks.

Related Student Organizations

Capital Management Club
Fantasy Sports & Finance Club
Finance & Investment Society
Investment Banking Club
Sales & Trading and Asset Management Society
Society of Personal Investments
Wealth Management Group

Students wishing to pursue this major must be admitted to the School of Business. Once admitted, students are able to pursue any business major they choose. To find out more about the school's admissions process for undergraduate students, please see Entering the School.

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.

School of Business Requirements

The Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program is based on a broad educational foundation combined with courses in business and economics. This curriculum is designed for those students who wish to prepare for careers in business. Students completing any School of Business major are required to satisfy a common set of Pre-Business Requirements, Liberal Studies Requirements, Business Preparatory Requirement, Business Core Requirement, Business Breadth Requirement, and Credits for BBA Degree.

finance major Requirements 

Undergraduate finance majors should enroll in GEN BUS 306 Business Analytics I or its equivalent as early as possible in preparation for this major. Before enrolling in FINANCE/​ECON  320 Investment Theory, FINANCE 325 Corporation Finance, or FINANCE 330 Derivative Securities, students must complete:

1. FINANCE/​ECON  300 Introduction to Finance;
2. MATH 213 Calculus and Introduction to Differential Equations or MATH 222 Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2;
3. Either complete or concurrently enroll for GEN BUS 307 Business Analytics II (or its equivalent).

ACCT I S 301 Financial Reporting I must be completed before enrolling for FINANCE 325 Corporation Finance.

Students planning on a major in finance should complete FINANCE/​ECON  300 Introduction to Finance, GEN BUS 307 (or equivalent) and ACCT I S 301 in or before the first semester of their junior year. FINANCE/​ECON  320 Investment Theory, FINANCE 325 Corporation Finance or FINANCE 410 Bank Management should be completed prior to a summer internship, where the choice from these would match the internship and/or career focus area. FINANCE 330 Derivative Securities is usually the most quantitatively challenging of the three required courses beyond principles, and generally helps to take ECON/​FINANCE  320 Investment Theory either prior to or concurrently with FINANCE 330 Derivative Securities. If the mathematics requirement has not been completed prior to admission to the School of Business, then MATH 213 Calculus and Introduction to Differential Equations or MATH 222 Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2 should be completed as early as possible. Finance majors should also be aware of enforced prerequisites for other finance courses.

University Degree Requirements

1. Explain the trade-off between risk and returns, and to explain methods of measuring and managing risk.
2. Use financial models, including those for optimal portfolios and the estimation of expected returns.
3. Distinguish between equilibrium and no-arbitrage pricing, and be able to apply both approaches.
4. Explain the costs and benefits of the separation of ownership and control in the typical large firm.
5. Understand how market frictions can influence financial decisions.
6. Explain how investment and financing decisions can create and destroy value.

This is a sample four-year plan for students directly admitted into the School of Business from high school. We encourage all students to consult with their academic advisor to develop an individualized plan that meets their specific needs. 

Advising

Advising is an integral part of any student’s educational journey in the School of Business BBA Program. Starting at Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR), we encourage all students to connect with academic advisors. BBA academic advisors have a wealth of knowledge about courses on campus, as well as policies and procedures.

BBA career advisors help students with career exploration, internships, resumes, job search, interviewing and more. We encourage students to connect with their career advisor once they arrive on campus.

BBA advisors want students to succeed. Students experiencing academic difficulty or personal struggles are encouraged to talk to their advisor about how their individual situation may affect their academic performance.

Assigned Academic and Career Advisors

For admitted BBA students, advisors are assigned by academic major. If you have more than one major, you may have more than one assigned advisor. You can find your assigned advisor by logging into your student center and looking on the right hand menu under “Program Advisor.”

For students not yet admitted to the School of Business, we have a team of pre-business advisors available to you.

Accessing Advising

If you have a quick question, no more than 15 minutes, please utilize our drop-in advising.

You may schedule a 30-minute appointment with an academic and career advisors. Advisors are trained, and have knowledge regarding all ten majors in the BBA, so if your assigned advisor is not available you can be confident to schedule an appointment with any of the BBA advisors.

Pre-business students may also schedule an appointment with a pre-business academic advisor.

If you have a quick yes/no question you may always send an email to your assigned advisor.

For more information on accessing academic advising, please see our academic advising page.

For more information on accessing career advising, please see our career advising page.

Faculty AND Staff in Finance

David Brown, BA, Ph.D.
Professor
david.p.brown@wisc.edu

Brad Chandler, BA, JD, MBA
Faculty Associate
brad.chandler@wisc.edu

Briana Chang, BS, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
briana.chang@wisc.edu

Dean Corbae, BA, Ph.D.
Professor
dean.corbae@wisc.edu

Robert Cramer, BA, MBA, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
robert.cramer@wisc.edu

Greg Edwards, MS
Faculty Associate
greg.edwards@wisc.edu

Bjorn Eraker, Ph.D.
Professor
bjorn.eraker@wisc.edu

Gwen Eudey, Ph.D.
Faculty Associate
gwen.eudey@wisc.edu

Mark Fedenia, BS, MS, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
mfedenia@wisc.edu

Besti Hill, BS, MS
Faculty Associate
betsi.hill@wisc.edu

James Johannes, BA, MS, Ph.D.
Professor
Director, Puelicher Center for Banking Education
james.johannes@wisc.edu

Robert Krainer, BA, MBA, Ph.D.
Professor
robert.krainer@wisc.edu

Mark Laplante, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
mark.laplante@wisc.edu

Oliver Levine, BS, MA, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
oliver.levine@wisc.edu

Antonio Mello, BS, MBA, MA, Ph.D.
Professor
Academic Director of the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Invesment Banking
antonio.mello@wisc.edu

Belinda Mucklow, MBA, MS, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
belinda.mucklow@wisc.edu

Bulent Paker, BS, MA, MS, Ph.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Professor
bulent.paker@wisc.edu

Marisa Palmer, BS, MBA
Senior Lecturer
mmpalmer2@wisc.edu

Daniel Pickett, BBA, MS
Faculty Associate
dan.pickett@wisc.edu

Sebastien Plante, BS, MS, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
splante@wisc.edu

Erwan Quintin, MBA, Ph.D.
Professor
quintin@wisc.edu

Mark Ready, BS, MBA, Ph.D.
Professor
Department Chair for Finance, Investments and Banking, Academic Director of the Hawk Center for Investment Analysis
mark.ready@wisc.edu

Roberto Robatto, MS, MS, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
robatto@wisc.edu

Greg Schroeder, BA, MS
Senior Lecturer
gjschroeder@wisc.edu

Ivan Shaliastovich, BA, MA, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
ivan.shaliastovich@wisc.edu

Adam Smedema, BA, Ph.D.
Lecturer
arsmedema@wisc.edu

Randall Wright, BA, MA, Ph.D.
Professor
randall.wright@wisc.edu

Christopher Yarbro, BBA, MAcc
Lecturer
cyabro@wisc.edu

Accreditation

AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2021–2022.