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Finance Major in Pennsylvania
Are you seeking a career in financial planning or asset management, equity research, investment banking or corporate financial planning? Then the finance major may be the perfect fit for you! Earn your bachelor's degree and gain hands-on experience in the field of finance.
Study Finance at a Christian University
The finance Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program at Messiah University, one of the top private Christian schools in the U.S., focuses on practical application of financial theory using distinctive, state-of-the-art techniques. These techniques will uniquely prepare and equip you to be an effective leader in the field of finance and to impact the world for Christ. Centered around the Ralph S. Larsen Finance Lab, the program includes numerous opportunities for hands-on corporate finance and investment management experience, including participation in the Student Investment Club that actively buys and sells securities in its management of a portfolio valued at more than $500,000. Choose from concentrations in financial analysis or financial planning, both of which have received the highest level of accreditation in their respective fields of finance.
Students in the Finance program at Messiah University can choose from the following concentrations:
CFA Institute
The Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation is the highest distinction in the investment management profession. The globally recognized CFA designation is considered to be the most respected and recognized credential in the field of investment analysis. Our Financial analysis concentration is an affiliate of the CFA Institute®, which means that our program covers at least 85 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge, which represents the skills and core knowledge applied by investment professionals globally. The CFA Program provides the strongest foundation in advanced investment, analysis, and real-world portfolio management skills for a career advantage that students will use at all stages of their career.
CFP Board
The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification is widely recognized as the industry standard for financial planners. CFP® professionals undergo extensive training and experience requirements, and commit to CFP Board's ethical standards that require them to place clients' interests first. Our Financial planning concentration and Financial planning certificate is a CFP Board registered program and students who complete all 6 classes in the program will satisfy the education requirement to be eligible to sit for the CFP exam upon graduation. Financial planning as a career offers exceptional opportunity and the demand for personal financial advisors is expected to grow at a faster than average rate of 7% through 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As a finance major or minor at Messiah University, you’ll be able to:
- Study in a program that has been named a “Business College of Distinction” by Colleges of Distinction for 2023-2024.
- Study within a program that prepares students for success on the CFA exams, the gold standard designation in the finance and investment management industry.
- Learn from faculty that have substantial industry experience, having worked at companies like Merrill Lynch, KPMG, RBS, HOPE International, Citizens Bank and Stifel Financial, as well as served as a consultant to various U.S. government agencies during the financial crisis.
- Utilize the Ralph S. Larsen Finance Lab, a dynamic instructional and research facility containing the latest technology used by financial professionals to provide an effective hands-on learning experience.
- Gain Bloomberg certification through coursework and completion of the Bloomberg Market Concepts curriculum.
- Gain actual, real-time investing experience through participation with the Student Investment Club, which actively manages a portfolio of stocks value at more than $500,000.
- Have the ability to tailor coursework to focus on either personal finance or corporate finance.
- Participate in the annual campus-wide stock market simulation where students invest a hypothetical $100,000 to see who can generate the highest return over the academic year.
- Learn a unique blend of theory and practice, with a focus on real-world application of financial principles.
- Be able to create financial models such as those commonly used on Wall Street in the fields of investment banking, equity research, sales and trading, corporate finance and strategy.
The U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts that a number of financial-related occupations are projected to be among the fastest growing careers over the next ten years. Messiah’s coursework will prepare you for industry-recognized licensing exams and certification programs, and your skillset will prepare you to succeed at a broad range of positions in the financial services industry right after graduation.
As a graduate of the finance program, you will be equipped to secure positions such as:
- Financial advisor
- Research analyst (buy-side/sell-side)
- Credit analyst
- Corporate finance analyst
- Investment banker
- Investor relations professional
- Trader
- Mutual fund analyst
- Treasurer
- Strategy consultant
For more information on career planning for the finance program, visit the Messiah University Career and Professional Development Center.
Messiah’s nationally recognized internship program places students in a variety of finance internships. A few examples include:
- Pennsylvania State Employee Retirement System
- Craig-Hallum Capital Group
- Ambassador Advisors
- Enhancing Capital
- LINKBANK
- Stonebridge Financial
- Select Medical
- Stewardship Advisors
- Lifeguide Financial Advisors
- Select Asset Management
- BNP Paribas
Why study finance?
The domestic financial markets continue to gain prominence, not only as a result of trading at all-time highs, but also due to their connection with the global economy and political environment. Employers are increasingly interested in hiring individuals with a quantitative and qualitative skillset; in other words, those who can perform financial calculations and analyze the trends in order to guide future strategy. A recent report by the U.S. Department of Labor cites that a number of careers in finance are among the most sought after and are expected to grow at double-digit rates over the next ten years, including personal financial advisors, corporate financial analysts, financial examiners and securities traders.
Programs related to Finance
In the Finance program, you will take a selection of courses that successfully prepare you for a career in a related field. Hands-on experiences and classroom learning within the framework of Christian faith will give you the skills and knowledge to achieve your goals. Our programs offer a wide variety of courses that will not only help you excel in your future career, but challenge you to develop a deeper understanding of your field of study.
Course options for Finance:
Finance (B.S.) Financial Analysis Concentration
Finance (B.S.) Financial Planning Concentration
Finance Minor
Finance careers and outcomes
Where our grads work
Graduates of the Finance program work in positions of leadership in their places of employment, using the tools and knowledge a Messiah University education prepared them with. Each year, eager employers and some of the nation's best graduate schools welcome Messiah graduates into their organizations.
Where they work
- Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System
- LINKBANK
- Goldman Sachs
- Vanguard
- Select Medical
- Chatham Financial
- Faithward Advisors
- Croatan Investments
- Fulton Bank
- Hershey Trust
- U.S. Bank Asset Management
- Lifeguide Financial
- Mid Penn Bank
- SEI Investments
- Derivatives trader
- Hedge fund analyst
- Investment banking analyst
What they do
- Senior investment analyst
- Investment performance analyst
- Credit analyst
- Investment professional
- Financial paraplanner
- Financial analyst
- Sales specialist
- Resolution services associate
- Business manager
- Management trainee
- Financial advisor
Graduate school
- Penn State University
- MSC Paris
- New York University
- Villanova University
96% of the Class of 2022 respondents were employed or in graduate school within 6-9 months of graduation.
Our Alumni
Regional and national employers seek out Messiah graduates for their academic preparation, work ethic and personal character. The transformation you experience at Messiah readies you to transform the lives of others through your chosen career path.
Messiah's unique approach to hands-on learning
Learning in the classroom is important but actually applying that knowledge in a hands-on way can make all the difference. At Messiah University, the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) allows Messiah to take this hands-on learning to a new level by giving students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to various real world contexts--such as an internship/practica, service learning, off-campus program, holding a student leadership position, or participating in undergraduate research.
Ralph S. Larsen Finance Lab
The Ralph S. Larsen Finance Lab equips you with state-of-the-art technology and market data using Bloomberg terminals in a Wall Street trading floor atmosphere. You'll receive Bloomberg certification as you learn to research historical and real-time data on stocks, bonds, economic indicators, foreign currencies, commodities and options.
The lab contains 26 computer workstations with dual monitors and instructor podium; 10 Bloomberg Professional terminals; three large-screen televisions showing CNBC, Bloomberg and other financial markets media; and a stock ticker continuously displaying market information.
Finance majors participate in the annual Bloomberg Trading Challenge, a nationwide stock-trading simulation where teams have $1 million to invest for eight weeks based on a defined trading strategy they develop on Bloomberg terminals.
CFA Institute
The finance Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program at Messiah University is a CFA University Affiliation Program Partner of the CFA Institute. Preparing for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam is a long and arduous task that students begin to prepare for from their first year on campus through graduation and beyond. The CFA designation is highly regarded and recognized internationally as the standard of excellence in investment analysis and portfolio management. Messiah's program is accepted by CFA Institute as part of its University Affiliation Program, based on our curriculum covering at least 85% of the CFA Candidate Body of Knowledge as well as other requirements. Finance students are eligible for scholarships to take the exams and have exclusive access to all three levels of the CFA Program® eBook curriculum, access to sample exams for each level of the CFA Program exams, and a complimentary online subscription to the Financial Analysts Journal®.