5 Majors to Consider for a Career in Finance – BigFuture (2024)

What should you study if you are interested in a career in Finance?

Finance careers include jobs in planning, services for financial and investment planning, banking, insurance, and business financial management.
If you are interested in a career in Finance here is a list of 5 majors you might consider when thinking about your degree options.

  1. Finance
    Finance majors learn how to make financial decisions for organizations. Course work covers such topics as planning, raising funds, making wise investments, and controlling costs.
  2. Economics
    Economics majors learn to decode the systems behind what can often appear impossible to understand. They study economic models and theories to analyze how the seemingly simple acts of buying and selling can be complicated by factors such as taxes, interest rates, inflation, labor disagreements, and even the weather.
  3. Business Administration and Management
    Business administration majors learn the mechanics of business through classes in fundamentals such as finance, accounting and marketing and delve into more specialized topics. Students find ways to solve problems using data, and they develop communication and managerial skills.
  4. Accounting
    Accounting majors learn how to gather, record, analyze, interpret, and communicate information about an individual’s or organization’s financial performance and risks.
  5. International Business
    International business majors learn how to think globally about the business world. They also learn how to manage multinational businesses and turn local and national companies into international success stories.

When you think about careers in the Finance career cluster, these are just a few examples of potential majors to get you started.Explore more majors or search for colleges on BigFuture that offer these or similar majors to start building your college list!

5 Majors to Consider for a Career in Finance – BigFuture (2024)

FAQs

What majors go well with finance? ›

If you are interested in a career in Finance here is a list of 5 majors you might consider when thinking about your degree options.
  • Finance. Finance majors learn how to make financial decisions for organizations. ...
  • Economics. ...
  • Business Administration and Management. ...
  • Accounting. ...
  • International Business.

What are the four major career areas of finance? ›

There are four main areas of finance: banks, institutions, public accounting and corporate. Courses within the finance major provide a solid background in many subjects including: Financial markets and intermediaries. Measuring the risk and return of investments.

Does major matter for finance? ›

Many companies say your major does not matter, claiming they hire people from all backgrounds, including art majors. No doubt they do, but it is certainly better to apply for finance jobs with a finance-related degree.

Why would you choose finance major? ›

A finance program helps students develop finance skills that will serve them in their future finance jobs. You will get to learn all about data analysis, capital allocation, investment strategy, and risk management. The fun doesn't stop at technical skills, though.

What is the best career in finance? ›

This blog lists the 15 highest-paying jobs in finance to help aspiring professionals understand industry trends better.
  1. Chief Financial Officer. ...
  2. Investment Banker. ...
  3. Budget Analyst. ...
  4. Budget Director. ...
  5. Tax Director. ...
  6. Tax Director. ...
  7. Hedge Fund Manager. ...
  8. Investment Portfolio Manager.

Is finance a tough major? ›

Finance degrees are generally considered to be challenging.

What are the 5 main areas of personal finance? ›

Five Areas of Personal Finance To Pay Attention To
  • The five main areas of personal finance are income, spending, saving, investing, and protection. ...
  • Every financial plan starts with income, which comes from a salary, bonuses, hourly wage, dividends, pensions, or a combination of all.
Feb 6, 2024

What are the 5 A's of finance professionals? ›

The finance professionals' basic activities are the 5 A's - assemble, analyse, advise, apply and accumen.

What is a finance major? ›

A finance degree offers students a thorough understanding of banking, trading, and economics. Finance is the study, acquisition, and management of money and investments. The field includes banking, credit, debt, and capital markets activities, which are all driven by economic principles and practices.

What is the highest finance degree? ›

A doctorate is the highest academic qualification attainable by a finance professional. Doctoral students can pursue either a doctor of business administration (D.B.A.) with a concentration in finance or a Ph. D. in finance.

Can I major in finance if I am bad at math? ›

Therefore, finance major is not centered around math. Actually, there are other skills that really counts and important in finance: interpersonal skills and analytic skills.

Does GPA matter as a finance major? ›

Yes, GPA matters! Bulge bracket banks and almost all other investment banks will look at your GPA when applying for a job and you should include it in your resume. Typically banks screen resumes based on GPA and will often remove anyone below 3.5.

What is the best degree for financial literacy? ›

In general, you can't go wrong with a major in business or economics; both will serve as a sound foundation for a financial planning or advisory career.

What is a finance degree called? ›

The degree is usually offered as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Finance or a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Finance, depending on the school.

Is finance a good major in 2024? ›

While the financial industry is traditionally associated with high wage earners, making it into the top three paying industries of 2024, there are 10 specific finance careers or jobs that hold significant salary potential and are showing promising signs of growth and industry demand.

What degree should I get to work in finance? ›

For many entry-level positions in the finance world, a bachelor's degree in finance (or a similar business degree) is required to even be considered. A bachelor's degree will prepare you with the basic foundation you will need in order to succeed in a finance career.

What finance major pays the most? ›

8 Highest Paying Finance Degree Jobs
  • Financial Manager. Salary Potential: $208,000. ...
  • Personal Financial Advisor. Salary Potential: $208,000. ...
  • Securities, Commodities, and Financial Sales Agents. Salary Potential: $208,000. ...
  • Actuaries. Salary Potential: $186,110. ...
  • Financial Analyst. ...
  • Accountant/Auditor. ...
  • Budget Analyst. ...
  • Cost Estimator.

Do finance majors pay well? ›

People who have a bachelor's degree in finance take in $124,000 a year on average, according to data collected by Comparably. 1 However, and it becomes apparent just how many finance-related careers pay well above average. Here's a look at how you can expect to fare in some of the field's more common occupations.

Should I major in finance if I like math? ›

Believe it or not, mastery of advanced math skills is not necessary to have a career in finance. With today's technology, all math-related tasks can be done by computers and calculators. That said, there are some basic math skills that would certainly make you a better candidate in the finance industry.

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