Finance generally is referred to as the management of money. Then as a major, finance generally explores topics like banking, financial planning and investing while developing valuable job skills like problem-solving and communication. In a finance major degree program, you can study financial theories and how they are applied in business to help the private and public sectors make and manage money. During the study, practices using mathematical concepts, statistics, and analytical tools are used to solve problems and make decisions. With a finance degree, you can handle a career as a financial planner, financial analyst, commercial banker, investment manager, and many more.

The field of finance is largely about helping businesses and other organizations handle and control money, which is basically financing. As a finance major, you’ll learn how to plan for the long term through analysis, data collection and in-depth preparation. Finance majors help companies and organizations plan for future long terms like 10, 20 and even 30 years ahead.

Why Study Finance?

Studying finance as a major includes taking math, economics, and statistics. This then leads to accounting, calculus, and business math. These courses establish a foundation for finance courses that focus on valuation, investing, international banking and finance, econometrics, and buyouts and acquisitions. Some of the courses included in the Finance major curriculum include;

• Analysis of Financial Statement Presentation
• Principles of Macroeconomics
• Banking, Financial Institutions, and Society
• Federal Taxation for Businesses
• Financial Management of the Firm
• Financial Modeling
• Fundamentals of Business Statistics
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Organizational Behavior
• Principles of Microeconomics
• Statistical Methods in Business
• Venture Capital and Private Equity
• Business and Economic Forecasting

The fast-paced finance industry is very broad, including almost everything from banking and asset management to insurance, venture capital, and equity. As of 2018, these sectors combined to form 7.4% of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), making it one of the most valuable industries to venture into.

Benefits of Studying Finance

Major in finance is a very extensive and interesting field, with one of the best opportunities to work with stocks, bonds, financial markets, and other investment vehicles that can be quite exciting.

Given that the estimated job growth for finance is higher than the average job rate in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are a lot of educational, career and advanced benefits for taking up finance as a field of study. While some of these benefits may be somewhat stressful as dealing with finances and money can be tacky, most do coke with several benefits, which include;

Advanced Academic Certification 

Finance sets the stage for getting even more professional certifications. Most financial professionals get at least one professional certification during their education. For example, those who specialize in financial planning mostly acquire the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certificate, Financial management professionals may also choose to pursue a speciality like that of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification or the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) certification. These and many others include various certificates for specialized financial roles.

Workability

The course helps you master skills that prepare you for real-world job responsibilities. Unlike more general degrees, finance teaches and pins you too much more specialized im-demand skills in data analytics, risk management, capital allocation, and investment strategy. Through your course of study, you’ll also gain much-needed soft skills like collaboration, communication (both verbal and written) and adaptability.

Career Opportunities in Finance 

Finance is one of the most specialized skills in the business world. Due to how broad and advanced finances is, it need not be added or collaborated with any other subject or field but can, in some cases, teach the basics of others.

The Finance industry is a stable and growing field. According to the BLS, employment from all businesses and financial operations occupations is projected to grow 7% per cent by 2028. This makes it faster than the average growth of all other occupations, adding about 591,800 new jobs during this growth period.

A graduate with an academic background in finance can easily apply their knowledge to a broad range of jobs in many industries. Added to that is the unique set of skills and interests acquired while studying finance that helps you stand out in any role you plan to assume. Some of the best jobs you can get as a finance major include:

• Financial Planner
• Investment Banker
• Financial Analyst
• Investor Relations Associate
• Budget Analyst
• Financial Software Developer
• Actuary
• Credit Analyst
• Audit
• Chief Financial Officer
• Commercial Real Estate Agent
• Private Equity Associate 
• Accountant

Choosing finance as a major should be natural if you love working with numbers and money. But it is also good to note that finance graduates do much more. They provide key services to corporations, small businesses, non-profits, and individuals, which helps them manage critical resources, which is why a degree in finance is one of the best majors to take up.