Finance Program
Why study Finance?
Discover how money is made, invested and managed. A major in Finance will prepare you to understand and reason through a wide spectrum of financial decisions. Finance involves the preparation of financial reports, tax and regulatory requirements, cash flow, management, investment, and development of information.
The Saint Mary’s approach
As part of the Bachelor of Commerce degree at the Sobey School of Business, Finance focuses on all aspects of money management, including: investment, collection, disbursement and borrowing. We offer an internationally recognized curriculum taught by respected professors and access to co-op opportunities and internships. Resources for students include professional advisors, cutting-edge professional software and technology such as Bloomberg terminals.
Saint Mary’s is recognized by the CFA Institute recognition program. That means that students majoring in finance will be prepared to write the certification test according to CFA standards.
Hands-on learning
Finance students participate in the IMPACT program, only available at Saint Mary’s University. Students get practical, real-world experience in money management by managing an actual investment fund with real money. Finance students have competed at the Rotman International Trading Competition and in the CFA Institute Investment Research Challenge Americas Final, attended RISE Investment Conference in Dayton, Ohio, and have participated in international exchanges in Hong Kong, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Sample courses offered:
- Business Finance: A basic course in business finance, introducing you to the discipline and presenting financial analysis, working capital management, capital budgeting, the tax environment and the role of financial intermediaries.
- Sustainable Finance: In this course, you'll explore the intersection of sustainability and finance, focusing on investment mandates and fundamental financial concepts across traditional asset classes. Environmental, Social and Governance standards and their applications in shaping financial decisions are examined. The course includes a review of the literature on the roles of corporate stakeholders, financial markets and regulators in influencing ESG performance.
- Portfolio Management: A comprehensive analysis of the decision-making process of portfolio management. Major subject areas include the different types of funds, their objectives and performance evaluation; an analysis of the aggregate stock market, industry, and company; bond portfolio analysis and interest rate risk management.
- Investments
- Financial Institutions: This course will deal with the structure and function of Canadian financial institutions such as: banks, brokers and investment banks, insurance companies and mutual funds. The role of each type of institution in the economy will be discussed as well as regulation of the industry. The main emphasis of the course will be on the institutions as businesses; their profit and risk structure.
Future career opportunities:
- Chartered financial analyst
- Corporate banker
- Chief financial officer (CFO)
- Foreign exchange trader
- Insurance advisor
- Investment manager