Finance

About the finance major

Finance majors help corporations sort out the complexities of their investment options and align them with their long-term goals. You'll learn how to create and to maintain wealth, as well as administer and manage money. You'll also study corporate finance, investments, and banking. Every business major will complete a broad base of general business courses. If you're interested in the real estate field, this major provides a track for specialization.

Skills and abilities this major develops: analysis, critical thinking, marketing, and communication.

Engaged learning experiences

Regardless of your major or future career, engaged learning is vital to your present and future. It makes you more marketable for jobs and professional schools upon graduation, it enables you to build deeper connections with faculty and staff in your field of study, and it makes your learning personal by connecting your interests and values with the curriculum from your classes. Check out the three ideas below for places to get started, or learn more at IU Indianapolis’s Institute for Engaged Learning website.

Student organizations

Connect with other students and future employers, build leadership and teamwork skills, and have a great time doing it!

Professional work experience

Grow your skills through internships, part-time jobs, or co-op programs. Connect with the Kelley career services team to make an appointment.

Study abroad

“Business without Borders”—Kelley Indianapolis has programs available in London, Paris, Vienna, Prague, and Italy. Opportunities are also available through Kelley Bloomington’s study abroad program.

Opportunities after graduation

Employment of financial managers is projected to grow 16% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 69,600 openings for financial managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as retirement (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2023).

According to the IUPUI (now called IU Indianapolis) First Destination Survey in 2023, the average starting salary reported for finance B.S.B. graduates was $64,771, and the median salary was $63,000.

The national mean starting salary for business graduates who majored in finance was $59,627 for the class of May 2020, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE, 2022).

(This section is intended for informational purposes, not prediction of actual salary.)

Finance majors often pursue advanced degrees in the following areas:

Accounting
Business administration (M.B.A.)
Economics
Law

Quick facts

Sample coursework

Banking and financial information
Corporate financial strategy
Economics
Equity and fixed income investment
Financial management
Management decisions and financial reporting

Possible careers

Bank officer
Financial analyst
Insurance agent
Sports manager
Statistician
Stock broker*
Venture capitalist*

*These careers require additional training or education.

Where could I work?

Better Business Bureau
Community Health Network
Cummins, Inc.
Financial institutions
Insurance firms
Nonprofit organizations

Complementing interests

IInvestigative

EEnterprising

SSocial

Get your interest code

Where to get more information

Kelley School of Business

CFA Institute

Kelley Indianapolis Career Services

Enterprise, Policy, and Planning Cluster

This major is part of the Enterprise, Policy, and Planning (EPP) cluster. The EPP cluster is the academic home of University College students pursuing or interested in business; economics; labor studies; organizational leadership; public and environmental affairs; sport management; and tourism, conventions, and event management.

Learn about the EPP cluster

Learn about other clusters

Meet with an advisor or career consultant

Schedule an appointment