Program Overview

Finance + Data Science, BS

The Finance + Data Science major is sponsored by the Finance Department in the Gies College of Business, in collaboration with the Departments of Statistics, Computer Science, iSchool, and Mathematics. This major is designed for students who desire to supplement their finance foundation with a strong background in data science. The major prepares students for professional or graduate work in all Finance fields, but particularly those focused on analytics.

Graduation Requirements

• Minimum hours required for graduation: 124 hours.
• Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400- level.
• The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

• Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements.
• Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
• Course List:
  • Composition I: 4-6 hours
  • Advanced Composition: 3 hours
  • Humanities & the Arts (6 hours): 6 hours
  • Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours): 6 hours
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 hours): 6 hours
  • fulfilled by ECON 102 and ECON 103
  • Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course): 3 hours
  • Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course): 3 hours
  • Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course): 3 hours
  • Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning 1): 6-10 hours
  • fulfilled by STAT 107, STAT 207; and MATH 220 or MATH 221 or MATH 234
  • Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required): 0-15 hours

Business Core Requirements

• Course List:
  • ACCY 201: Accounting and Accountancy I: 3 hours
  • ACCY 202: Accounting and Accountancy II: 3 hours
  • BADM 275: Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management: 3 hours
  • BADM 300: The Legal Environment of Bus: 3 hours
  • BADM 310: Mgmt and Organizational Beh: 3 hours
  • BADM 320: Principles of Marketing: 3 hours
  • BADM 449: Business Policy and Strategy: 3 hours
  • BUS 101: Professional Responsibility and Business: 3 hours
  • BUS 201: Business Dynamics: 3 hours
  • BUS 401: Crafting Your Purpose in Business: 3 hours
  • CMN 101: Public Speaking: 3 hours
  • ECON 102: Microeconomic Principles: 3 hours
  • ECON 103: Macroeconomic Principles: 3 hours
  • FIN 221: Corporate Finance: 3 hours
  • Minimum Total Hours: 42 hours

Finance Requirements

• Course List:
  • FIN 300: Financial Markets: 3 hours
  • FIN 321: Advanced Corporate Finance: 3 hours
  • FIN 411: Investment & Portfolio Mngt: 3 hours
  • Four additional full-semester, 3 hour 400 level-Finance courses except FIN 494 or FIN 495 (Senior Research): 12 hours
  • Total Hours: 21 hours

Data Science Core

• Mathematical Foundations:
  • Choose one Calculus: 4-5 hours
    • MATH 220: Calculus
    • MATH 221: Calculus I
    • MATH 234: Calculus for Business I
  • Choose one Linear Algebra: 3 hours
    • MATH 227: Linear Algebra for Data Science
    • MATH 257: Linear Algebra with Computational Applications
• Data Science Fundamentals: 12 hours
  • STAT/CS/IS 107: Data Science Discovery: 4 hours
  • STAT 207: Data Science Exploration: 4 hours
  • CS 307: Modeling and Learning in Data Science: 4 hours
• Computational Fundamentals: 4 hours
  • CS 277: Algorithms and Data Structures for Data Science: 4 hours
• Social Impact in Data Science: 6 hours
  • IS 467: Ethics and Policy for Data Science: 3 hours
  • IS 477: Data Management, Curation & Reproducibility: 3 hours
• Total Hours: 29 hours

Meaningful Research or Discovery Experience

• One of the most important skills a student will gain in the FIN + DS degree will be the ability to present data in meaningful ways.
• A meaningful research and experience is as much a pillar of this degree program as both the core coursework and the area of specialization.
• This capstone experience can be fulfilled through BUS 301: 3 hours

Sample Sequence

• This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion.
• All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals.
• Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan.
• Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
• First Year:
  • First Semester:
    • BUS 101: 3 hours
    • ECON 102: 3 hours
    • Language Other than English (3rd level): 4 hours
    • Composition I or CMN 101: 4 hours
  • Second Semester:
    • ECON 103: 3 hours
    • STAT 107: 4 hours
    • FIN 221: 3 hours
    • MATH 234: 4 hours
• Second Year:
  • First Semester:
    • FIN 300: 3 hours
    • ACCY 201: 3 hours
    • STAT 207: 4 hours
    • MATH 227 or 257: 3 hours
    • BUS 201: 3 hours
  • Second Semester:
    • FIN 321: 3 hours
    • ACCY 202: 3 hours
    • CS 307: 4 hours
    • IS 467: 3 hours
    • General Education course: 3 hours
• Third Year:
  • First Semester:
    • FIN 411: 3 hours
    • BUS 301: 3 hours
    • BADM 300: 3 hours
    • General Education course: 3 hours
    • General Education course: 3 hours
  • Second Semester:
    • FIN 4XX: 3 hours
    • CS 277: 4 hours
    • BADM 275: 3 hours
    • BADM 310: 3 hours
    • General Education course: 3 hours
• Fourth Year:
  • First Semester:
    • FIN 4XX: 3 hours
    • BUS 401: 3 hours
    • BADM 320: 3 hours
    • IS 477: 3 hours
    • General Education course: 3 hours
  • Second Semester:
    • FIN 4XX: 3 hours
    • FIN 4XX: 3 hours
    • BADM 449: 3 hours
    • General Education course: 3 hours
    • General Education course: 3 hours
• Total Hours: 124 hours

Learning Outcomes

• Learning objectives and assessment for success in this program will be handled following our current process for all undergraduate Finance students.
• Success in the advanced classes requires success in prerequisites.
• We carefully monitor student progress through the initial years of the major in the advising process, giving mentoring where necessary.