Finance

Finance

What can you do with a finance degree?

A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in finance degree prepares students to understand how organizations manage money, evaluate investments and make strategic financial decisions. Students develop analytical, quantitative and problem-solving skills that are needed for today’s competitive market.

  • Finance majors learn about investments, financial markets, risk management, corporate finance and financial planning while gaining experience applying those concepts to real-world business situations.
  • This program provides students the opportunity to manage an equity portfolio and access the strong financial service industry in Sioux Falls.
     
Finance at AU

Finance at AU

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Finance, Rydell School of Business


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This fall, the Augustana University Rydell School of Business introduced a trust minor to its offered studies — developed as part of Augustana’s strategic plan Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030. The minor — available at only a handful of colleges nationwide — aims to offer Augustana students another avenue to study as a potential career.

For more information on the trust minor at Augustana University, visit augie.edu/trust.

Azam Shaik ‘25 is a data science, quantitative economics and finance triple major from Hyderabad, India. At Augustana, he is a Viking Advisor (VA), Augustana Cultural Exchange (ACE) Ambassador, Beacom Research Fellow, tutor and involved with the Viking Distance Project and intramurals. This summer, Shaik completed a remote internship with CORE Molding Technologies, a plastics engineering solutions company.

This year’s Viking Days festivities included a special dedication ceremony for Augustana’s School of Business — now the Rydell School of Business, supported by Bill and Ellen Rydell. The Augustana community celebrated on Thursday, Oct. 3, with a gathering in the Madsen Social Science Center, home of the newly-named school.

Finance Highlights

Finance Career Opportunities

A finance major can lead to a successful career as a financial manager, chief financial officer (CFO), investment advisor/financial planner, security analyst, valuation expert, mortgage advisor, banker or financial consultant.

Finance graduates commonly pursue careers, such as a(n):

  • commercial banker
  • corporate finance associate
  • credit analyst
  • financial analyst
  • financial planner
  • investment analyst
  • investment banking associate
  • wealth management advisor

Hands-On Learning & Internships

Finance students gain valuable experience through internships, applied coursework, faculty mentorship and opportunities to analyze financial markets and business decision-making processes.

Students compete in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Challenge and follow publicly-traded securities.

Internship opportunities include:

  • Citibank
  • South Dakota’s International Trade Center, Trust Company or Bureau of Personnel
  • Thrivent
  • Equity Trust Company
  • Total Card, Inc. (TCI)
  • Trident Trust
  • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Finance students study away in:

  • London, England; Paris, France; and Oslo, Norway — focusing on sustainable business with AU faculty
  • Thailand — focusing on global economics with AU faculty
  • London, England — focusing on Brexit with AU faculty

Courses & Organizations

Courses aim to teach major concepts in financial management while developing analytical, decision-making and communication skills. Finance students may pursue a double major or minor in other areas, including accounting, actuarial science, business administration, economics, management information systems, management and marketing.

Finance students often participate in:

  • Augustana Student Association (ASA) as treasurer
  • Business Club
  • Investment Club
  • Sigma Iota Epsilon (SIE), Eta Kappa Chapter