Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Business and a Major Concentration in Finance
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Business and a Major Concentration in Finance
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Business, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical thinking and a broad knowledge of core concepts in courses requiring quantitative analysis and application of economic theories to business problems.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and a broad knowledge of core concepts in courses requiring application of behavioral theories and strategy principles to business problems.
- Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, advanced analysis in the field of Business.
Additionally, upon completing the BA degree with a major in Business and a major concentration in Finance, students will be able to:
- Acquire knowledge, research and analytical skills to solve a broad array of corporate finance and investment problems, such as analyzing a company or an investment’s performance and valuing real and financial assets.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Business and a Major Concentration in Finance
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Business must complete:
- A minimum of 16 courses (48-51 credit hours, depending on course selection) to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 11 courses (33-34 credit hours, depending on course selection) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
- The requirements of a major concentration. When students declare the major in Business, students must additionally identify and declare one of two major concentrations, either in:
- Finance, or
- Management.
Because of the common core requirements, it is possible for students to change their major concentration at any time, even after initially declaring the major. To do so, please contact the Office of the Registrar.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Business and a Major Concentration in Finance | 48-51 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Business | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| BUSI 396 | BUSINESS COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| Foundation | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| DATA ANALYTICS | ||
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | ||
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS FOR DATA SCIENCE | ||
| ECON 100 | PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS 1 | 3 |
| MATH 101 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I | 3 |
| or MATH 105 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I | |
| Major Concentration | ||
| Select 1 from the following Major Concentrations (see below for Major Concentration requirements): | 36-38 | |
Finance | ||
Management | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Business | 48-51 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 38-41 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | No substitution or transfer credit (including exams such as advanced placement (AP)/international baccalaureate (IB)/A-Level credit) is allowed for ECON 100. It must be taken at Rice. |
Major Concentration: Finance
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Business Core Requirements | ||
| BUSI 305 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 3 |
| BUSI 310 | LEADING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONS | 3 |
| BUSI 343 | FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| or ECON 343 | CORPORATE FINANCE | |
| Select 4 courses from the following: | 12-13 | |
| OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT | ||
| MARKETING | ||
| STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT | ||
| MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING | ||
| MICROECONOMICS | ||
| Major Concentration (Finance) Core Requirements | ||
| BUSI 401 | FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS | 3 |
| BUSI 447 | ADVANCED CORPORATE FINANCE | 3 |
| BUSI 448 | INVESTMENTS | 3 |
| BUSI 450 | DERIVATIVES | 3 |
| Elective Requirement | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| LEADERSHIP AND TEAMS | ||
| POWER, INFLUENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE | ||
| NEGOTIATIONS AND DECISION MAKING | ||
| ADVANCED STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT | ||
| BUSINESS AND SOCIETY | ||
| TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION STRATEGY | ||
| MARKETING ANALYTICS | ||
| MACROECONOMICS | ||
| APPLIED ECONOMETRICS | ||
| GAME THEORY AND OTHER MICRO TOPICS FOR ECON MAJORS | ||
| GAME THEORY AND OTHER MICRO TOPICS FOR MTEC MAJORS | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 36-38 | |
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Business and a Major Concentration in Finance
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Business and a Major Concentration in Finance should be aware of the following program restrictions:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.
- Students pursuing the major in Business may only pursue one major concentration within the major.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Business should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 3 courses (9 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Jones Graduate School of Business website: https://business.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Business and a Major Concentration in Finance
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Departmental Honors in Business
Students interested in earning departmental honors in Business should inquire with their major advisor.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Jones Graduate School of Business website: https://business.rice.edu/.