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:

  1. Demonstrate critical thinking and a broad knowledge of core concepts in courses requiring quantitative analysis and application of economic theories to business problems.
  2. Demonstrate critical thinking and a broad knowledge of core concepts in courses requiring application of behavioral theories and strategy principles to business problems.
  3. 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:

  1. 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: 

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

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Business and a Major Concentration in Finance48-51
Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Business120

Degree Requirements

Core Requirements
BUSI 296BUSINESS COMMUNICATION3
Foundation
Select 1 course from the following:3-4
DATA ANALYTICS
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS FOR DATA SCIENCE
ECON 100PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS 13
MATH 101SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I3
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 Business48-51
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *38-41
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours120

Footnotes and Additional Information

Major Concentration: Finance

Business Core Requirements
BUSI 305FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING3
BUSI 343FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT3
or ECON 343 CORPORATE FINANCE
Select 5 courses from the following:15-16
LEADING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONS
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
MARKETING
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING
MICROECONOMICS
Major Concentration (Finance) Core Requirements
BUSI 401FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS3
BUSI 447ADVANCED CORPORATE FINANCE3
BUSI 448INVESTMENTS3
BUSI 450DERIVATIVES3
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 Hours36-38

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:

  • 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. 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 their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the major in Business should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

  • 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.
  • Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.

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

To earn departmental honors in Business, students pursuing the major in Business and a major concentration in Finance must: 

  1. Complete 1 course (3 credit hours) from approved advanced coursework in Accounting or Finance selected with a faculty advisor. 
  2. Complete 3 credit hours of a research project selected with a faculty advisor. 

For additional information, consult the Undergraduate Business Program > About the Honors Program tab on the Jones Graduate School of Business website.

Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Jones Graduate School of Business website: https://business.rice.edu/