Finance Concentration

The finance concentration develops the skills necessary to work at a high level of expertise in all areas of finance, including: asset management and financial markets; investment banking in a global context; the financial management of commercial and industrial enterprises as well as of financial institutions; the financial aspects of venture capital, mergers and acquisitions; and global management consulting. Concentrating in finance also equips students for careers in law and the public sector.

 

To complete the finance concentration, students are required to take FNCE 100, FNCE 101 and at least four (4) additional credit units (c.u.) from courses offered by the Finance Department.

Students wishing to concentrate in Finance should also note the following policies:

• Concentration courses cannot be taken pass/fail.
• Only one course FNCE 399: Supervised Independent Study in Finance may be applied to the concentration.
• Students cannot obtain credit for both FNCE 101 and ECON 102. Students who have already taken ECON 102 must take a higher-level FNCE elective in lieu of the FNCE 101 requirement. This elective must be in addition to the other four c.u. required for the finance concentration.

 

The department offers a very wide range of upper-level courses and new ones are introduced regularly. Students can pursue a general Finance concentration or one or more of the specialized tracks below.

 

CORPORATE FINANCE (4 c.u.)

 

This track discusses the sources of funding of corporations, the actions that managers take to increase the firm value and the tools used to best allocate financial resources. The main concepts are applicable to the financial problems of all kinds of firms.

 

One (1) additional required course

FNCE 203 Advanced Corporate Finance

 

At least two (2) credit units from the following list

FNCE 208 International Corporate Finance

FNCE 238 Capital Markets

FNCE 256 Energy Finance

FNCE 283 Strategic Equity Finance

FNCE 291 Corporate Restructuring

CAPITAL MARKETS AND BANKING (4 c.u.)

 

This track builds expertise in the works of financial markets and institutions. It helps students understand key financial services such as investment banking, lending, equity sales and trading, research and consulting.

 

One (1) additional required course

FNCE 207 Valuation

 

At least two (2) credit units from the following list

FNCE 219 International Financial Markets

FNCE 220 International Banking

FNCE 238 Capital Markets

FNCE 251 The Finance of Buyouts and Acquisitions

FNCE 283 Strategic Equity Finance

FNCE 393 Central Bank, Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets

 

PRIVATE EQUITY AND VENTURE CAPITAL (4 c.u.)

 

This track covers investments in non-conventional asset categories that differ in regulation, degree of risk such as private equity and venture capital. These asset classes are highly complex and often held by institutional investors.

 

One (1) additional required course

FNCE 251 The Finance of Buyouts and Acquisitions

 

At least two (2) credit units from the following list

FNCE 207 Valuation

FNCE 251 Venture Capital and The Finance of Innovation

FNCE 341 Distressed Investing and Value Creation

FNCE 385 FinTech

 

INVESTMENTS (4 c.u.)

 

This track covers the fundamentals used in financial analysis and asset management. It provides tools that are necessary for careers in asset management (e.g., mutual funds, hedge funds) and in private wealth management.

 

TWO (2) additional required courses

FNCE 205 Investment Management

FNCE 207 Valuation

 

At least ONE (1) credit units from the following list

FNCE 202 Consumer Financial Decision Making

FNCE 209 Real Estate Investment

FNCE 235 Fixed Income Securities

FNCE 254 Impact Investing

FNCE 386 Hedge Funds

 

QUANTITATIVE FINANCE (4 c.u.)

 

This track focuses on the application of advanced quantitative and computational tools the finance industry. It is suited for students interested in quantitative modelling of financial markets.

 

One (1) additional required course

FNCE 205 Investment Management

 

At least two (2) credit units from the following list

FNCE 206 Financial Derivatives

FNCE 219 International Financial Markets

FNCE 235 Fixed Income Securities

FNCE 237 Data Science for Finance

 

Not all courses are offered each semester. For a complete listing of current finance courses and syllabi, please visit the Finance Department web site.

 

For additional questions please contact the Finance Department Undergraduate Advisor, Professor Richard Kihlstrom (kihlstro@wharton.upenn.edu) or Andrea Rollins (rollins@wharton.upenn.edu).

 

 

Program Information

Course Information
View the Finance course schedule with links to syllabi and review course descriptions.