Study Finance in Georgia
Whether you live in Georgia or not, you can get a high-quality education in finance by enrolling in an online degree program from a Georgia school. In fact, you can be a Georgia resident and earn your online degree from a school in another state, too.
Either way, online learning makes completing your studies so much easier and more convenient. As you’ll see with some of the popular programs described below, you’ll have opportunities to gain the needed knowledge and skills to start a career in finance, and in many cases, you can do so on a schedule that works best for you.
If you’re ready to jumpstart your finance career, getting a bachelor’s or master’s degree from one of the following programs is a great start!

Online Finance Degrees in Georgia
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online finance degrees in Georgia:
- Georgia State University
- Franklin University
- Kennesaw State University
- University of Georgia
- National University
- Purdue University Global
- Walden University
- Grand Canyon University
- Southern New Hampshire University
Georgia State University
Online Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
The online Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Georgia State University is unique in that it’s a degree completion program. After transferring credits from an associate’s degree or another bachelor’s degree program, you’ll need to complete just 60 credits to finish this degree. If you study full-time, this will take 1.5-2 years.
Once you’re accepted to the program and start the enrollment process, you’ll work with an academic advisor to devise an individual plan of study. Georgia State allows you to work at your own pace; you can study full-time to minimize the time needed to complete the degree or study part-time to account for other time obligations, like work or family responsibilities.
There’s another layer of flexibility, too – all classes are asynchronous. This means there are no set class meeting times. Instead, you work toward completing your coursework at a pace that fits your needs (within a very broad set of parameters, of course). Studying asynchronously gives you more freedom to work, pursue an internship, and attend to other needs in your life.
Your studies begin with three required major courses: Fundamentals of Valuation, Financial Analysis and Introduction to Loan Structuring, and Introduction to Financial Data Analytics. These courses help you gain basic finance-related skills and competencies that you’ll need to be successful in later coursework.
For example, the Fundamentals of Valuation class focuses on topics like future markets, modern portfolio theory, and foreign exchange markets. You’ll also discuss interest rate risk, term structure theory, and option pricing, to name a few other benchmarks.
Once you complete the three foundational courses, you’ll move into a sequence of finance courses that helps you understand how to use financial theories and techniques in various settings. This includes applying financial principles in corporate, financial, and investment management scenarios.
Three courses are required for each application of financial theory. For example, the corporate strand requires the following classes:
- Advanced Corporate Finance
- Corporate Financial Decision-Making
- Introduction to Derivative Markets or Foundations in International Finance
The financial institutions sequence takes a different approach. You’ll take a course dedicated to exploring financial institutions themselves, as well as a course that examines the financial system. You’ll supplement those courses with your choice of Introduction to Derivative Markets or Foundations in International Finance.
Lastly, the investment management strand requires you to take courses such as Introduction to Derivative Markets, Portfolio Management Practicum, and either Global Portfolio Management or Hedge Funds, Mutual Funds, and Trading Strategies.
The final two components of this program are electives and technical-focused classes. Naturally, the two electives you take are up to you. However, the technical sequence requires you to complete the following:
- Financial Modeling
- Introduction to Financial Data Analytics
- Foundations of FinTech
- Commercial Banking and FinTech or Financial Technologies
Should you be interested, Georgia State offers an honors track for this degree. This track is a two-semester, 18-credit sequence of courses in which you gain an advanced skill set by undertaking advanced studies in finance. This track is reserved for very high achieving students.
The program’s eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Have 60 or more transferable college credits already completed.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Earn a 2.80 GPA or higher in the Business Foundation course sequence
- Complete Math 1401 Elementary Statistics and Math 1111 College Algebra (or higher) with a grade of C- or higher.
Franklin University
Online Bachelor of Science in Financial Planning
Though Franklin University isn’t based in Georgia, its 124-credit Bachelor of Science in Financial Planning is available to you as a resident of the Peach State. This program, which is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), features six-week and 12-week courses that allow you to focus on fewer classes at a time while still maintaining a typical four-year window for completing your studies.
However, Franklin University works with you to transfer as many credits as possible. In fact, the university accepts up to 76 percent of the total required credits to be transferred, allowing you to utilize your previous studies to reduce how much more time (and money) you need to finish your degree.
The course sequence is broken down into numerous categories of classes you must take to graduate. Aside from basic general education requirements (e.g., math, science, social sciences, and natural sciences), you’re required to take basic lower-division finance and business-related classes to help you build a strong foundation of understanding of this field. These classes include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Financial and Managerial Accounting for Non-Majors
- Business Law
- Introduction to Microeconomics
- Principles of Finance
- Principles of Management
- Marketing
These very broad studies give way to more specific, focused coursework within the finance major. For example, you’ll take an Investments course that explores investment markets, transactions, and planning. You’ll also learn about debt and equity instruments, derivative securities, real estate investments, and more.
A course in Tax Planning is also required. Unsurprisingly, this class examines federal income taxes and how the tax code impacts financial planning for businesses and individuals. You’ll discuss topics like measuring taxable income, tax compliance, and the general tax environment, to name a few.
Other required major-area coursework includes the following:
- Principles of Financial Planning
- Risk Management and Insurance Planning
- Retirement Savings and Income Planning
- Estate Planning
- Financial Plan Development
The remaining coursework for this degree consists of electives. On the one hand, you must complete 28 general university electives, which can be in any undergraduate field of your choice. On the other hand, you’re required to complete at least eight business-related electives, which you can choose from a long list of approved courses.
For example, you can take courses ranging from Global Finance to Cybercrime to Managerial Accounting. Classes in Social Media Marketing, Database Fundamentals, and Foundations of Entrepreneurship are also available. You can choose to participate in a Financial Planning Internship, too. This is a wonderful opportunity to see how professional financial planners go about their daily business. You can gain valuable on-the-job experience and establish a strong network of colleagues by completing an internship as well.
By completing this degree, you’ll have all the knowledge and skills required for entry-level finance jobs. What’s more, your studies prepare you to sit for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam – a credential that can help you advance your career and earn more money while also signifying to clients that you have the necessary expertise to help them plan their financial future.
Eligibility for admission is contingent upon meeting the following requirements:
- Have a diploma from an accredited high school (or its equivalent) or have an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- Submit official high school transcripts or the equivalent (e.g., GED scores).
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide evidence of English proficiency if it isn’t your native language.
Kennesaw State University
Online Master of Science in Digital Financial Technologies
The Master of Science in Digital Financial Technologies from Kennesaw State is a cutting-edge program that incorporates studies in multiple fields, including data science, machine learning, and finance. The program, which is 30 credits, requires 18 months of studies to complete. Kennesaw State offers entrance into the program at three points in the year – spring, summer, and fall – to assist you in starting your studies at a time most convenient for you.
The curriculum is divided among core coursework and electives. The core sequence, which includes 21 credit hours, begins with a Payments Processing in FinTech course that explores the history of payments, the evolution of payment processing, and modern payment services. You’ll examine processing platforms from businesses like Amazon, Apple, and PayPal while also gaining an understanding of how these platforms enhance the customer experience.
You’ll also take a FinTech Payments Security and Assurance class that focuses on information security management and security standards that ensure consumers’ financial data remains safe. You’ll explore topics like PCI DSS requirements and NIST cybersecurity and learn how to implement them as well.
Other core coursework includes the following:
- Emerging FinTech Payments Technologies
- Compliance and Policies in FinTech Payments
- Blockchain Technology in Payments
- Business Intelligence – Traditional and Big Data Analysis
Another interesting core course is Experiential Learning in FinTech Payments. This class requires you to undertake detailed research in the FinTech space and work with a team of fellow students to provide business solutions for an industry partner. You’lll onboard the project, experiment with your classmates, and provide a detailed FinTech proposal that addresses real-world issues for the client.
Opportunities like this to collaborate with other students, conduct research, and work directly with real-world organizations give you invaluable experience. On the one hand, you’ll improve your skills related to working as a member of a team. On the other hand, you’ll learn how to apply what you’ve learned in class to scenarios that commonly occur in the business world.
The remaining nine credits required to graduate are your choice of three elective classes. Though any 6000-level or above finance course is acceptable, the program encourages you to consider taking any of the following specific classes:
- Blockchain for Business
- FinTech Payments for the Unbanked
- Information Systems Development Methods and Technologies
- Advanced IT Project Management
- Machine Learning Technology in FinTech
By completing this program (which is the only graduate-level FinTech option in Georgia), you can pursue a career in a variety of finance fields. You might transition into data analytics or compliance, develop FinTech-related apps, or work in the fraud protection sector. Of course, your skills can also lead to employment in the digital payment field.
You must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a 2.75 cumulative GPA or higher to apply.
Likewise, you are required to submit the following: A current resume or curriculum vitae and transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended. GMAT or GRE scores are not required to be considered for admission, though you can choose to provide them if you believe they will help you make your case for entry to the program.
University of Georgia
Online Master of Science in Financial Planning
The Master of Science in Financial Planning from the University of Georgia prepares you for a number of finance-related careers. For example, you might work as a private banker, a wealth advisor, or a bank trust officer. Likewise, options to work in trading, retirement planning, and claims coordination might be available.
This two-year program requires you to complete 10 classes for a total of 31 credits. Each course is eight weeks long. This accelerated format allows you to take fewer classes at a time, which many students find helpful in managing their studies and work or family obligations. These courses, which are developed and delivered by industry experts who teach the same classes on the University of Georgia Campus, explore essential topics in finance.
For example, one of the first classes you’ll take is Financial Planning and Analysis. This class explores how families make financial decisions throughout the life cycle. You’ll examine topics like saving and borrowing, estate planning and retirement, and insurance and risk management, to name a few.
You’re also required to take a Wealth Management course, which analyzes different types of savings and investments. For example, you’ll discuss the time value of money, the advantages and disadvantages of various investment instruments, and evaluate the performance of different types of investment opportunities.
From there, you’ll take a follow-up Wealth Management II course that builds on the basic knowledge you gained in the first class. You’ll explore topics like risk tolerance, asset allocation, and market timing. You’ll also learn how to prepare an investment policy statement, how to construct a diverse portfolio, and how to communicate your investment philosophy to your clients.
The remaining first-year courses cover topics like Retirement Planning, Employee Benefits, and Practice Management in Financial Planning. You must also complete a one-credit Graduate Seminar in which you learn essential research skills, take part in professional development, and participate in networking opportunities with faculty and other students.
The program’s second year explores additional high-level finance topics. For example, the Financial Counseling and Client Communication class teaches you the best practices for helping individuals extract themselves from financial challenges. You’ll learn how to help clients take proactive steps for debt management, improve their credit scores, and reduce poor financial decision-making.
You’ll also take a class dedicated to Estate Planning. This class focuses on family-based estate planning, including advanced methods of gifting property and other assets to children and other family members. You’ll learn how to minimize estate and trust income taxes while also gaining an understanding of public policy that governs estate planning.
The remaining coursework focuses on Research Evaluation and Theory as well as Family Tax Planning. You’re also required to complete a capstone project in which you examine case studies and what you have learned throughout the program to resolve real-world financial problems. This capstone is required to sit for the CFP exam.
You can complete your graduate application for admission to the University of Georgia online. The application requirements are as follows:
- Submit unofficial transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended. Official transcripts must be provided once you’re accepted to the program.
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Provide a statement of purpose in which you summarize your career goals and how this program will help you achieve them.
- Provide two letters of recommendation from references who can speak to your academic abilities and your potential for success in this program.
The University of Georgia does not require you to submit GRE or GMAT scores as part of the application process, though you may choose to do so if you wish.
National University
Online Bachelor of Science in Financial Management
The Bachelor of Science in Financial Management from National University provides you with a strong foundation in finance theory while also offering practical training in financial decision-making processes. Your training will include data analysis, a rapidly expanding area in finance, accounting, and other business-related fields.
This program requires you to complete 180 quarter units for graduation. The curriculum consists of several components, starting with general education requirements.
You need to complete at least 69 quarter units of general education courses. These courses cover a broad range of liberal arts subjects, including math, science, English, and social sciences. All students, regardless of their major, must fulfill these requirements. Although there are specific unit requirements in each field, you have significant flexibility in selecting classes that meet these requirements.
For example, you could choose U.S. History Prior to 1877 and European History Since 1917 to fulfill the social sciences requirement. Alternatively, you might opt for an Introduction to Criminal Justice class and Introduction to Anthropology. These are just a few examples, and the combination of courses you can take to meet general requirements is extensive.
The next part of the program involves courses that prepare you for the finance major. These introductory courses are all at the 200 level. For instance, you’ll take Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics, which are common requirements for finance and other business-related degrees. These courses examine economic activities at broad and narrow levels, respectively.
Other preparatory courses include:
- Financial Accounting Fundamentals
- Managerial Accounting Fundamentals
- Legal Aspects of Business I
- Introduction to Quantitative Methods
Your major studies comprise 16 courses, totaling 72 quarter units, divided into business and finance categories.
The business section includes five upper-division classes such as Business Finance, Intermediate Accounting, and Marketing Fundamentals. You’ll also take Principles of Management and Organizations, which covers management roles, theories, and human resource management in business settings.
For the finance concentration, you’ll complete eleven courses covering various aspects of financial management. You’ll study the role of financial institutions like the Federal Reserve in the economy, including commercial banking, investment companies, and pension funds.
One notable course is Working Capital Management, which focuses on managing assets and liabilities at the corporate level. You’ll learn about credit policies, cash management, and secured inventory financing. Additional required finance courses include:
- Risk Management and Insurance
- International Financial Management
- Finance and Banking
- Capital Structure and Financing
- Valuation of a Corporation
You must also complete a financial capstone project, choosing a finance topic to explore. You’ll be evaluated on your ability to integrate knowledge from previous courses to address case studies and conduct finance-related research.
Each course in this program lasts just four weeks, allowing you to take one or two classes at a time instead of the traditional four or five. With year-round enrollment, you can start your studies at almost any time that suits you.
To apply as a first-year student, you must have a high school diploma. Depending on your previous academic experiences, you may need to take tests in English, math, or both.
What are the Career Opportunities With a Finance Degree in Georgia?
Pursuing a finance degree in Georgia provides numerous career opportunities that can lead to a successful professional journey. With a strong background in finance, you can explore various sectors including banking, investment, corporate finance, and financial planning. Georgia’s dynamic economy and robust financial industry offer many paths to apply your expertise.
In the banking sector, you may start your career as a financial analyst or a loan officer. These roles involve analyzing financial statements, assessing risk, and helping clients secure loans. Georgia’s banking industry offers a solid foundation for developing your skills in financial assessment and client relations.
Investment firms in Georgia provide roles such as portfolio managers, where you’ll manage clients’ investment portfolios, or financial advisors, guiding clients on investment strategies. These positions allow you to develop expertise in market analysis and investment planning, helping clients achieve their financial goals.
Corporate finance departments within Georgia’s various companies require finance professionals to manage budgets, conduct financial forecasting, and develop strategies to maximize profitability. Positions like financial managers or controllers involve overseeing the financial health of an organization and ensuring compliance with financial regulations.
Financial planning is another rewarding career path, where you can work as a personal financial advisor. In this role, you assist individuals in managing their finances, planning for retirement, and achieving their financial objectives. This field allows for building lasting relationships with clients and making a meaningful impact on their financial well-being.
Public accounting firms in Georgia also present opportunities for finance graduates. As an accountant or auditor, you’ll examine financial records, prepare tax returns, and ensure the accuracy of financial information. Gaining experience in public accounting can be especially valuable if you aim to become a certified public accountant (CPA) in Georgia.
Government agencies and non-profit organizations in Georgia also seek finance professionals. In these roles, you’ll manage public funds, develop budgets, and ensure the efficient use of resources to support organizational goals.
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