Study Finance in North Carolina

Studying finance in North Carolina is as simple as finding an appropriate program for your needs. That won’t be too hard, considering North Carolina colleges and universities offer many different finance degree options. This includes undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as graduate certificates in finance.

The most difficult part of choosing a finance program is simply deciding which one is right for you. That’s where this guide comes in! Below are detailed descriptions of some of the popular options in North Carolina. Read about each program to learn the admission and graduation requirements, and then make an informed decision that will help you achieve your educational and career goals.

Best Accredited Online Finance Degrees in North Carolina - Finance Bachelor's, Master's and MBA Programs in NC

Online Finance Degrees in North Carolina

Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online finance degrees in North Carolina:

  • Western Carolina University
  • University of North Carolina – Greensboro
  • University of North Carolina – Pembroke
  • University North Carolina – Chapel Hill
  • Purdue University Global
  • Capella University
  • Walden University
  • Grand Canyon University
  • Southern New Hampshire University

Western Carolina University

Online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Finanace

At Western Carolina University, you can enroll in a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in finance that prepares you for careers in finance, accounting, and economics, to name a few. The program requires you to complete 120 credits, which typically takes about four years of full-time studies.

This program doesn’t just result in a degree, though. Its curriculum is aligned with industry standards that also allow you to sit for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam. This prestigious credential is the gold standard for financial planners and signals to your future clients that you have the knowledge and skills to help them attain greater wealth.

The curriculum is divided into four primary areas: liberal studies hours, business core courses, major hours, and electives.

The liberal studies hours include 42 credits of coursework in areas like social sciences, math, natural sciences, and language arts. These credits are lower-division introductory courses that help you develop essential skills like problem-solving, effective written and verbal communication, and quantitative reasoning, among others. These general courses are required for all majors.

The 36-credit sequence of business core courses is similar in that it offers foundational studies in a broad range of topics, though these topics relate to business in some way. For example, you’ll take Financial Accounting, Introductory Microeconomics and Social Issues, and Financial Management. You’ll also take a course in Operations Management, which introduces you to techniques required for managing resources within an organization to create products or services.

You’ll also take a Principles of Marketing class that explores how to plan and execute effective marketing strategies and an Introduction to Management class that analyzes the methods of managing modern organizations in today’s economy.

Not all business core courses are in these fields, though. You’ll take an information systems class – Managing Enterprise Information Systems – as well as a course in Legal and Ethical Environment of Business. These and other courses give you a well-rounded education in essential business topics that allow you to move on to more advanced studies within your major.

This program offers multiple concentrations to choose from to satisfy the major hours. For example, you might choose the Banking Finance Concentration if you wish to pursue an executive-level career in a bank or credit union. Alternatively, you might pursue the Personal Financial Planning Concentration if you want to work with businesses and individuals to prepare for their financial futures. A General Finance Concentration is also available, which is a good choice if you have broad career goals.

Western Carolina offers many different internship opportunities regardless of the concentration you choose. In some instances, you’ll work with a professor who mentors you in a specific area of finance, such as personal financial planning. In other instances, you might work part-time for a financial organization in a field related to your major.

Completing an internship comes with many advantages, not the least of which is gaining relevant work experience while you’re still in school. You can also earn credit for your work, and in many cases, you can be paid for your work, too. Western Carolina’s career services department can help you find internships, polish your resume, and get tips for interviewing, too.

You must meet the following requirements to apply as a first-year student:

  • Submit high school transcripts showing your GPA and expected graduation date.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Complete all required prerequisite coursework, as applicable.

University of North Carolina – Greensboro

Online Bachelor of Science in Finance

The Bachelor of Science in Finance from UNC Greensboro is offered by the Bryan School of Business and Economics. This is an important point because the school is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which accredits the top one percent of business schools around the globe.

With a high-quality education from UNC Greensboro, you can pursue employment in fields like financial planning, credit analytics, or commercial lending. Graduates have also gone on to be stock analysts, personal bankers, and budget directors. However, before you jump into a career, you must first complete this degree. With 120 credits necessary to graduate, you can expect to spend four years working toward graduation.

The curriculum proceeds as follows:

  • 33-34 credits of general education classes
  • 29 credits of Bryan School pre-admission courses
  • 41 credits of common business core courses
  • 15 credits of major course requirements
  • Enough electives to meet the 120-credit threshold

General education courses are chosen from approved classes in broad liberal arts fields. For example, you’re required to take classes in communications, art, and social science. You’re also required to complete math, natural science, and English coursework.

The pre-admission courses for the Bryan school focus on business, accounting, economics, and other related fields. These courses, which are lower-division and broad-based, should be completed by the end of your second year at UNC Greensboro.

For example, you’ll take a Financial Accounting class that introduces you to creating and analyzing business financial statements. You’ll learn how to use accounting information to drive business decision-making and also explore ethical and legal issues that commonly arise in this line of work.

Another key pre-admission course you’re required to take is Foundations for Analytics Using Spreadsheets. This class helps you refine your ability to create and use spreadsheets to analyze and report financial information. Likewise, you’ll learn how to use datasets to solve common business problems.

Other pre-admission courses you must take include the following:

  • Principles of Microeconomics
  • Principles of Macroeconomics
  • Economic and Business Statistics I
  • Information Systems for Decision-Making
  • Managerial Accounting

The common business core elevates your studies with focused coursework in many different areas of business. You’ll take a Global and Cultural Development class that helps you understand global business operations more clearly. You’ll also take a Leadership Development course that identifies the qualities of a good leader and helps you integrate those qualities into your professional persona.

Other core business courses include Business Finance, Principles of Marketing, and Operations Management. These and other courses provide you with a solid foundation of business training that enables you to be a solid leader, an excellent communicator, and an ethical practitioner in a finance-related career.

The major course requirements focus specifically on finance. You’ll take courses like Investments, Business Finance II, and Data Technologies for Finance. You’ll also take a Financial Institutions and Markets course that explores topics like short-term financing, interest rate determination, and international finance markets. You’re able to fine-tune your training by choosing various electives, too.

For example, you’re required to choose two finance electives from a list of more than a dozen options. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Entrepreneurial Finance
  • Cost Accounting
  • Problems in Finance
  • Fundamentals of Futures, Options, and Behavioral Finance
  • Federal Tax Concepts

As a first-year student, you must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Complete a comprehensive high school curriculum including 4 units of English, 4 units of math, 3 units of science, two units of the same foreign language, and two units of social studies.
  • Have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or above.
  • Score 19 or higher on the ACT or a 1010 or higher on the SAT

University of North Carolina – Pembroke

Online Master of Business Administration in Finance

The Master of Business Administration in Finance from UNC Pembroke focuses specifically on hedging, corporate finance, and investment analysis so you can broaden your career options in the finance industry. The 36-credit program offers flexible enrollment options, including full-time and part-time studies. If you opt for the full-time track, you can finish the degree in as little as 12 months.

This AACSB-accredited program explores all corners of business practices. You’ll take courses in marketing, accounting, and managerial finance. You’ll also explore economics and international business.

More specifically, the curriculum includes four types of classes: foundation courses, core courses, concentration courses, and electives. Naturally, the foundation courses come first. These classes explore broad topics in business and finance that are essential for your development as a future finance professional. You’ll take the following classes during the first semester of the program:

  • Foundations of Financial and Managerial Accounting
  • Foundations of Business Statistics
  • Foundations of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
  • Foundations of Finance

Once you complete these courses, you’ll move onto core coursework in areas like marketing, management, and finance. For example, you’ll take an International Business class that provides an overview of management practices on a global scale. You’ll also take a course in Organizational Theory and Behavior that examines individual and group behavior in the context of a business organization.

The core coursework continues with a class in Managerial Accounting. This course introduces you to accounting data and how managers use that data to make informed business decisions. You’ll explore topics like capital budgeting, multiple regression analysis, and control analysis, among many others. Other core coursework must be completed in areas like Managerial Finance, Quantitative Methods, and Strategic Planning.

The concentration courses include three essential classes: Investment Analysis, Bank Management and Financial Services, and Corporate Finance. The Investment Analysis class continues your studies in managerial finance and discusses topics like risk and return, diversification, and risk management. Meanwhile, the Bank Management and Financial Services course explores bank policies, management problems, balance sheet management, and other critical topics related to effectively managing financial institutions.

Corporate Finance rounds out your concentration classes by examining the tools required to evaluate the value of an organization. You’ll learn how to measure a business’s performance, manage cash flow, and assess the cost of capital and risk, too.

You’ll take one elective class to complete this degree. You have the choice of taking Behavioral Finance or Personal Financial Planning. In Behavioral Finance, you explore behaviors that make value creation at the organizational level more difficult. You’ll learn about biases, framing, and heuristics, as well as risk and return perceptions that can influence decision-making.

Alternatively, taking the Personal Financial Planning course helps you build a toolkit for helping individuals and organizations achieve their financial goals. You’ll learn about insurance, retirement, and estate planning. You’ll also complete a scenario-based project in which you prepare a financial plan for an imaginary client.

The following admissions requirements must be met to be considered for this program:

  • Have a bachelor’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Provide a current resume or curriculum vitae.

You do not have to submit GMAT or GRE scores if your GPA is 2.5 or higher.

University North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Online Graduate Certificate in Finance

If your career goals don’t require a full-blown finance graduate degree, you might consider supplementing your existing academic and job-related expertise with the online Graduate Certificate in Finance from UNC Chapel Hill. This program is offered by the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, one of the nation’s premiere business schools.

You have wide latitude in terms of finishing this program. On the one hand, its fully online courses allow you to study whenever and wherever you like. On the other hand, just four courses are required. Moreover, you have anywhere from 6-18 months to complete the coursework. You can take time off between classes to account for personal and career obligations. However, you must finish all the classes within 18 months of your start date.

The four required courses explore various aspects of working in the finance industry. First, you’ll take a four-credit finance course that explores the methods and techniques needed to make effective financial decisions. For example, you’ll discuss the process of creating value and economic value drivers, the purpose of which is to acquire the skills needed to maximize the value of an organization.

The second course, Financial Accounting, helps you build the confidence needed to use financial statements to make more informed financial decisions. You’ll learn how to analyze financial statements and other documents and interpret their meaning. You’ll also examine other corporate disclosures, footnotes, and additional financial materials.

Financial Statement Analysis is the next course in the certificate sequence. This two-credit glass facilitates the development of critical skills for analyzing financial statements. These include the following:

  • Understanding how to manage earnings by using accounting tricks.
  • Analyzing profitability by decomposing a firm’s profits to see if money is actually being made or if losses are being incurred.
  • Analyzing an organization’s financial statements and footnotes to determine the results generated from its primary business activities.

You’ll complete this certificate by taking a 2-credit course in Corporate Financial Strategy. You’ll tackle advanced topics in finance theory and policy. Specifically, you’ll analyze the primary issues that affect an organization’s financial policy. This includes examining its choices of dividend policies, capital structure, and share issuance. Likewise, this class discusses the costs and benefits of a business’s financial strategies while also exploring SEOs, IPOs, private equity, and other essential topics.

This program offers four start dates each year: January, April, July, and October. To apply, you must submit an online application for admission. The Kenan-Flagler Business School uses a holistic approach to evaluating applicants. As part of the evaluation process, the admissions team will look at specific features of your educational experiences, including:

  • Your performance in your undergraduate program.
  • Your performance in a professional setting.
  • Your performance on the GMAT or GRE.

To qualify for admission, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree and two years of related professional experience. You must also submit a personal essay explaining your career goals and how this program will help you achieve those goals. A letter of recommendation is required as well, though you may submit more than one letter if you wish.

The GMAT/GRE requirement can be waived if you have five or more years of professional experience. Contact UNC Chapel Hill for details about obtaining a waiver.

Purdue University Global

Online Bachelor of Science in Finance

Purdue University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Finance through its Global Campus, enabling you to earn a degree from Purdue while living in Illinois.

You need to complete 180 quarter credits, equivalent to 120 semester credits, to graduate, as Purdue follows the quarter system. Typically, full-time students complete this degree in four years. However, by taking extra courses occasionally, you might be able to graduate a semester or two earlier.

You’ll begin with 45 quarter credits of general education courses, which aim to provide you with essential knowledge and skills across various liberal arts disciplines. The main portion of your studies, consisting of 96 credits, will focus on the finance major, including both required and elective courses.

You’ll start with fundamental finance-related classes such as Accounting I and II, Macroeconomics, and Introduction to Management. Additionally, you must complete one course in each of these business areas:

  • Marketing
  • Business Law
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Business Statistics and Quantitative Analysis

Finance-specific courses will also be a significant part of your curriculum. The introductory course, Introduction to Finance, covers topics like valuing money, financial planning, and financial analysis. You’ll also take Corporate Finance, which examines the financial decisions made within companies.

Another required course is Financial Markets, where you’ll study securities and the factors influencing their value. This course also explores the various financial markets where securities are traded. Further finance courses include Financial Statement Analysis, Investments, and a Capstone Course.

The Capstone Course is a distinctive requirement that involves applying all the knowledge you have gained throughout the program to solve practical financial problems. To complete the capstone successfully, you must thoroughly review your learning and assess your proficiency in key finance topics.

Your remaining credits will be fulfilled through electives, allowing you to specialize in a specific area of finance. Purdue Global offers four specializations: FinTech, General Finance, Real Estate, or Wealth Management and Financial Planning. Each specialization requires 18 credits. For instance, if you choose Real Estate, you’ll take Foundations of Real Estate Practice, Real Estate Finance and Ethics, and Real Estate Law.

If you select the Wealth Management and Financial Planning specialization, you’ll take Financial Planning, Portfolio Management, and Asset Allocation and Risk Management.

Additionally, you have the option to pursue a combined bachelor’s-master’s degree through Purdue Global. This pathway enables you to complete both degrees more quickly and at a reduced cost compared to finishing them separately.

To apply, you need to meet the following requirements:

  • Possess a high school diploma.
  • Submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities you’ve attended.
  • Prove English language proficiency if English is not your native language.

Does a Finance Degree Involve a Lot of Math?

A finance degree does involve a significant amount of math, but it is not typically as math-intensive as a degree in fields like mathematics, physics, or engineering. Here’s a breakdown of the types of math commonly encountered in a finance degree:

  • Basic Mathematics: Fundamental arithmetic and algebra are used extensively in financial calculations.
  • Statistics and Probability: These are crucial for analyzing data, understanding market trends, risk assessment, and making predictions.
  • Calculus: Some finance programs include calculus, particularly for understanding changes in financial models and for certain areas like options pricing.
  • Linear Algebra: Used in more advanced finance topics, such as portfolio theory and optimization.
  • Financial Mathematics: Specific mathematical techniques and models, such as discounted cash flow analysis, present and future value calculations, and various financial instruments’ valuation.
  • Quantitative Analysis: Involves using mathematical and statistical methods to evaluate financial and risk management strategies.

While a strong aptitude for math can be beneficial, many finance programs provide the necessary mathematical training. Additionally, much of the math used in finance is applied rather than theoretical, focusing on real-world financial problems and solutions.

Is a Finance Degree a BA or BS?

A finance degree can be awarded as either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS), depending on the institution and the specific program. Here’s the general difference between the two:

BA in Finance:

  • Typically has a broader, more liberal arts-focused curriculum.
  • Includes more general education courses in humanities and social sciences.
  • May offer more flexibility in electives and a broader range of subjects.
  • Suitable for students interested in combining finance with other fields, such as economics, international relations, or communication.

BS in Finance:

  • Focuses more on the technical and analytical aspects of finance.
  • Includes more coursework in mathematics, statistics, economics, and business.
  • Emphasizes quantitative skills and technical proficiency.
  • Suitable for students looking for a more specialized and rigorous approach to finance, often with a focus on preparing for careers in financial analysis, investment banking, or financial engineering.

The choice between a BA or BS in finance often depends on your career goals and interests. If you prefer a broader education with the flexibility to explore various disciplines, a BA might be more suitable. If you are more interested in the technical and quantitative aspects of finance, a BS might be the better option.

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