Study Finance in Wisconsin
Your stepping stone to a career in finance begins with a bachelor’s degree program. In Wisconsin, you’ll find numerous online options for completing your degree, including some accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you’re in luck, too, because Wisconsin is home to its fair share of online graduate degrees in finance. Whether you want an undergraduate or graduate degree, you’ll find that Wisconsin’s programs offer rigorous learning opportunities combined with flexible degree plans to meet your unique needs.
Choosing a college program requires a lot of research – which we’ve done for you! Read up on some of the popular finance programs in Wisconsin.
Online Finance Degrees in Wisconsin
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online finance degrees in Wisconsin:
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville
- Capella University
- Concordia University Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin-Parkside
- Walden University
- Southern New Hampshire University
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Online Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater offers an online Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance that’s part of the largest AACSB-accredited business school in the state. The rigorous curriculum is designed to allow you to work at your own pace when you have time for your studies. But this isn’t a traditional asynchronous degree program.
Instead, you’ll have opportunities throughout the degree to build connections with your peers through online assignments. The online classroom environment also features discussion boards and other interactive components that help you develop collegiality and network with other students and your professors.
This program requires at least 120 credits to graduate. Typically, it takes four years of full-time studies to complete this degree. However, taking summer courses and an extra course each spring and fall enables you to graduate in just three years. Alternatively, you can enroll part-time and take five or more years to finish the degree requirements.
The first portion of this program is general education studies. These classes, which cover topics like the natural sciences, social science, math, and English, build foundational skills required for advanced academic inquiry. You’ll gain quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills while also learning how to be an effective communicator and leader.
The general studies component accounts for more than one-third of the total credits needed for graduation. As such, you’ll spend the first year and a half in the program finishing these requirements. Then, you’ll move on and complete basic business course requirements. Like the general education classes described above, the basic business courses examine very broad, foundational topics (the difference being that these classes focus specifically on business).
For example, you’ll take lower-division classes like Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Introduction to Financial Accounting. Additionally, you might take courses in Information Systems, Business Statistics, and Introduction to Accounting Theory.
Your other business core courses include options from a broad spectrum of business topics. This includes coursework in the following:
- Finance
- Business Law
- Supply Chain Management
- Management
- Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health
- International Business, Finance, or Management
The University of Wisconsin Whitewater additionally requires you to take upper-division business and finance courses. These classes increase the level of rigor and also focus on much narrower topics. As such, you must achieve junior standing before you can enroll in upper-division classes.
One of the principal courses you’ll take is Business Finance. This class builds on what you learn in Introduction to Financial Accounting and explores common finance topics in business settings. This includes discussions of risk management, financial derivatives, financial statement analysis, and corporate finance, to name a few.
Other upper-division required courses include the following:
- Operations Management
- Business and Commercial Law
- Organizational Behavior
- Principles of Marketing
Furthermore, you’re required to complete a strategic management capstone your senior year. This applied learning experience is an opportunity to take what you’ve learned in previous classes and apply it to real-world-inspired finance situations. Not only is this a great way to put your learning into practice, but it’s also an excellent learning experience that better prepares you to enter the workforce after graduation.
You’ll complete the degree requirements by taking 12 credits of finance electives. The university offers a host of courses in topics ranging from Life Insurance to Real Estate Law to Bank Administration.
The admissions requirements for the program are as follows:
- Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
- Submit a copy of your high school transcript.
- Submit official transcripts from every university from which you’ve earned college credit.
You can choose to submit ACT or SAT scores, too, though this is not required.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Online Bachelor of Business Administration
The online Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is yet another option worth exploring to complete your studies. The program mixes fully online students with those studying on campus for a broad cross-section of learners. The courses are similarly broad in their scope of coursework.
For example, you’ll take part in discussion forums with other students and watch video lectures from your professors. You’ll complete readings and other assignments independently while taking quizzes and exams online to assess your understanding of the material. You’ll also benefit from responsive professors who maintain online office hours and offer individual appointments to meet with you and discuss your progress in the program.
The curriculum includes a choice of three concentrations: Business Finance, Personal Financial Planning, and Portfolio Management. Each concentration has slightly different course requirements.
The Business Finance option requires you to take classes like Principles of Investment, International Financial Management, and Advanced Corporation Finance. You’ll also take a class entitled Money, Banking, and Financial Markets. Naturally, these classes all focus on the nature of financial operations in a business setting.
By contrast, the Personal Financial Planning track shifts its focus to topics that enable you to make informed financial decisions on behalf of individual clients. This includes required studies in the following areas:
- Risk Management and Insurance
- Principles of Investment
- Psychology of Personal Finance
- Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning
- Estate and Trust Planning
Alternatively, an interest in investment portfolio management means studying the essentials of money, banking, and the financial markets. This includes coursework in Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory, Principles of Investment, Security Analysis and Portfolio Management, and International Financial Management.
While the required classes for each concentration are different, they share many of the same lower-division and upper-division business courses. For example, each track requires you to take Principles of Financial Accounting, Principles of Managerial Accounting, and Introduction to Business. Further still, you’ll take courses in economics, statistics, corporate finance, and organizational behavior, too.
This degree also requires you to take six approved elective classes. Again, the options available to you depend on your area of concentration. For example, the business finance track includes options to study Real Estate Principles, Income Tax Theory, and Financial Plan Development. The personal financial planning option includes elective options in Bank Administration, Securities Regulations, and a Student Managed Investment Fund experience.
Meanwhile, the portfolio management track offers electives in Estate and Trust Planning, Financial Plan Development, and Risk Management and Insurance, to name a few. All three tracks require you to complete a capstone experience in which you utilize what you’ve learned to solve real-world finance-related problems.
You can fill out an online application to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay at any time. The eligibility requirements for doing so are as follows:
- Have a high school diploma or the equivalent.
- Fill out the application linked above.
- Submit your high school transcripts or equivalency scores.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university from which you’ve earned credit.
You may optionally provide ACT or SAT scores if you believe doing so will help you obtain admission.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Online Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance
The University of Wisconsin-Platville’s online Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance helps you gain the skills necessary for a career in investment, corporate finance, and banking, to name a few. You’ll acquire knowledge and tools that allow you to maximize financial resources for individuals and businesses while also learning how to forecast business trends.
Moreover, this program teaches you how to manage financial resources. You’ll learn about finance in domestic and global settings, discover strategies for evaluating a company’s financial health, and evaluate risk, too. With these and other skills under your belt, you might qualify for careers like the following:
- Loan Officer
- Financial Advisor
- Investment Analyst
- Insurance Agent
- Budget Analyst
You must compile 120 credits to graduate with this degree. The bulk of these credits include studies in general education areas as outlined earlier and the finance major. For example, your first semester in the program might include general courses like College Writing II and General Psychology, as well as major courses like Global Business, Introduction to Marketing, and Leadership and Management.
Your second semester might be a similar split between general education classes and major coursework: College Writing II, Speech Communication for Professionals, Elementary Statistics, and Supply Chain Management. This blend of general and major classes continues throughout the second year. But, once your third year rolls around, you’ll focus much more on major-area coursework.
For example, this program requires you to take upper-division classes in Corporate Finance, International Finance, and Investments. You’ll learn about Business Law, Financial Systems Analysis, and Bank Management, too.
The final major-area course you’ll take is a capstone in Financial Decision-Making. This class is a summative assessment that examines your competency in all the areas listed above (and more). You must be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of business, economic, management, and finance principles to successfully complete the capstone.
In most cases, students in this program also enroll in a minor. Studies in marketing or human resource management are the most applicable minors for a major in finance. If you elect not to complete a minor, you’ll need to take at least 10 elective credits to reach the 120-credit threshold to graduate.
This program has some unique qualities that make it a viable option for your studies. On the one hand, 100 percent of students enrolled in this program participate in an internship. Hands-on studies like this are critical for your development. An internship allows you to apply what you’ve learned in a real-world setting, get feedback from finance professionals, and network with potential employers who might allow you to have a job secured before you even graduate.
This brings us to the second unique feature of this program – its 100 percent placement rate. Each and every student who graduates with this degree secures a job, which is invaluable in a world in which finding a job can be a difficult process.
The following requirements must be met to be considered for admission as a first-year student:
- Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
- Submit high school transcripts or equivalency scores.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university from which you’ve earned credit.
- Submit official ACT or SAT scores (this is optional).
Capella University
Online Bachelor of Science in Finance
Capella University’s Bachelor of Science in Finance aims to help you build a strong foundation in business knowledge while also gaining essential leadership and management skills. Alongside the development of analytical and problem-solving abilities, you’ll be prepared to become a leader in the finance industry.
To complete this program, you’ll need to earn 180 quarter credits. The program offers many features to enhance its flexibility, including fully online classes with no campus visits required and multiple start dates throughout the year. Capella’s generous transfer credit policy allows you to apply up to 135 previously earned credits toward this degree.
The curriculum consists of five components:
- General Education
- Core Coursework
- Specialization Courses
- Electives
- Capstone
General education classes cover broad topics such as math, science, social sciences, English, and communications. The skills you gain in these classes are crucial for your success not only as a college student but also in life and work, including effective communication and analytical thinking.
The business core includes ten classes, each addressing a different business area. For example, the Fundamentals of Organizational Communication course teaches you to be an effective communicator, regardless of your role within an organization.
In the Fundamentals of Marketing and Sales course, you’ll explore basic concepts like market research, product positioning, and consumer and business markets. This learning is complemented by the Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management course, which examines the efficient movement of goods from suppliers to end-users.
Additional core coursework includes:
- Accounting Fundamentals
- Fundamentals of Business Law
- Fundamentals of Human Resource Management
- Fundamentals of Leadership
- Developing a Business Perspective
The specialization courses provide finance-specific knowledge and skills. You’ll study the foundations of finance, including financial theory and decision-making processes, as well as financial markets and institutions and the impact of monetary policies and macroeconomic forces on market performance.
The Investments and Portfolio Management course covers valuation principles, financial theories, and investment strategies, allowing you to apply your knowledge in real-world investment situations. You’ll also choose seven to thirteen electives, both within and outside the finance field, to complete your coursework.
Your studies will culminate in a business capstone project. This project requires you to demonstrate your understanding of key business competencies such as communication, critical thinking, and applied business principles. You’ll also develop a product or service idea and create a strategic plan to implement it, providing valuable applied experience in finance before entering the job market.
To be considered for admission, you must:
- Be 24 years of age or older (this requirement may be waived if you are a current or former member of the military or have completed 24 or more quarter credits of college coursework).
- Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
- Submit high school transcripts or equivalency scores.
- Provide a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID.
If you have not yet completed any college credits, you must also complete a reading and writing assessment.
Concordia University Wisconsin
Online Master of Business Administration in Finance
The online Master of Business Administration in Finance from Concordia University Wisconsin requires just 36 credits to graduate. In many cases, you can complete the curriculum in two years or less, then immediately join the workforce with in-demand skills for careers in all corners of the finance industry.
Your coursework will be overseen by professors with real-world finance experience. They draw on this experience to enrich the online learning environment and challenge you to develop essential knowledge as well as practical finance skills. And with expertise in securities analysis, real estate investment, risk management, and more, your professors can lead you in explorations of many key topics in this field.
The program’s curriculum is divided into four components:
- Core Courses
- Experiential Learning Courses
- Strategic Management Capstone
- Finance Courses
The 15 credits of core courses focus on essential business administration areas. For example, you’ll take a course in Ethical Leadership that gives you a sense of what it means to behave and lead in a virtuous manner. You’ll also take a class in People-Focused Management, which gives you the tools necessary to build a business environment that fosters the development of employees and motivates them to be as successful as possible.
Other required core courses include the following:
- Mastering Analytics and Decision-Making
- Financial Analyses to Drive Business Growth
- Managerial Economics and Econometrics
The experiential component of this program requires you to select two hands-on courses. Your options are plentiful. For example, you might choose to complete a service learning project that requires you to volunteer 15 hours at an organization of your choice. Alternatively, you might choose to study abroad and learn business and finance skills in another country.
Other options focus on building different types of skills. You can take a Business Coaching class to enhance your personal and professional strengths. You might also enroll in a Project Management course to learn about the technical aspects of managing small-scale and large-scale projects.
The capstone requirement focuses specifically on strategic management. You’ll use traditional classroom learning modalities like textbook assignments combined with simulations and workplace materials to apply what you’ve learned in your studies to solve critical management issues.
The last piece of this program is a four-course sequence of finance classes. You’ll start with a Corporate Finance class that examines how money flows through a corporation. Then, you’ll complete an International Finance class that looks at topics like capital budgeting and foreign exchange.
Meanwhile, the Financial Institutions Management course examines the finance industry, but especially the tasks of measuring and managing risk. Lastly, you’ll take Securities Analysis, which equips you with the tools needed to analyze stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other securities.
The admissions requirements for this program are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Submit a one-page essay in which you explain why you want to get a graduate degree, what your career goals are, and why the degree from Concordia is of interest.
- Provide a current resume that includes your educational and employment experience.
- Provide two letters of recommendation.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
What are the Career Opportunities With a Finance Degree in Wisconsin?
Pursuing a finance degree in Wisconsin provides numerous career opportunities that can lead to a rewarding professional journey. With a solid education in finance, you can explore various sectors, including banking, investment, corporate finance, and financial planning. Wisconsin’s growing economy and financial industry present many avenues to apply your expertise.
In the banking sector, you may begin your career as a financial analyst or loan officer. These roles involve evaluating financial statements, assessing risks, and assisting clients in securing loans. Wisconsin’s banking industry offers a robust environment for developing your skills in financial analysis and customer service.
Investment firms in Wisconsin provide roles such as portfolio managers, where you’ll oversee clients’ investment portfolios, or financial advisors, offering guidance on investment strategies. These positions allow you to build expertise in market analysis and investment planning, helping clients achieve their financial objectives.
Corporate finance departments within Wisconsin’s companies require finance professionals to manage budgets, conduct financial forecasting, and develop strategies to maximize profitability. Positions like financial managers or controllers involve overseeing an organization’s financial health and ensuring compliance with financial regulations.
Financial planning is another valuable career path. As a personal financial advisor, you’ll assist individuals in managing their finances, planning for retirement, and achieving their financial goals. This field allows for building strong relationships with clients and making a significant impact on their financial well-being.
Public accounting firms in Wisconsin also offer opportunities for finance graduates. As an accountant or auditor, you’ll review financial records, prepare tax returns, and ensure the accuracy of financial information. Gaining experience in public accounting can be particularly beneficial if you aim to become a certified public accountant (CPA) in Wisconsin.
Government agencies and non-profit organizations in Wisconsin also seek finance professionals. In these roles, you’ll manage public funds, develop budgets, and ensure the effective use of resources to support organizational goals.