A Finance Degree is an academic degree that students earn after completing a certain level of studies related to Finance, either at a University, Business School, or a college. A degree program in this field pulls from a number of subjects as opposed to focusing on one particular area of finance. Students are made to explore a wide range of courses related to finance, such as accounting, economics, risk management, and so on.
In this article, we explore the opportunities available for students aiming for a degree in finance. The article explains the types of degrees, job prospects, some best online finance degree courses, universities, and the best countries in which to study finance.
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Types of finance degree
Associate degree: This finance degree usually takes 2 years or less. An associate degree in finance will qualify you for entry-level courses or accounting firm. However, you need a higher degree in order to check on the supervisor for management positions
Bachelor’s degree: this is usually done in 3 to 4 years. it is a degree required for most positions in the finance field. for example, to work as a sales agent for a company you need at least a bachelor’s degree.
master’s degree: you can earn this degree in one to two years after completing a bachelor’s course. a master’s degree has more and better job opportunities in the field of finance like in management analysis than a Bachelor’s degree.
Doctorate degree: doctoral degrees focused on finance takes 2 to 6 years to complete and you need at least a bachelor’s degree. in many cases you won’t need a master’s degree to study doctorate degree. certification of a doctorate degree in finance will open up positions like research or as a faculty member at the College University or Business School.
What Can I Do with a Finance Degree?
There is a wide range of job openings for degree holders in finance-related courses. Nearly every type of business has a job for someone with adequate knowledge of finance. Financial experts work in banks, companies, schools, organizations, etc. and they can choose to open their own consulting firms or financial planning agency.
Some examples of finance-related job positions include:
- Credit Analyst: where you will be analyzing financial data and weighing the risk of proving credit for individuals or businesses
- Finance Officer: this is the same as a financial manager who oversees operations of banks, credit unions, and finance companies.
- Financial Advisor: you will be guiding people to invest money towards certain financial goals.
- Financial Analyst: these people assess and analyze a company’s financial situation, and provide recommendations to guide a company’s investment, management, and spending.
- Financial Planner: this is a job for helping individuals with budgets, retirement planning and other monetary planning
- Loan Officer: this is a bank or credit union employee who guides people and companies during the loan process
- Investment Banker: they advise and help raise funds for a corporation.
Is a Finance Degree BA or BS?
All courses in Finance are related to business and qualifies the student to pursue an MBA. But there is a difference between an AB in finance and a BS in finance. Studying a BA in Finance means the focus of your college courses will be more on soft skills because you will be doing some liberal arts courses. As for a B.S in Finance, your course focus will mainly be on technical skills with an emphasis on math and science. So a finance degree can be a B.A or a B.S.
A B.A in Finance gives you a more expansive education. In addition to the standard Finance course, you will likely take a course in history, English, religion, and a few others. but a B.S in finance will let you master technical skills with a great deal of emphasis on math, science, statistics, and subjects in finance, economics and entrepreneurship.
Are There Finance Schools Online?
If you want to make money, then learn about money. Acquire as much financial knowledge as you can and apply that knowledge throughout your lifespan, and you are not likely to live a poor life. This can be done by joining a university or other business institutions. You can also study online, particularly courses that have to do with finance, and where you won’t need any or much practical experiment that requires some complex laboratory apparatus.
Online degrees offer a lot of convenience for the student in that you are spared much of the burden that follows a traditional class setting. You can perfectly complete a degree course online with recognized certificates, which you can be employed for. But you can do it a fraction of the cost and time you spend in a brick and mortar university.
Studying online allows you to work and take care of other responsibilities while you complete your degree. It saves you money on transportation, handouts, and allows you to read at your own pace. Plus, you have a flexible time table where you can read any time of your choosing.
Universities today have online gateways to some of their degrees, and that includes Finance-related degrees. These universities offer degree awards that are equal in status with what other students achieve studying the traditional way. These are normally the best options to go for if you intend to achieve an online university degree.
Be wary of online degrees that are not backed up by on-campus universities. Most if not all will land you in trouble with accreditation bodies around the world.
Having raised the warning flag, here is our list of the top online degree courses for Finance-related degrees. Note that all options on this list are back by on-campus institutions. This means you acquire the same certificate as students who studied on-campus.
- Bachelor of Science in Finance
This institution ranks No. 12 in the nation for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs, the University of Alabama-Birmingham offers students the opportunity to study a Bachelor of Science in Finance. The program can be run 100% online. It instills in students analytic skills, social perceptiveness, and problem-solving mindset that is a requirement for every business student. It also prepares graduates for a career in a wide range of fields, including real estate, corporate finance, credit services, purchasing, investment services, and financial analysis.
- Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting Management
This online course is offered by one of the highest-rated universities in the U.S.A. the course lets students BS in Finance and accounting management. It is a 120-credit curriculum requiring students to first earn 60-credit prior to starting the course. The website displays a list of all required courses, plus general education courses.
- Bachelor of Science in Finance USA
This is another top-ranking institution in the U.S.A. students can choose to take online courses for both undergraduate and graduate degrees in many fields. The BS in Finance prepares the student for a career in the business world such as, financial, business, management, and investment skills among others.
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – Purdue University Global-Davenport, Davenport, Ia
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – Pennsylvania State University – World Campus University Park, Pa
- Bachelor of Arts in Finance – Ashford University, San Diego, Ca
- Finance Bachelor’s Degree – Rasmussen College-Florida Land O’lakes, Fl
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – Post University, Waterbury, Ct
- BS in Finance- Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, Nh
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, CT
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – Columbia College, Columbia, MO
- Finance Bachelor’s Degree – University Of Maryland University College – Adelphi Adelphi, MD
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – Metropolitan State University, Minneapolis, MN
- Bachelor of Science in Finance – University Of Minnesota-Crookston, Crookston, MN
Finance Degree Jobs Outlook
There is a high prospect of employment for people with some kind of finance-related degree. The finance industry continues to grow with positive forecasts in the distant future as new businesses emerge and established businesses expand. If you are one who is interested in financial markets, stocks, bonds, and other financial activities, and you are okay with handling numbers, then a finance degree is worth your consideration. finance-related jobs see people earning anywhere between $60000 to $ 100000+ a year around the world. All you need is the right skill, and a university certification to back it up.
Best Country to Study Finance
Some countries excel above others in matters of finance education. You probably want to study in a country that has a good reputation for grooming the world’s most elite financial brains. Not only does this dramatically pivot your employment chances, but it also lets you study with confidence – that’s if you want to study on-campus. Below is our pick of the top study destinations for finance degrees around the world.
- France: It is controversially the best country to study finance in Europe and the world. It has a rich history as a financial brain box. It is home to some of the largest banks in Europe, and also home to some of the best-ranked business schools in the world, some of which beats Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Imperial Business school, and the University of Oxford.
Other countries that offer superb Finance degrees include
- The U.S
- UK
- Germany
- Spain, among others.
Top 15 Universities to Study Finance
- HEC Paris School of Management, France
- Harvard University, United States
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States
- Stanford University, United States
- University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), United Kingdom
- University of Chicago, United States
- University of Pennsylvania, United States
- University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- University of California, Berkeley (UCB), United States
- Columbia University, United States
- London Business School, United Kingdom
- New York University (NYU), United States
- Yale University, United States
- National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
Although we have many recommendations for where to earn a degree in finance, you can still have good knowledge of finance studying in your country and many others not listed here. The bottom line is that you conduct through research on any institution you intend to study at and also study the convenience of that environment. read reviews by expert websites and students who studied there of recent.
