60 units

The finance and analytics major is designed for students interested in the stewardship of the financial resources of individuals, corporations, or financial institutions. As future managers, students learn the principles and applications of financial analysis, management, and strategy, and gain experience in portfolio construction, applications of AI/ML in financial management, asset management, and business analytics.

This program equips students with the theoretical understanding and practical skills necessary to evaluate and direct decisions regarding the allocation of financial resources among a variety of competing opportunities, with the goal of maximizing the value of the resources managed.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

As a business club hosted by Azusa Pacific University’s School of Business and Management and led by a faculty advisor and a board of finance professionals, the Student Investment Fund (SIF) involves the practical application of classroom knowledge. Students practice hands-on investment strategies and are engaged to manage a portion of the university endowment through fundamental valuation. In addition, students compete for money awards through annual Stock Investment Competition and Stock Pitch Competition. The Seminar in Finance course (FIN 439) provides students the opportunity to earn the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) certification, one of the FINRA qualification exams.  

Career Opportunities

This program prepares students for employment in a variety of fields, such as corporate financial management, investment analysis and planning, financial institution management, and risk management. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, such occupations are expected to experience strong rates of growth. Moreover, these occupations generally offer attractive starting salaries and working conditions.

Requirements

The finance and analytics major comprises 60 units. Students must achieve an average GPA of 2.5 or higher in their major courses (this includes the Business Core).

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Business Core Courses
FIN 100	Personal Finance	3
BUSI 110	Business and Entrepreneurship	3
BUSI 111	Business Statistics 1	3
ACCT 120	Principles of Accounting I	3
ACCT 121	Principles of Accounting II	3
MGMT 210	Principles of Management	3
BUSI 250	Introduction to Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI)	3
ECON 250	Principles of Macroeconomics 2	3
ECON 251	Principles of Microeconomics	3
MKTG 260	Principles of Marketing	3
BUSI 296	Business Law and Ethics	3
FIN 300	Business Finance for Managers	3
BUSI 350	Business Internship	3
BUSI 370	International Business 3	3
MGMT 450	Strategic Management	3
Finance and Analytics Courses
BUSI 314	Big Data Analytics for Business	3
FIN 330	Financial Analysis	3
BUSI 414	Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Business	3
FIN 433	Investment Analysis and Applied Portfolio Management	3
FIN 439	Seminar in Finance	3
Total Units		60

¹

Meets the APU Core: Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement.

²

Meets the APU Core: Social Science general education requirement.

³

Meets the APU Core: Intercultural Competence general education requirement.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:

1. Competent Business Knowledge: Demonstrate knowledge in multiple business disciplines, including management, finance, marketing, accounting and economics.
2. Critical Thinking: Identify and solve business problems using analytical and critical thinking skills.
3. Christian Business Ethics: Demonstrate the ability to evaluate business decisions based on a Christian perspective.
4. Written Communication: Convey ideas clearly through professional written communication.
5. Oral Communication: Express ideas effectively through professional oral presentations.
6. Collaborative Teamwork: Demonstrate the ability to function as an effective business team member.
7. Comprehensive Global Awareness: Identify cultural, economic and political aspects of business in a global environment.
8. Discipline Knowledge: Demonstrate knowledge of finance concepts.
9. Discipline Problem Solving/Strategy: Solve core finance problems, or analyze finance situations and provide strategy for effectiveness.