Department of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 

Welcome to the Department of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate in the College of Business. There are three main areas in our department.

Finance is a multifaceted discipline concerned with how individuals and firms choose to invest in real and financial assets, how they raise funds to make these investments, and how these financial claims trade in markets. Most financial decisions of interest involve money, time, and risk. The careers in finance include loan officer and department manager in commercial banking; financial analyst, credit manager, and chief financial officer in corporate finance; analyst, and various positions such as managing director/partner in investment banking; analyst and portfolio manager of mutual funds; and analyst in a bank trust department.

Risk Management and Insurance is an area that consists of many fields: risk management, property-liability insurance, life insurance, and financial planning. It is the chosen career for more than two million Americans, including 30,000 professionals in Washington. Career options include: marketer (such as an agent or broker), underwriter, claims adjustor, actuary, loss control specialist, financial planner, insurance regulator, and risk manager.

Real Estate is the field that focuses on the ownership, use, and financing of land and structures. Real estate represents more than half the wealth of the country, and three quarters of the wealth of the world. Directly and indirectly, real estate drives over 20% of economic activity. More than five million Americans are employed in real estate fields including brokerage, property and asset management, development, appraisal and real estate finance.

The 200 students majoring in finance are among the best in the College. They hold a grade point average higher than 3.15 for newly-certified majors in the College of Business. We have a dedicated finance classroom, a core group of highly dedicated and interested students, and a practically and academically rich program of study. 

In addition, the department offers more than $20,000 in scholarships annually to our undergraduate students and helps students with internships and job placements.

Our MBA program accepts cohorts that work together through a highly integrated two-year experience including two full semesters of finance. The department also offers a small, high-quality, doctoral program.

Message from the Chair