Cox Career Management Center

Financial Consulting

Curriculum

Financial Consulting is a cross-disciplinary major, which combines advanced courses in finance and accounting. This major provides students with an understanding of both financial statements and world markets. Its strong focus in accounting prepares students to become financial analysts, as well as to succeed in a variety of financial professions across many disciplines.

General Education Curriculum

Students graduating from Southern Methodist University must successfully complete courses in written English, quantitative reasoning, information technology, and science and technology.  In addition, recognizing the rapidly changing sources of knowledge, students are asked to take courses in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies.  Finally, our students must choose a major field of study offered in one of the four undergraduate schools.

Total General Education Curriculum Hours: 41 hours

  1. Fundamentals
  2. Rhetoric (written English) - 6 hours
  3. Mathematical Sciences - 3 hours
  4. Information Technology - 3 hours
  5. Wellness - 2 hours
  6. Science and Technology - 6 hours

(Students must take two courses in Science and Technology; at least one must be in the field of biology, chemistry, geological sciences, physics, or ENCE 1331, and no more than one may be from the other Science and Technology category.)

  1. Perspectives - 15 hours
  2. Cultural Formations - 6 hours
  3. Human Diversity - 3 hours (co-curricular hours)

Business Core Courses

Each SMU BBA major consists of an eleven course business core and an additional major-specific component.

  1. Fundamentals of Accounting I (ACCT 2301)
  2. Fundamentals of Accounting II (ACCT 2302)
  3. Managerial Statistics (ITOM 2305 or STAT 2301, 2331, 4340 or 5340)
  4. Information Systems for Management (ITOM 2308)
  5. Business Communication and Leader Development (BLI 3302)
  6. Financial Management (FINA 3320)
  7. Operations Management (ITOM 3306)
  8. Legal Environment and Ethics (BL 3335)
  9. Management of Organizations (MNO 3370)
  10. Fundamentals of Marketing (MKTG 3340)
  11. Strategic Management in a Global Economy (STRA 5370) or Entrepreneurship - Starting a Business (CISB 5397)

Accounting Core

  1. Intermediate Accounting I (ACCT 3311)
  2. Intermediate Accounting II (ACCT 3312)

Finance Core

  1. Advanced Financial Management (FINA 4325)
  2. Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management (FINA 4326)

Two Accounting and/or Finance Electives Selected from the following:

  • Business Process Management (ACCT 4306)
  • Cost Accounting I (ACCT 4311)
  • Federal Income Tax I (ACCT 4315)
  • Financial Planning and Control Using Microcomputers (ACCT 4307)
  • Studies in Accounting Theory (ACCT 5317)
  • Financial Statement Analysis (ACCT 5321)
  • Money and Capital Markets (FINA 3330)
  • Speculative Markets (FINA 4327)
  • Management of Financial Institutions (FINA 4328)
  • International Finance (FINA 4329)
  • Advanced Concepts in Financial Management (FINA 5331)
  • Honors Practicum in Portfolio Management (FINA 5132 and 5232)

Career Paths

Financial consultants provide financial advice corporations and money managers. This advice may involve the strategies for creating shareholder value, business valuation, M&A advisory, economic forecasts and analysis or suggestions for Treasury management.  For more details, refer to: careers-in-business.com/consulting/mc.htm.  ( Note that there is a section devoted specifically to financial consulting.)

Undergraduates hired into consulting firms generally start as analysts.  A broad overview of careers in consulting is available from Wetfeet at www.wetfeet.com/Careers-and-Industries/Careers/Consulting.aspx .

Employment Outlook

Consulting is the fifth-fastest growing industry in the economy.  It's a good time to be a consultant.  The salaries are among the highest available to undergraduates.

Resume-Building Activities

Be mentored by a professional in this field.  Participate in the Business Associates Program.

Resources

To learn more about the consulting industry, read Wetfeet's Overview of the Consulting Industry. (http://www.wetfeet.com/Careers-and-Industries/Industries/Consulting.aspx)