2026-2027
Finance
School of Business
Concentration(s):
Risk Management and Insurance
Program description
The major in finance prepares students for graduate-level study of finance and for careers in corporate finance, the securities industry, banking, financial planning, and insurance/risk management.
The concentration in risk management and insurance prepares students for careers in the insurance and personal financial planning industry on all levels including (but not limited to) underwriting, claims adjusting, employee benefits, risk modeling and analysis, risk management in all sectors of the economy, financial planning, and graduate-level study of risk management.
Career opportunities
Careers include corporate finance, investments and commercial banking with a concentration in finance. Our program, recognized by the CFA Institute, applies an international focus to the study of financial markets. You’ll learn how to analyze and communicate findings on complex financial issues and how to take creative approaches to problems in the finance industry. Some of our Alumni employers include Bank of Virginia, JP Morgan Chase, Dominion Energy, Genworth Financial and Deloitte.
Insurance is a high-demand industry with 500,000 new jobs projected in the next five years. Students who graduate with a degree in Business and a concentration in Risk Management and Insurance are typically employed as underwriters, claims professionals, risk managers, managers, analysts, wealth managers, and financial planners. VCU Alumni from the Risk Management program are employed with Markel Corporation, James River Insurance, Argo, Colony, Kinsale, Mass Mutual, Northwestern, AXA, Virginia Asset Management, New York Life, and a variety of local agents and brokers.
Change of major requirements
Students interested in changing their major to the School of Business should first review the available programs offered. Click here for a list of available programs. Then, a student must attend a School of Business-Change of Major Session. You can view the available change of major sessions by clicking here. Please note, in order for a student to be eligible to attend a change of major session, a student must (a) earned a “C” or higher in one of the following courses: MATH 129 or MATH 139 or MATH 141 or MATH 151 or MATH 200 or BUSN 212 or (b) have an active math placement score.
Bachelor-level job titles
- Budget Analyst
- Equity Research Analyst
- Finance Analyst
- Financial Examiner
- Financial Manager: Branch or Department
- Fixed Income Analyst
- Fraud Examiner/Investigator
- Loan Officer
- Personal Financial Advisor
- Securities and Commodities Traders
- Underwriter
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Chief Financial Officer
- Hedge Fund Manager
- Management Consultant
- Venture Capitalist
Professional associations and resources
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 200 or BUSN 212
Science required
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.0+ cumulative GPA to graduate, 2.0+ major GPA to graduate.
Transfer Maps
Contact information
Department name:
Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate
Building/room location:
Snead Hall, Room B4163
Phone:
(804) 828-3162
Email:
usib@vcu.edu
Campus (where 75% of courses are taken):
Monroe Park
Major map
Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Enroll in a student success course to connect with campus advisors and build community around your interests and goals.
- Map out a 4-year course plan in DegreeWorks' Student Educational Planner.
- Meet with a writing consultant to hone your writing skills.
- Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to start goal planning, and choose electives.
- Sharpen your study skills in Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) at the Campus Learning Center.
- Take a virtual library tour to learn about library spaces, services, and research help.
- Take BUSN 201: Foundations of Business to explore fundamental business environments, functions, and practices.
- Take the math placement assessment and register for math classes each semester until you complete calculus (MATH 200 or BUSN 212).
- Earn at least a 2.5 semester GPA and 15 credits a semester to declare your major at the end of year 2 & graduate in 4 years.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
- Apply to live in a program-in-residence or a living-learning community.
- Connect with Global Education Office to explore leadership and intercultural communication skill-building programs and review resources such as Global Learning's Major Advising Sheets, study abroad fairs or complete Rams Abroad 101. to explore studying abroad opportunities and other global learning opportunities.
- Consider applying to the Honors College.
- Create a profile on RamsConnect to explore student organizations and get involved, meet people, and develop your interests.
- Get involved and meet new friends through the Student Government Association or one of over 450 student clubs and organizations (BSPS Student club, Chemistry, etc.)
- Register to vote in Virginia and explore Richmond’s many museums and parks.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader.
- Attend one career event sponsored by Career Services.
- Complete and activate your Handshake profile and opt-in to industry email lists.
- Consider applying for a federal work-study job on- or off-campus in Handshake.
- Learn more about potential careers by using Forage in the Navigate 360 app.
- Review your Career Works 4 year career planning tool and start working on your milestones.
- Seek research opportunities by checking out the Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry webpage.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Access your free credit report and begin making responsible credit choices to prepare for your future.
- Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
- Connect with the Student Alumni Council to connect to VCU alumni.
- Make a 4-year affordability plan with your financial counselor.
- Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
- Schedule an appointment with your major advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
- Be prepared for a challenging year of ACCT, ECON and MATH classes and attend PASS sessions or tutoring at the Campus Learning Center to get ahead.
- Consider pursuing an economics or actuarial science minor and consult with your academic advisor to come up with a plan to complete a minor.
- Take BUSN 301: Career and Professional Development and BUSN 325: Business Communications to help prepare you for career readiness and build your communication skills with confidence and professionalism
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
- Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty.
- Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty and apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
- Take a service-learning class to get involved with local organizations while earning credit.
- Volunteer to address a social issue and check out Hands on Greater Richmond for opportunities.
- Join related business student organizations such as Student Managed Investment Portfolio, Student Financial Planning Society, or Women's Capital and Risk Group.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
- Build a professional resume and upload it to Handshake.
- Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
- Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
- Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
- Get involved with the Financial Management Association, or the Student Managed Investment Portfolio program and grow your professional network by attending events.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
- Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
- Meet with a coach at the Financial Success Center to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
- Meet with your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
- Consider applying to the FIRE department's accelerated Finance bachelor's-to-master's pathway.
- Be aware of semesterly FIRE course sequencing: seek academic support early, and do not earn below a C in FIRE courses; remember that prerequisite courses cannot be taken together or out of sequence.
- The 4 course sequence is FIRE 311, 312, 321, and 461. Seek academic support early, do not get below a C.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
- Attend civic meetings, such as school board, neighborhood association, city council, or state legislative sessions.
- Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
- Design a community-engaged research project.
- Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
- Make an appointment with the National Scholarship Office to explore post-graduate scholarship and fellowship opportunities.
- Motivate your peers by presenting at Leaders Unleashed: Student Leadership Conference or at TEDxVCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
- Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through Big Interview or meeting with a career advisor.
- Update your ePortfolio.
- Consider seeking out leadership positions in your business student organization to gain experience and build transferable skills for your resume.
- Meet with a Business Career Coach to make an internship search plan early in the fall.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services or the Writing Center.
- Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
- Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
- Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year.
- Update your business resume to include new experiences you have gained and skills you have developed.
- Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
- Talk to advisors, faculty, and Business Career Services about graduate school versus a job.
- Apply for CFA Exam Scholarship.
- Join the Richmond Chapter of RMA.
Excel
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Apply to graduate for your undergraduate degree.
- Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
- Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
- Complete MGMT 434 and BUSN 499 in your final semester and be aware of the multiple prerequisite courses!
- Watch out for fall- and spring-only courses and confirm course availability with your academic advisor.
- Take FIRE 321, and 441 in the Fall and FIRE 417, 451, 461 in the Spring.
EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY
- Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
- Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
- Read scholarly articles about internationalization in your field.
- Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, or AmeriCorps.
- Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
- Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
- Have your personal statement or cover letter reviewed, and do a mock interview at Business Career Services.
- Pursue Bloomberg Certification.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
- Fill out VCU’s First Destination Survey.
- Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
- Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
- Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
- Prepare for and take the CFA Exam.
2026-2027
Finance
School of Business
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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| Excel | Year 4 |
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