Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Finance, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Business Administration (Richard Bland College of William and Mary)
Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
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.

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
  • Sales Agent
  • Securities and Commodities Traders
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Hedge Fund Manager
  • Management Consultant
  • Venture Capitalist
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Highest level of math required
  • MATH 200 or SCMA 212 or BUSN 212
  • SCMA 302
Science required
  • No
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.5 to declare finance/2.0 to graduate

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Finance, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Business Administration)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Take service-learning classes or volunteer to address a current issue through ConnectVA.
  • Join a professional organization related to finance: Risk Management Association, Richmond Chapter (RMA).
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of Business-related events.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences, (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Take service-learning classes or volunteer to address a current issue through ConnectVA.
  • Join a professional organization related to finance: Risk Management Association, Richmond Chapter (RMA).
  • Apply to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of Business-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences, (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Finance, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Business Administration)

Richard Bland College of William and Mary courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements.
BUS 201 Principles of Accounting I ACCT 203 3 Major (Ancillary)
BUS 202 Principles of Accounting II ACCT 204 3 Major (Ancillary)
ENGL 101 Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENGL 102 Rhetoric and Research II UNIV 200 3 General education
COM 101 Public Speaking BUSN 225 3 Major (Ancillary)
ECON 201 Macroeconomics ECON 211 3 Major (Ancillary)
ECON 202 Microeconomics ECON 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
MATH 200 Calculus for Business BUSN 212 3 Major (Ancillary)
MATH 217 Introduction to Statistics STAT 210 3 Elective
BUS 104 Introduction to Business BUSN 201 3 Major (Ancillary)
Complete general education and elective requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 30 General education
Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU.
FIRE 312 Financial Modeling 3 Major
FIRE 317 Investments 3 Major
FIRE 321 Intermediate Financial Management 3 Major
FIRE 461 Cases in Financial Management 3 Major
FIRE Restricted FIRE electives (select two): FIRE 417, FIRE 441, FIRE 451 6 Major
Approved finance electives (select four): See VCU advisor for course options 12 Major
BUSN 301 Career and Professional Development 1 Major (Ancillary)
BUSN 323 or FIRE 459 Legal Environment of Business or IInsurance Law 3 Major (Ancillary)
BUSN 499 Business Knowledge Exam 0 Major (Ancillary)
FIRE 311 Financial Management 3 Major (Ancillary)
INFO 360 Business Information Systems 3 Major (Ancillary)
MGMT 303 Creativity and Ideation 3 Major (Ancillary)
MGMT 310 Managing People in Organizations 3 Major (Ancillary)
MGMT 434 Strategic Management 3 Major (Ancillary)
MKTG 301 Marketing Principles 3 Major (Ancillary)
SCMA 301 Business Statistics I (or open elective if VCU Business approves MATH 217 from Richard Bland as substitute for this requirement) 3 Major (Ancillary)
SCMA 320 Production/Operations Management 3 Major (Ancillary)
Open elective 2 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120
The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Finance and M.S. in Business with a concentration in finance in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 85 undergraduate credit hours including FIRE 311, FIRE 312 and FIRE 317 ; an overall GPA of 3.25; and a GPA of 3.25 in finance and quantitative course work.