The finance, investment, and banking curriculum prepares students for a wide variety of career pathways including corporate finance, the investments and securities industry, the management of financial institutions including banks and insurance companies, and the evolving financial technology sector. The theory of finance and its applications are emphasized. Students learn about security analysis and valuation, security trading, financial markets and government policies, financial forecasting, capital structure, financial risk management, venture capital, security issuance, international finance, and financial technology.

A significant part of the coursework teaches students to understand risk and uncertainty, both at an intuitive level and at a technical level. More important, students learn to construct models of financial decisions—e.g., an investor’s portfolio choice problem, the issuance of securities by corporations, and the structure of financial investments by banks.

Related Student Organizations

Capital Management Club
Corporate Finance Club
Fantasy Sports & Finance Club
Finance & Investment Society
Investment Banking Club
Sales & Trading and Asset Management Society
Wealth Management Group
Women in Finance and Accounting
Wisconsin Private Equity Club

How to Get in

Current UW–Madison Students

Prospective First-Year Applicants

All prospective UW–Madison students must apply through the central Office of Admissions and Recruitment.  Prospective high school students may be considered for direct admission to Business based on their application to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Simply list a Business interest as your top academic area of interest on the University application.

Prospective Transfer Applicants

Transfer students at University of Wisconsin System campuses or Wisconsin Technical Colleges may apply separately for admission to both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the School of Business during the spring term for fall enrollment. Information for prospective transfer students can be found here: https://business.wisc.edu/undergraduate/admissions/transfer-students/.

Additional Information

Students declared in Business: Finance, Investment and Banking cannot earn the Summer Certificate in Business Fundamentals, Certificate in Business, or the Certificate in Entrepreneurship due to curriculum overlap.  

University Requirements

All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later. 

Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.

Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements

For more information see [this url].

University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements

All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.

School of Business Requirements

The Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program combines UW–Madison’s general liberal education requirements, broad coverage of core business disciplines, and cutting-edge signature courses to create a strong academic foundation upon which students delve deeply into their majors.

Business: Finance, Investment and Banking Major Requirements 

See the Advising and Careers tab for helpful progression advice or the Four-Year Plan tab to see a sample of how to graduate in four years.

University Degree Requirements

Learning Outcomes

1. Apply proper controls and best practices in the governance of modern organizations while recognizing the impact of finance on business and society.
2. Explain the workings of financial markets, the role of financial intermediaries, and market mechanisms to create and trade securities.
3. Evaluate the risk and return of financial securities and transactions.
4. Interpret models of asset pricing and demonstrate how to value financial securities.
5. Learn and apply best practices in data-driven decisions about investments, financing and payout policies, corporate restructuring, and risk management.
6. Identify the role of financial technology in shaping the financial system and financial operations.
7. Formulate a comprehensive financial plan for individuals or business entities.

Four-Year Plan

Please use this recommended course sequencing guide as a reference point as you work with your academic advisor to plan your schedule throughout your BBA experience. This guide is intended for students whose primary major and career interests are in finance. Many business breadth and core finance courses are recommended early on so that students are prepared for the internship interview process which begins as early as sophomore year. There are several factors that may impact your optimal course sequencing plan, so please consult with your academic advisor.

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This can be any 3 credit FINANCE course numbered above 330.

Advising and Careers

Advising

Advising is an integral part of any student’s educational journey in the School of Business Undergraduate Program. Starting at Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR), we encourage all students to connect with academic advisors. Business academic advisors have a wealth of knowledge about courses on campus, as well as policies and procedures.

Business career coaches help students with career exploration, internships, resumes, job search, interviewing, and more. We encourage students to connect with their career coach once they arrive on campus.

Business academic advisors and career coaches are passionate about student success. Students experiencing academic difficulty or personal struggles are encouraged to talk to their advisor about how their individual situation may affect their academic performance.

Assigned Academic and Career Coaches

Admitted business students will have one assigned academic advisor. Career coaches are assigned by academic major to be able to provide industry-specific career guidance. If a student has more than one major, they may have more than one assigned career coach. Students can find their assigned advisor and coach by logging into the Starfish portal through MyUW.

For students not yet admitted to the School of Business, there is a team of pre-business advisors available.

Accessing Advising

Drop-in advising and scheduled appointments are available for admitted business students. Pre-business students may also schedule an appointment with a pre-business academic advisor or utilize drop-in academic advising. 

For more information on accessing academic advising, please see our Academic Advising page.

For more information on accessing career coaching, please see our Career Coaching page.

Accreditation

AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2026–2027.