Finance

What is Finance?

Finance is the art and science of managing monetary resources. Put briefly, this involves raising capital to finance corporate level investment, managing the flow of funds into and out of the firm, valuing real and financial assets, and investing a given pool of funds optimally in various different contexts.

Why Specialize in Finance?

By way of analogy, financial markets comprise the arteries of the economy. Their main function is to pump liquid funds in the economy into enterprises that are expected to achieve the greatest value added. Thus, efficient functioning of the financial markets in an economy leads to higher-paced economic growth and greater welfare. A well-functioning financial market is, thus, critically important and the sector constantly demands highly-trained professionals who possess deep understanding of financial markets and securities. Such professionals enjoy lucrative careers as corporate finance specialists, investment bankers, financial analysts, portfolio advisors, and more.

Career Opportunities in Finance

A graduate with a concentration in Finance has numerous and diverse career paths available at financial institutions and companies located both locally and internationally. The search for “your” career path starts with a self-assessment and answering questions, such as: Do I enjoy problem-solving? Do I prefer to work in a team or individually? Do I like analysis and modeling or am I a “networking” person? Do I like working long hours and under pressure? Am I a self-starter? Am I a risk-taker? What motivates me? Different career paths require different skills and personalities.

Typical career paths are:

• Careers in Investment Banking and Sales & Trading
• Careers in Commercial Banking
• Careers in Corporate Finance
• Careers in Equity Research and Asset Management
• Careers in Management Consulting (usually, after an MBA degree)
• Careers in Venture Capital and Private Equity (usually, after an MBA degree)
• Careers in local and international capital market institutions

Sample Courses in Finance

Please see BABUS FIN Area Electives for details on course descriptions.