Investments, Undergraduate Certificate

In addition to University Requirements:

• Complete individual plan requirements.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Purpose Statement

The mission of the Northern Arizona University Undergraduate Finance Program is to educate skilled and well-trained finance professionals. Graduates with a major in finance will be well-positioned to understand important issues and tools in the fields of investments, corporate finance, financial institutions, risk management, and international finance. They will be prepared for their first position in the field of finance and prepared to continue to progress throughout their careers.

Consistent with this goal, the Finance Area seeks to continuously improve the curriculum to ensure that our graduates possess those core competencies that are most closely aligned with the values of finance professionals. While knowledge requirements will change with time, these core competencies have long-term value and will support a variety of career opportunities in the fields of investments, corporate finance, banking, and risk management. Coursework provides students with professional preparation focusing on the concepts and principles involved in four core skill areas common to many careers in the field of finance: asset valuation, risk assessment and management, analysis of financial statements, and forecasting financial statements. Students also have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and apply course concepts while managing a real-dollar portfolio of stocks and bonds by participating in the Student Management Investment Fund. At the completion of the Investments Certificate, students will be able to demonstrate competency in designing, implementing, monitoring, and managing investment portfolios that are appropriate given an investor’s profile. Students are also prepared to enter a master’s program in business if they choose to continue in an academic track.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Identify and use correct inputs and describe how those inputs affect value and how value changes in an international setting when valuing stocks, bonds, projects, or other assets.
• Calculate the gain or loss on investment transactions, bond and stock values and prices, and the rate of return of investments.
• Identify and explain the causes of risk, how to measure and price risk, and how to assess the effects of risk in managerial decision-making.
• Explain and construct various investment strategies.
• Explain how and why the price of securities and other investments adjusts when the market is not in equilibrium and what causes the lack of equilibrium.
• Identify the risk and return objectives for a diverse set of individuals as well as other entities (for example Non-profits, Foundations, or other funds).
• Synthesize a portfolio and investment policy for various individuals based on several objectives including risk and return, goals-based, or other methods.
• Understand different market participants, their goals, and objectives, and how they participate in the market.
• Understand the advantages and risks associated with international investments.

• Communicate effectively in written and oral formats for a variety of purposes, situations, and audiences. Additionally, learners will communicate effectively as both individuals and as part of a group presentation.
• Demonstrate team collaboration skills to achieve a common objective within a diverse workforce, including productively contributing to team activities and goals, and effectively interacting/engaging with others based on individual differences and group dynamics.

Additional Admission Requirements

• Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

• • This certificate is available only for those students with the Business Professional Program Milestone.

Certificate Requirements

• Take the following 15 units with a minimum GPA of 2.0:

  • FIN 311, FIN 331, FIN 431 (9 units)
  • Select two courses from the following (6 units):
    • ACC 460
    • FIN 440, FIN 461

• You must have completed all of the coursework used to fulfill these requirements within the last 10 years.

• This certificate may only be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program. This certificate is not available as a stand-alone certificate.

• Students enrolled in this certificate may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

• • Finance, BSBA

Additional Information

• Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

• The FCB does not accept upper-division transfer credits from programs not accredited by the AACSB (such as the University of Phoenix or the Bachelor of Business Administration program at NAU).

  You must complete 50 percent, or 9 units, of certificate coursework that are not used in your major, minor, or other certificates, and you must complete at least 60 percent of certificate coursework at Northern Arizona University.