Finance Careers
Inventing the Path of Least Resistance
Our students in the Department of Finance and Marketing are at the heart of Western's College of Business and Economics. We want to make sure you have all of the information you need to be successful. The Finance and Marketing disciplines are two of the fastest growing on campus. Our students matter and so do the subjects they study.
Certifications
These are selective certifications we recommend to our Finance and Financial Economics majors as well as other interested students. Contact the department for further instructions if you are interested in pursuing any of the certifications.
Morningstar Direct Presentation
The College of Business and Economics has paid subscription to Morningstar Direct, one of the leading business data providers. The Morningstar Direct Certification program is a quick and easy way for new users to become familiar with all of the product's capabilities. Our paid subscription also allows students to register for complimentary live learning sessions. Students who use Morningstar Direct gain experience with institutional data and various research methods.
Microsoft Office Specialist Presentation
Demonstrate that you have the skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification in a specific Office program, such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint. You may also consider pursuing a higher level of MOS Expert and MOS Master certifications to further boost your Office skills.
This challenging certification program is recognized by the commercial real estate industry as a trusted standard. Western belongs to the ARGUS University Endowment program and thus students receive a huge education discount to the software and the certification test. Currently, students enrolled in FIN 456 Commercial Real Estate Investment Analysis class (Winter Quarter only) are provided access to this software and receive tutorials and hands-on training in the classroom. Academic versions of ARGUS Enterprise are available to students for home and school use with professor permission. Please contact Professor Sophie Kong for further information.
Bloomberg Market Concepts Presentation
Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) is an 8-hour self-paced e-learning course that provides a visual introduction to the financial markets. BMC consists of four modules — Economics, Currencies, Fixed Income and Equities — woven together from Bloomberg data, news, analytics and television. Completion of this certification course adds a great recruiting edge and helps prep students for job interviews.
Finance Careers
A career in finance is rewarding and there are many opportunities for advancement. Students are strongly encouraged to gain a competitive advantage by taking as many relevant electives as possible, getting involved with extracurricular activities, and most importantly - finding a finance internship. These experiences will provide you with valuable contacts and experiences that will be meaningful to prospective employers.
A type of finance dealing with monetary decisions that business enterprises make and the tools and analysis used to make these decisions.
Banking was developed from a need for a safe place for people to keep their money. Banking has expanded over the years to meet increasing and diverse financial needs.
The insurance field is much more than hiring agents to find customers and sell them insurance policies. Managers in this field are dealing with both personal and corporate risk in a variety of venues.
Investment bankers arrange and negotiate large financial transactions. They are employed by investment banking firms to act as advisers to client companies and to initiate money making ventures for their own firms.
Real estate brokers, both for commercial and personal real estate, employ real estate sales agents to help sell or rent property for the owners.
Financial planners help individuals and groups plan the use of their savings, income, and investments to build wealth.
Past Hires
- Operations Analyst, Chase Bank
- Financial Advisor, Pacific Capital
- Credit Analyst, Skagit State Bank
- Credit Manager, Wells Fargo
- Financial Advisor, Waddell and Reed
- Financial Consultant, Equitable
- Commercial Credit Analyst, Bank of the Pacific
- Financial Advisor, First Investment
- Operations Manager, LTL Financial Services
- Junior Consultant, RIMES Technology
- Fraud Analyst, T-Mobile
- Bank Examiner, State of Washington
- Marketing Manager, Seattle Mariners
- Product Manager, Facebook