Financial Services

Career potential

Professionals in financial services use their expertise in investment planning, insurance and risk management, federal taxation, estate and trust planning, retirement planning, employee benefit planning, financial management, accounting, economics, mathematics and statistics to help clients maximize and conserve their wealth.

By studying financial services, you may become a financial manager for a business, government agency or nonprofit organization. You may work for a brokerage house as a stockbroker. Or you could own a private practice.

The University of North Texas' program is accredited with the CFP Board of Standards Inc. Upon graduation, you are eligible to sit for the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP) comprehensive examination.

Studying financial services could prepare you for a career in bank administration and management. That may require you to earn a master of business administration degree (M.B.A.) in economics, finance, insurance, law, marketing or real estate.

UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers, and the staff can help you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies, and interview preparation.

Majoring in Financial Services

The College of Business is accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business [777 South Harbour Island Blvd., Suite 750, Tampa, Fla. 33602-5730, telephone 813-769-6500]. This accreditation means the college has passed strict academic standards for excellence in education.

UNT offers a bachelor of business administration degree with professional fields in finance and financial services.

The financial services program includes professional field courses in investments, principles of insurance, employee benefit programs, federal taxation and estate planning. While studying in these areas, you may take courses in financial markets and institutions, international finance, real estate finance, and real estate investments. You also may study financial statement analysis, legal organizations and financial transactions, special topics in investments, life insurance, and property and liability insurance. UNT's financial services program will give you a good theoretical base as well as practical, applicable knowledge that can be used immediately in business.

Most faculty members in the Department of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Law have business experience in the areas they teach. They are dedicated teachers and recognized scholars. Four faculty members were named Regents Professors for outstanding teaching and research. Regents Professors devote at least half of their teaching load to introductory-level courses. Other professors have won teaching awards and written books in the field.

The department offers scholarships to full-time students who have completed at least 24 hours at UNT, have a high grade point average and can demonstrate financial need.

Getting hands-on experience

As a financial services student, you may earn course credit (on a pass/no pass basis), working as an intern in the field. The faculty may be able to help you find an internship. Interested financial services students should contact the department for specific information. After completing 12 semester hours at UNT with at least a 2.5 GPA, you may work in a job related to your major through UNT's Cooperative Education and Internships office. This allows you to earn academic credit and money and gain valuable work experience.

Preparing for UNT

If you are a high school student, we suggest you prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:

• English … 4 years
• Math … 4 years
• Social science - economics, geography, government, history … 4 years
• Science … 3 years
• Foreign language … 3 years
• Fine arts … 1 year

You will need to take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT) that you should take during your junior year. Taking courses in accounting and speech, as well as advanced courses in math and English, will also be helpful.

As a benefit for transfer students, UNT participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system makes it easier to transfer credits for general academic courses from one Texas institution to another.

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor/advisor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Charting your path with academic advising

Full-time staff advisors in the College of Business will help you each semester to select the courses you will need to earn your degree. In addition, the student advisor for the Department of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Law provides career advice.

The College of Business's academic advising office is in the Business Administration Building, Room 123. The Department of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Law office is in Room 177.

Curious about courses and other features of this major?
See the current catalog.