Finance Bachelor of Science Degree
Finance
Bachelor of Science Degree
- RIT /
- Saunders College of Business /
- Academics /
- Finance BS
RIT’s finance bachelor’s degree involves the management, creation, and study of money, banking, investments, assets, and liabilities.
$70.7K
Average First-Year Salary of RIT Graduates from this degree
#59
Best Undergraduate Business Schools
$300K+
Value of an investment portfolio managed by students in the Financial Management Association
Overview for Finance BS
Why Study a Finance Bachelor’s Degree at RIT
Become an expert in cash-flow analysis, capital markets, financial decision-making, or forecasting.
Stay up-to-date with financial trends by learning big data and data analytics in the Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics, a state-of-the-art facility housing Bloomberg Financial Markets technology.
Connect with Saunders alumni and key professionals through the Finance Advisory Board.
Gain relevant, hands-on experience through an immersive, applied curriculum in the classroom and a full-time, paid co-op experience.
Explore the management, creation, and study of money, banking, investments, assets, and liabilities, and the impact of technology on financial systems, cash-flow analysis, capital markets, financial decision-making, and forecasting. This is the exciting world of finance.
What is Finance?
Finance is more than tracking a budget. It is the art and science of managing cash flows, risk, and ultimately, value. Finance functions include corporate finance, budgeting, investment management, risk management, and valuation. Financial expertise determines the optimal management of money and the generation of value for clients.
RIT’s Finance Bachelor’s Degree
The world's financial markets are globally integrated. As a result, you need a finance degree that prepares you with a global understanding of financial markets, how they are integrated, and how they impact the business world.
In RIT's finance major, you'll learn about the management, creation, and study of money, banking, investments, assets, and liabilities. You'll become familiar with financial systems, which include the public, private, and government spaces, and have the opportunity to become an expert in cash-flow analysis, capital markets, financial decision-making, or forecasting. Set yourself a part with a finance degree that:
- Emphasizes the use of Big Data: You'll gain the data analytics skills to manage and analyze an organization's data to understand and forecast financial trends.
- Provides unparalleled access to technology: The state-of-the-art Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics features 12 Bloomberg terminals that connect you to Bloomberg technologies that track corporate financial data in real-time.
- Enables you to manage a real investment portfolio: In the student chapter of the Financial Management Association you'll actively manage a real $250,000+ portfolio.
- Prepares you to today's finance careers: Graduates are analytics-driven and skilled in making keen decisions by evaluating historical data and market performance forecasts.
Finance Curriculum
The finance major includes foundational courses in accounting, management, business planning, financial management, organizational behavior, and more. In addition, the financial curriculum includes advanced courses in investments, financial analysis, and strategic management. Finance electives enable you to select courses for more in-depth study in areas such as options and futures, business law, financing new ventures, financial analytics, and more. You will also spend time monitoring markets and analyzing financial trends in the Sklarsky Center for Business Analytics, which features Bloomberg Terminals and the latest in finance-based technology, computing power, and software.
Furthering Your Career in Finance
Today’s finance careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.
- +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway: Successful RIT applicants who are offered admission into the BS degree in finance as an incoming first-year student may also be offered conditional early acceptance into the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway. This option enables you to earn both your BS degree and an MBA in as little as five years of study. Learn how the +1 MBA Early Acceptance Pathway can help you add a competitive advantage to your studies.
- +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.
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#77 Best Business Undergraduate Programs, 2026
RIT’s business degrees are ranked among the Best Undergraduate Business Programs nationally.
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Apply for Fall 2026
First-year students can apply for Early Decision II by Jan. 1 to get an admissions and financial aid assessment by mid-January.
Careers and Experiential Learning
Typical Job Titles
| Account Manager | Acquisitions Associate | Analyst |
| Closing Coordinator | Equities Derivatives Product Controller | Equity Trader Assistant |
| Financial Advisor | Investment Banking Analyst | Junior Finance Associate |
| Professional Financial Advisor | Reconciliation Analyst |
Industries
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Accounting
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Commercial Banking and Credit
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Higher Education
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Human Resources
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Investment/Portfolio Management
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Transportation and Logistics
Cooperative Education
What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries.
Co-ops take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Business co-ops provide hands-on experience that enables you to apply your knowledge of business, management, finance, accounting, and related fields in professional settings. You'll make valuable connections between course work and real-world applications as you build a network of professional contacts.
Students in the finance degree are required to complete at least one block of cooperative education.
Careers in Finance
RIT's finance major prepares you for management positions in financial, commercial, industrial, and governmental organizations. You will learn the principles of financial decision-making as you build an understanding of the economic, legal, and financial environment in which these principles operate. Careers in finance can be found in all types of sectors, including government, industry, service, and not-for-profit organizations.
Featured Work and Profiles
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Finance Student Moderates Conversation with Fed Reserve Bank of NY President
Owen Cavo ‘26 (finance, MIS) moderated a Conversation with Federal Reserve Bank of NY President/CEO John C. Williams at RIT, September 29, 2025. Students were invited to have lunch with President...
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Research Insights: Strength in Numbers?
Sriniwas Mahapatro How co-CEOs can lead successfully—or not
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RIT/NTID Alumna turned Entrepreneur Conquers Finance & Food
Michelle Giterman ’14 Michelle Giterman ’14 (finance) grew up in a Deaf immigrant family that owns Crepe Crazy, a restaurant in Austin, Texas, where Giterman is the general manager.
Read More about RIT/NTID Alumna turned Entrepreneur Conquers Finance & Food -
RIT students win international Bloomberg trading competition
In just its second year competing, a trio of RIT students won the 2024 Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge as the “Tigers Trading” team.
Read More about RIT students win international Bloomberg trading competition -
Leveraging coursework and clubs to excel in co-op experience
Jake O'Connor ’25 Coca-Cola | Atlanta, Georgia, "Through course work and extracurricular activities at Saunders, I was well-prepared and equipped with the right skills to excel at my co-op and at future jobs.
Read More about Leveraging coursework and clubs to excel in co-op experience -
Research Insights: Benefits of a Seeming Monopoly
Hao Zhang How common institutional ownership reduces stock price crash risk
Read More about Research Insights: Benefits of a Seeming Monopoly
Curriculum for 2025-2026 for Finance BS
Current Students: See Curriculum Requirements
Admissions and Financial Aid
First-Year Admission
First-year applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong academic background that includes:
- 4 years of English
- 3 years of social studies and/or history
- 3 years of math is required and must include algebra, geometry, and algebra 2/trigonometry. Pre-calculus is preferred.
- 2-3 years of science
Transfer Admission
Transfer applicants should meet these minimum degree-specific requirements:
- A minimum of college algebra is required. Pre-calculus or calculus is preferred.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.
RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships
Accreditation
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Contact
- Melissa Masline
- Assistant Director Student Services
- Student Services
- Saunders College of Business
- 585‑475‑6571
- menglish@saunders.rit.edu
Saunders College of Business





