Finance Honors Program

Finance students wishing to graduate with honors are given a unique opportunity to complete their honors thesis in conjunction with the FIN 423 Applied Investment Management class during the senior year, taught by Daniel Kinnear. Please note that students must apply for the class and be accepted before being considered for a finance honors thesis. Completing the finance honors program allows students to combine real-world investment decisions with investment theory in the classroom

In addition to full participation in the FIN 423 Applied Investment Management class, honors students will participate in one of several competitions and write an individual paper to meet the UA Honors College senior honors thesis requirements. Competitions may include the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute Research Challenge, CQA (Chicago Quantitative Alliance) Investment Challenge and the CME Group Trading Challenge.

For more information about this program, please contact Professor Daniel Kinnear at dkinnear@arizona.edu.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

The Finance Department offers a range of experiential learning opportunities designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice. These hands-on experiences enable students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges while developing the skills, confidence, and professional experience needed for career success.

Wall Street Scholars Program

This program bridges the gap between academic learning and professional experience—last year, 100 percent of the program’s students received internships on Wall Street. Even better? Every single one turned that internship into a full-time job offer.

Student managed Investment Program (SMIP)

The Student Managed Investment Program (SMIP) provides students of all grade levels with hands-on portfolio management experience, moving beyond theoretical classroom learning into real-world financial application.