Undergraduate Finance Minor

Undergraduate Finance Minor

The finance minor is a customized 18-unit program available to non-business (BSBA) students. The curriculum is designed with two prerequisite courses to be taken during the academic year, with four core courses to be taken during the summer.

The goal of the finance minor program is to promote financial literacy. In an increasingly complex financial environment, university graduates in all disciplines will require financial management knowledge and understanding in both their professional careers and their personal lives. Specifically, young professionals must know financial terminology, how to manage budgets, how to carefully invest money and resources and how to analyze financial decisions.

This finance minor provides students with an understanding of basic financial theory, applied financial analysis and financial markets. Elective courses include Principles of Financial Management, Personal Investing, Small Business Finance and Real Estate Principles. Students learn basic concepts through lectures and case studies.

View all available Eller certificates and minors

Program Benefits

A minor that employers value and will help you the rest of your financial life: Today’s employers are looking for students who can immediately add value. Understanding finance allows you to differentiate yourself from other students. Moreover, the program will allow you to take charge of your own financial future.

Guaranteed Registration: You can be registered in the finance required and elective courses so that completion of the minor is not dependent on gaining admission to the needed classes that might be closed.

Fast Completion: After taking the required courses, the finance minor electives will be completed in one summer of full-time attendance.

Commitments: The Finance Department will make it possible for admitted students to complete the Finance minor in one summer. As a finance minor student, you must commit to registering for the entire block of courses in one summer.

Requirements and Policies

  • Cumulative 2.5 grade point average (GPA) to apply and 2.0 minimum GPA within minor courses.
  • Students must have completed college algebra or higher math to be eligible for admission.
  • Six three-unit courses (18 units total).
  • Minimum nine units upper division coursework.
  • At least nine units must be completed in residence at the University of Arizona.
  • Can be taken along with business administration minor, management minor, marketing minor, or sports management minor.
  • Eller does not permit double use of courses in their majors or minors with majors or minors outside of the College. Unique units are required for the student’s major and minor.

Required Courses

Students will complete the following two course requirements prior to Finance coursework:

  • ECON 200 Basic Economic Issues
  • ACCT 250 Survey of Accounting OR
    ACCT 200 Intro to Financial Accounting (not available in Fall semester)

You will need to obtain a seat in these two classes through UAccess.

Presession

Students will complete the following course in Summer Pre-session:

  • FIN 301. Principles of Finance Management

Students will complete three of the following four courses offered during Summer I and Summer II sessions. All summer course modalities are asynchronous online.

Summer Session I

  • FIN 302. Personal Investing
  • FIN 305. Financial Management: Applied Methods and Tools*

Summer Session II

  • FIN 303. Small Business Finance
  • FIN 304. Real Estate Principles

TOTAL: 18 units 

*Note: The Finance Department strongly recommends all Finance Minor students take FIN 305.

Finance mINOR Course Descriptions

VIEW OFFICIAL ACADEMIC PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS ON UACCESS

Minor Course Substitutions

The University of Arizona has rules against counting a single course for more than one major or minor on a student’s transcript. If you are using ACCT 200/250 or ECON 200 for another major or minor program, you will need to find a substitute course for either the finance minor or for your other major/minor. If you would rather find a substitute for these courses in your other major or minor, check with the advisors for those programs. Otherwise, read on.

If you are using ACCT 200, ACCT 250 and/or ECON 200 for other majors/minors, you may replace that requirement with an additional finance minor elective (FIN 301, FIN 302, FIN 303 or FIN 304) or request approval of a non-finance course to meet the finance minor requirements. Appropriate courses in computer science, economics, engineering retail and consumer sciences and math may be considered. The Eller Finance Advisor will help you find a suitable alternative. It is recommended that you seek an existing approved substitute course which can be completed before or after the summer program but no later than fall semester after completing your finance coursework.

Tuition 

The cost of the finance minor depends on the number of courses you need to take for the minor and will be affected by your major degree or other minors you are completing. Generally, the summer cost of the program is based on Arizona Resident tuition for all students, whether you are an Arizona Resident or an out-of-state resident. Students generally take 12 to 15 units during the summer to complete the minor requirements. Tuition cost is available at the UA Bursar's Office website here (input Summer semester, Main Campus, Undergraduate, Not Listed and Resident, then Show Tuition).

Application Process

Students must be accepted to the finance minor through an application process. The Summer 2024 application will open on September 25, 2023!

  • Early Application deadline: December 1, 2023
  • Final deadline: April 1, 2024 

Prior to being admitted:

  • Submit an application below.
  • Meet with Finance Program Coordinator or Finance Advisor to discuss program and courses.
  • Receive application decision from Admissions Committee.

Once admitted:

  • Fill out plan of study and send to Finance Program Coordinator for review.
  • Once plan of study is approved, meet with Finance Advisor to declare minor and enroll in summer courses. 

For More Information

For more information about the finance minor, please contact Kate Freyermuth, Program Coordinator, Finance Department.