Department Mission:
To provide students with the skills, knowledge, experience and wisdom needed for professional business careers that are both personally and financially rewarding.

The Faculty of the Department of Finance know that it is not easy for graduates to find professional jobs upon graduation. This is true not only for CSUF graduates but also the graduates of the most prestigious universities in America. Our goal is to design programs that will give our students the edge in the job market - an edge over the graduates of our sister schools in the California State University - an edge over the graduates of the University of California -- an edge over the graduates of all universities in our area and beyond. To this end, the Department of Finance is in a continuous process or change and renewal. Here are some of the things that are in process or have been completed.

• The Department has introduced new courses in International Finance including courses on Export Finance, Asia-Pacific Financial Markets and Global Financial Markets. In the future we hope to introduce a course in management of foreign exchange. There is a high demand for graduates with this type of knowledge
• In the area of Real Estate, we are refocusing our efforts to provide the education needed for successful careers in commercial brokerage, property management, real estate finance, real estate appraisal, and property development. Careers in these areas are among the most exciting and rewarding available
• Our Financial Management program now includes courses in working capital management, export finance, long-term asset acquisitions, and budgeting. These course will provide students with an excellent basis for entry level careers in financial management
• The Department of Finance is one of the few collegiate programs in the area that provides the necessary coursework that qualifies students to take the examination leading to the designation, Certified Financial Planner (CFP). Professional courses in personal financial planning, retirement planning, insurance, and investing provide the basis for this program.
• Since employers want graduates with work experience, the Department is expanding its paid internship program. At this time, we have good internships for which students are unprepared and/or unwilling to accept. We are working hard to both expand the number of internships and to convince students of the crucial importance of the internship experience. We are also working to give students the skills needed for the internships and for professional employment.
• Employers have informed us that students need both technical knowledge and other skills. In order to meet employer requests, we have reduced the size of many of our classes in order to allow students to make professional oral presentations (using PowerPoint), wok in teams and prepare professional quality written reports. Employers insist on these kinds of skills and students without them will be at a disadvantage in the job market
• Employers also want students who can use a spreadsheet and a database and we are incorporating both of these features in some of our courses. It should be noted that these computer, presentation and communication skills are required for almost all good jobs in accounting, finance, marketing, management.

The Department of Finance strives to do a better job than any of the other departments of schools in preparing students for good jobs. We hope to develop a reputation that will attract employers to CSUF and the Department of Finance. We want to give our students the edge in the job market.

Department Motto: Learning is Preeminent

Learning is the central focus of the Department of Finance. The Department has redefined "good teaching" and the focus is now on maximizing the amount that students learn. Faculty now perceive of themselves as "learning managers" who devise systems that will increase both the amount that students learn and the amount they retain. The Department is trying new and innovative ways to engage the student in what can be a very interesting subject, while at the same time refocusing courses on the most important subject matter. We not only want students to learn, but we want them to learn those things that are most important for success.

The Department of Finance has also expanded its target population of students. We designed special programs for business practitioners. At the present time, we are expanding our education and professional contacts with the real estate profession and those engaged in international finance. In addition, we are forming advisory groups and alumni groups that will keep us in contact with the business community. The Department's objective is to become the learning resource of choice for the business community.

Faculty learning is also a central focus of the Department. In the rapidly changing worlds of Finance and Business Administration our faculty continues to study, do research, publish, attend professional meetings and consult with the business community. In the area of publication, the Department of Finance has a national reputation. Several members of our Faculty have published books and almost all have published articles. Many articles appear in the most prestigious journal in the United States. The record of scholarly activity in the Finance Department puts it in the top tier of schools that do not give doctoral degrees and at least tied for the top spot in all of the California State University system. Members of the Department of Finance give papers at virtually every important Finance conference in the United States. Ultimately, the students, the business community and society benefit from the learning activities of the Faculty since the knowledge gained in the process becomes the basis for changes in course content.

About the Department

The Department of Finance is one of the largest departments in one of the largest business schools in the entire United States. The College of Business and Economics (CBE), with approximately 7000 students, is the third largest business school in the country. Approximately 33% of all graduates from the CBE choose Finance as their concentration. It is estimated that between 6,500 and 7,500 individuals have graduated from the CBE with a concentration in Finance and approximately 80% of them remain in Southern California. Distinguished alumni include the heads of major national companies as well as many executives and business owners.

The Faculty of the Department of Finance is composed of regular, full-time faculty and adjunct faculty. The adjunct faculty are drawn from the business community and bring a "real world" perspective to our offerings. The faculty has many outstanding teachers and scholars. Four members of the Department have been selected as the outstanding professor in the CBE. The faculty leads the CBE in curriculum reform, the introduction of computers into the education process, and the implementation of cooperative education strategies. The Faculty is concerned both about how much its students learn and the things that they learn.

The Department's reputation in the area of scholarly activity is certainly as good as any and better than most similar schools in California. The Department's output includes numerous books, scholarly articles and professional articles. In terms of scholarly articles, the Department's output probably places it in the top 10 or 20 non-doctoral degree granting schools in the United States. The scholarly activity of the Department has gained recognition in both the academic and business communities

Students choosing Finance as a concentration are encouraged to enter one of five advisory tracks:
1. Financial Institution Management
2. Corporate Financial Management
3. Investments and Financial Planning
4. Real Estate Professions
5. International Financial Management

The Program in Real Estate is becoming an increasingly important part of the Finance Department. This program is designed to provide students with opportunities in:
1. commercial brokerage
2. commercial and industrial property management
3. real estate development
4. real estate investing
5. real estate finance
6. real estate appraisal

The program in Real Estate has established a Real Estate association for students, and an advisory board composed of industry professionals to help guide development of the curriculum and related activities.
 

Please contact us if you have any questions

Office: CP 1060
 Phone: (714) 278-2217
 

« back to Home