Financial Economics (B.S.)

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Financial Economics (B.S.)

The Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics program at Stuart School of Business prepares students for career opportunities at the intersection of finance and economics in all types of businesses, organizations, and government agencies.

As the only business school in Chicago that’s part of a tech-focused university, Stuart bridges business and technology to provide you with a depth of knowledge in finance and economics, a foundation in business fundamentals that is second to none, and mastery of quantitative and analytical skills that employers seek.

You’ll learn about the comprehensive scientific, mathematical, and applied skill sets required for testing and applying economic models within business settings. Our program also equips you with critical thinking skills for evaluating and improving methods that investigate the economic components that influence individual, system, and social level variables.

Through Illinois Tech’s one-of-a-kind Elevate program, you are guaranteed hands-on experiences—such as internships, group projects, and research— where you connect your classroom learning with real-world practice. You also receive a personalized plan and mentoring to guide your academic studies and to prepare you to land a great job when you graduate.

Chicago is a global financial center and home to the world’s largest markets in financial derivatives. With Stuart’s strong industry connections in Chicago for internships and networking, highly respected faculty, and a cutting-edge curriculum, you will be ready to launch your career.

STEM-Designated Program

This is a STEM-designated program, and international graduates of the program are eligible to apply for an extension for Optional Practical Training, which allows selected students to stay and work in the United States for up to three years after graduation.

Program Overview

Stuart’s STEM-designated B.S. in Financial Economics program emphasizes the mastery of interdisciplinary quantitative methods, the application of economic and finance theory, and practical skills that students use in real-world settings. Our graduates are problem solvers who are competitive job applicants across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.

Career Opportunities

The B.S. in Financial Economics degree provides excellent preparation for the private and public sector job markets across a wide range of industries in positions such as policy analysts, financial analysts, management consultants, or economic development practitioners.

Graduates with an education in economics have a relatively high median starting salary of $51,000 and a $78,000 average base salary, making it one of the 20 most profitable college majors, according to PayScale.com. The opportunities for wage growth are high, particularly with further education. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median occupational wage for economists of $105,630.

Disclaimer for prospective students, please read.

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The financial economics program at Stuart is designed to build your core business competencies—including accounting, economics, statistics, finance, business law, marketing, management, decision making, operation and supply chain, and entrepreneurship—and develop your knowledge and advanced skills in the field of financial economics.

The major requires 51 credit hours (17 courses) of business requirements and 18 credit hours (six courses) of financial economics courses, as shown below. In addition, a student completes the mathematics requirement (MATH 151—Calculus I or Math 191—Business Calculus), computer science requirements, Illinois Tech core curriculum requirements, and electives, for a minimum total of 126 credit hours to fulfill the B.S. degree. View business (BUS) and economics (ECON) course descriptions.

Business Requirements
BUS 100—Introduction to Business and Economics
BUS 102—Computing Tools for Business Analysis
BUS 211—Financial Accounting
BUS 212—Managerial Accounting
BUS 221—Business Statistics
BUS 301—Organizational Behavior
BUS 305—Operation and Supply Chain Design
BUS 311—Strategic Cost Management
BUS 321—Optimization and Decision-Making
BUS 341—Business Law
BUS 351—Financial Decision-Making
BUS 361—Entrepreneurship
BUS 371—Marketing Fundamentals
ECON 382—Business Economics
BUS 480—Strategic Management and Design Thinking
ECON 151—Microeconomics
ECON 152—Macroeconomics

Financial Economics Courses
ECON 251—Introduction to Econometrics
ECON 311—Intermediate Microeconomics
ECON 312—Intermediate Macroeconomics

Select a minimum of nine credit hours (three courses) from the following:
BUS 452—International Finance
BUS 454—Investments
BUS 455—Corporate Finance
BUS 458—Financial Derivatives
ECON 383—Sports Economics
PSYC 320—Applied Correlation and Regression
MATH 332—Elementary Linear Algebra
PS 360—Global Political Economy

Admission to Illinois Tech is required to enroll in the B.S. in Financial Economics program. Current Illinois Tech students should consult their academic adviser to transfer into the program.

“Being in Chicago allowed me to attend different networking events, which led to obtaining a summer internship. During my interview with Wintrust Financial Corp. they were extremely interested with the work we do in Stuart Investments. Stuart provided this unique opportunity that allowed me to stand out compared to other applicants.”

—Mohamed Shamel (Business Administration with Finance specialization/M.S. Finance ’21) Equity Research Associate, Calamos Investments

More Value with Business at Stuart

Elevate Your Future

Through Illinois Tech’s Elevate program, we guarantee you hands-on opportunities like internships and other valuable experiences. Add in your personalized Elevate Your Future plan, and you’ll have the twenty-first century skills to land a great job!

A student speaks to a potential employer at a career fair

Your Career Is Our Priority

Stuart’s Career Management Center is dedicated to business students with individualized career counseling, resources for internship and job search, career pathway programs, and networking with business professionals.

Add a Master’s Degree

Start your career with a master’s! You can earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Stuart in as few as five years, while keeping your undergrad scholarships, through Illinois Tech’s Accelerated Master’s Program.