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.
Program Overview
The Stuart 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.
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 to mathematics and computer science requirements, Illinois Tech core curriculum requirements, and electives, for a minimum total of 126 credit hours. View business (BUS) course descriptions.
Business Requirements
BUS 100—Introduction to Business
BUS 102—Computing Tools for Business Analysis
BUS 211—Financial Accounting
BUS 212—Managerial Accounting
PSYC 203—Undergraduate Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
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 I
BUS 371—Marketing Fundamentals
BUS 382—Business Economics
BUS 480—Strategic Management and Design Thinking
ECON 151—Microeconomics
ECON 152—Global Economics
Financial Economics Courses
BUS 452—International Finance
Select a minimum of 15 credit hours (five courses) from the following:
MATH 332—Elementary Linear Algebra
MATH 425—Statistical Methods
PS 360—Global Political Economy
PSYC 320—Applied Correlation and Regression
MBA 505—Microeconomics and Game Theory
PA 580—Policy Evaluation Analytics
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.”
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!
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.
Featured Faculty
John Twombly
Priyanka Sharma
Liad Wagman
Li Cai
Gregory Chaudoin
Ghazale Haddadian
Charles T. Hamilton
Nik Rokop
Andrew Kumiega
Stuart Stands Out
Earn 2 Degrees (B.S. + Master's) in 5 Years
Choose a Stuart master's in finance, marketing analytics, public policy and administration, or tech entrepreneurship
Only Business School in a Tech-Focused University in Chicago
Stuart is AACSB Accredited. Only 5% of Business Schools Globally Are.
—Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International