BSBA in Investment Management

Investment management is the process of managing financial assets, such as stocks and bonds, and real assets, such as real estate, to meet the objectives of the owner/investor. Given the wide variety of financial instruments and diverse groups of individual and institutional investors, many career paths are available.

Many skills are required to be an effective investment manager. The investment management curriculum, coupled with non-classroom opportunities, help to build:

• Quantitative skills including mathematics, statistics, and accounting.
• Analytical skills, to make insightful interpretations of quantitative data that you have gathered.
• Interpersonal and communication skills, so that you can effectively present your analysis for others to understand.
• Worldly skills, developed through internships and summer job opportunities.
• Exposure to the industry through professional journals, visiting speakers, and outside visits to industry participant sites.
• Credentials, including software certifications and licenses from professional organizations.

These skills allow our graduates to enter the profession better prepared and qualified to perform as an investment professional.

Below is a list of some of the career paths you can choose when graduating with a degree in investment management:

Personal Financial Planning

Career Paths

• Sales
• Customer Service
• Operations
• Portfolio Management

Employers

• Brokerage firms
• Trust companies
• Financial partnerships
• Multi-line insurance firms
• Sole practitioners

Strategies

• Gain experience in sales
• Must be highly motivated and entrepreneurial
• Research how one obtains the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation
• Develop a solid personal network

Investment Banking

Career Paths

• Corporate Financial Analysis
• Mergers and Acquisition
• Equity and Debt
• Underwriting
• Institutional Bond and Equity Sales
• Retail Bond and Equity Sales
• Business Valuation
• Business Sale Transactions
• Currency Trading
• Derivatives, e.g. options
• Trading
• Venture Capital Fund Management
• New Venture Analysis

Employers

• Investment banking firms (Changes in laws have created a fluid situation in this industry; Mergers and acquisitions continue to take place)
• Financial services firms
• Insurance firms (The Gramm Leach Bliley Act of 1999 allowed financial services firms to acquire or build investment banking subsidiaries and vice versa)

Strategies

• An MBA is required to move beyond the entry-level analyst position in investment banking
• Investment banking is highly competitive—be prepared to work many hours of overtime per week, start at the bottom, and pay your dues
• Develop strong analytical and communication skills
• Cultivate personal ambitiousness
• Obtain a Series 7 License for both institutional and retail broker sales positions
• Work toward the CFA designation

This certification is attractive to individuals who want to obtain a position as a Corporate Treasury Official and is the only professional credential in cash management.

The CTP credential, formerly the Certified Cash Manager (CCM), is widely regarded by treasury and finance professionals as one of the leading credentials in the field of corporate finance and treasury operations. It demonstrates a high standard of professionalism and a commitment to performance.

Nich, C. (n.d.). Guide to college majors in finance. Retrieved November 18, 2006, from the World Wide Learn Web site at www.worldwidelearn.com.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved March 14, 2010 from the www.bls.gov website.