The finance program at Drake is designed to provide students with knowledge of the major concepts and practices of financial management, while at the same time developing their analytical, decision-making and communication abilities. The finance major prepares students for careers in business and/or postgraduate work by educating them in the fundamental principles and practical applications of modern financial analysis.

Drake University is a member of the CFA Institute's University Affiliation Program. Our undergraduate finance programs incorporate a significant portion of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge and place emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Our finance programs position students well to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, the most respected and recognized investment credential in the world.

DEGREE OPTIONS
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Finance. Also, students may pursue a joint major in Accounting/Finance or Actuarial Science/Finance.

PROGRAM SIZE
Approximately 170 students are enrolled in the major and two joint majors. Average class size is about 30 students.

ACADEMIC PREPARATION
Students majoring in finance should have a strong general high school preparation, including mathematics and quantitative reasoning.

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES/INTERNSHIPS
Finance majors are encouraged to participate in research and to gain experience through internships. Virtually all juniors and seniors are placed in a desired internship. The internships include positions in the financial services industry and in corporate financial management. Many finance majors receive internships with in the financial services industry due to the large number of financial service firms located in Des Moines. The internships vary in length and the type of work performed by the student.

KRAUSE CHALLENGE
It is an annual investment competition among four Iowa universities: Drake University, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa. It was established through the generosity of Mr. W. A. "Bill" Krause of Krause Gentle Corporation as a means of providing undergraduate students with real-world portfolio management experience. On December 31, 1998, Mr. Krause endowed each university with $100,000 to establish a Krause Challenge Fund. The Drake University Krause Challenge fund is part of Drake University's endowment, and is managed under the auspices of Finance 190 (Equity Valuation and Analysis), which is open to senior finance majors.

BROOKS CASE COMPETITION
The annual Brooks case competition provides CBPA students a valuable opportunity to put their education and professional skills to the test. Participating students are asked to apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world case and communicate their analysis to a panel of judges. The competition is made possible by a generous gift from Roger K. Brooks, a Drake Board of Trustees member and longtime local businessman who attended Drake from 1955-57.

SCHOLARSHIPS
Drake offers many merit- and need-based scholarships that do not require a specific major to students in the College of Business and Public Administration. The finance department also offers scholarships for students interested in completing the CFA designation and a yearly finance student award.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Drake has over 100 student organizations that cover a wide range of topics. Also, Drake University Student Investment Club offers students a chance to participate in the "real" stock market investment.