Finance - Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Finance home page. I trust it will be informative as you gather information on your educational options.

From the activity of trading pits in the Chicago exchanges to the corporate finance departments of numerous Fortune 500 companies, finance professionals understand how businesses and markets work! Students entering the finance field can expect new challenges as the industry becomes more analytical, more global and more rewarding than ever.

To prepare students to enter the field of finance, our department offers a comprehensive major with classes in corporate finance, investments, financial planning, derivative markets and many others. Finance is also one of the most practical majors where students can learn how to invest for their retirement, finance a home purchase and even get a great deal on a new car!

Students can expect to learn both the theory and applications of the many topics covered in class. Some of the projects in which students have been engaged include:

• analyzing the financial viability of a new product
• simulating trading in futures and options
• creating spreadsheets to analyze what price of home individuals can afford
• computer modeling of a lease versus purchase problem

Learning, however, is not confined strictly to the classroom in the Department of Finance. In addition to the several internships accepted each summer by finance majors, students have also had the opportunity to interact directly with corporations. Last semester a group of finance majors performed an analysis of Ace Hardware’s franchising system. Furthermore, starting in the fall of 2006, students will have an opportunity to join an investment club that makes decisions on investing a portion of the University’s endowment fund.

I’m sure you’ll have many questions as you seek information on the various majors offered at Lewis University. Feel free to contact me at (815) 836-5504 or at atraro@lewisu.edu if you have additional questions about our program. The Department of Finance looks forward to helping you develop academically and professionally.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Atra, Ph.D., CFA
Chair, Department of Finance