Finance

Intentional career preparation and experiential learning in finance

student at loop mixer

The finance major at Lake Forest prepares students for careers across the broad and diverse financial services industry including investment management, trading, corporate finance, commercial and investment banking, insurance and risk management.

Finance

Study finance at Lake Forest College

Finance is a diverse field requiring highly specialized skills to succeed in a dynamic and growing industry. The goal of our finance program is to produce career-ready graduates who are able to compete successfully in today’s job market. Our curriculum is consistent with both the CFA © (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CFP © (Certified Financial Planner) programs.

The finance major program focuses on:

Asset valuation and pricing
Risk measures and metrics
Time value of money
Discounted cash flow analysis
Investment analysis
Portfolio management
Accounting
Statistical analysis
Mathematics
Ethics

A minor in finance is also offered to compliment any major on campus providing a distinguishing attribute to potential employers.

“

Throughout college, I was lucky to be part of a collaborative and fast-paced classroom. The ability to learn in that environment helped me transition into my career. Teamwork, presentations, and communication skills in addition to the ability to think critically has helped to prepare me to become an active listener and ask questions of my team in the workplace.

Jacqueline Rogers '20 - Associate at Stout

Experience one of the top ten global financial centers in the world

Chicago is one of the top ten global financial centers in the world, and our ideal location provides students with unparalleled access to this dynamic community through experiential coursework and some of the finest internships anywhere.

Lake Forest College is one of the few liberal arts colleges that offers a major in finance. We prepare students for careers in a diverse financial services industry including investment management, trading, corporate finance, commercial and investment banking, insurance and risk management.

Lake Forest College finance majors graduate prepared to compete successfully in today’s job market, and with access to the weath of networking connections in Chicago, our graduates move into the world beyond our gates with confidence.

Careers in finance

Our finance graduates find success across major financial organizations such as:

Northern Trust
BMO Capital Markets
FDIC
Fidelity Investments
Allstate Insurance
JP Morgan Chase
UBS Financial Services
United Healthcare
Stonebridge Wealth Management
Wells Fargo

Explore finance careers

“

Being in the finance department, I feel like the professors know me personally and are always willing to help and provide guidance. I appreciate all of the opportunities we get to learn and network outside of class.

Christine Dossa '25