Business Administration BS - Financial Analysis Concentration

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University at Buffalo SUNY

Program Overview

The Business Administration BS with a Financial Analysis concentration at the University at Buffalo gives students a broad business foundation while developing deeper expertise in financial issues, including financial statements, cash-flow analysis and risk versus return on capital investments. It is particularly suited to students interested in quantitative finance and business decision-making, with the opportunity to complement classroom learning through an internship.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1:
Students begin with the quantitative, economic and business foundations needed for later financial analysis, developing their understanding of mathematics, economics, statistics and core business concepts. UB's business curriculum emphasizes quantitative reasoning, social sciences, soft skills and general management education, giving students the base needed to progress into upper-level finance and management coursework.

Year 2:
Students move into the School of Management's core business subjects and begin developing a stronger understanding of how organizations make financial and managerial decisions. Coursework leading toward the Financial Analysis concentration builds the foundation for later work in areas such as financial statement analysis, cash-flow evaluation and investment decision-making.

Year 3:
Students progress into upper-level management and finance study, applying quantitative reasoning to financial and business problems. The Financial Analysis concentration is designed around deeper study of financial issues, including preparing financial statements, analyzing cash flow and evaluating risk versus return for capital investments.

Year 4:
In the final stage, students complete advanced concentration and management electives that allow them to develop their interests in quantitative finance and financial decision-making. UB also encourages students to complement their academic preparation with internships, giving them an opportunity to apply financial knowledge in a professional setting.

Focus areas

Financial analysis, financial statements, cash-flow analysis, investment decision-making, risk and return, quantitative finance, corporate finance, financial institutions, financial markets and managerial decision-making.

Learning outcomes

Financial analysis, quantitative reasoning, financial decision-making, business problem-solving, interpretation of financial information, risk assessment, communication, managerial understanding and application of financial concepts to business decisions.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

All academic programs in the UB School of Management are accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). UB states that the School has maintained continuous AACSB accreditation since 1930.

Reputation (employability rankings)

UB School of Management reports that it is in the top 10% of AACSB-accredited business schools according to its rankings summary, with the School appearing in major rankings including Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report. For the 2025 BS graduating class, UB reports that 95% of students were employed or in graduate school within six months; among BS Business Administration graduates specifically, the outcome was 94%.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Financial Analysis concentration connects classroom learning with practical financial decision-making and professional experience. UB specifically encourages students to complement classroom knowledge with internships, while the School of Management provides career resources, finance-specific employment resources and opportunities to engage with financial-industry professionals and organizations.

Students can build practical skills through:

Financial-analysis preparation: The concentration focuses on preparing financial statements, analyzing cash flow and studying risk versus return for capital investments, directly connecting coursework with financial decision-making.
Internships: UB specifically identifies internships as a way for Financial Analysis students to complement classroom knowledge with hands-on experience in quantitative finance and decision-making.
Finance career resources: The School's finance career resources provide access to finance-focused job and internship platforms, including eFinancialCareers, Careernomics, HackerRank, Kaggle, AngelList and Built In.
Investment-industry exposure: UB's Department of Finance highlights the Terese Kelly Investment Group, while finance students can gain exposure to investment management and financial markets through the School's finance activities.
Career advising and preparation: The Career Resource Center provides undergraduate career programming, including career advising, employer visits, treks, career fairs and workshops.
Career Action Plan: UB requires second-year undergraduate students to defend their Career Action Plan one-on-one through Career Connections I, helping students begin structured career planning early in the degree.
Practice interviews: UB reports that 100% of juniors are required to complete a practice interview as part of its undergraduate career programming.
Employer exposure: Recent undergraduate employers reported by UB include M&T Bank, Odoo, Amazon, EY, Paychex, Enterprise Mobility, Equitable Advisors, JPMorgan Chase, Citi and Moog, providing evidence of employer engagement with School of Management graduates.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Financial Analysis concentration prepares students for careers involving quantitative finance, financial analysis and business decision-making, while maintaining the broader managerial preparation of a Business Administration degree. UB specifically identifies quantitative finance and decision-making as career areas for the concentration and notes that internship experience can complement the academic curriculum.

Typical job roles include: Financial Analyst, Investment Analyst, Credit Analyst, Corporate Finance Analyst

Career development and progression opportunities include:

Career Resource Center: UB provides undergraduate career advising, career appointments, career fairs, employer visits, treks, workshops and career conferences to help students prepare for employment.
Finance-specific employment resources: Students can use finance-focused resources such as eFinancialCareers, Careernomics, HackerRank, Kaggle, AngelList and Built In to explore internships and employment opportunities.
Employment outcomes: For the 2025 BS graduating class, UB reports that 95% of students were employed or in graduate school within six months. The BS Business Administration outcome was 94%.
Finance employment and salary: Among the 2025 BS graduates, 21% entered finance functions, with an average salary of $71,103 for that function. These figures cover the School's BS graduates overall and are not reported specifically for the Financial Analysis concentration.
Financial-services industry: Financial services accounted for 27% of the 2025 BS graduates by industry, with an average reported salary of $67,845. This is a School-wide BS figure rather than a concentration-specific outcome.
Employer connections: UB's reported 2025 undergraduate employers include M&T Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Citi, EY, Amazon, Paychex and Equitable Advisors.
Long-term accreditation value: The UB School of Management's academic programs are AACSB-accredited, and UB reports continuous AACSB accreditation since 1930.
Further career preparation: UB's School of Management emphasizes a combination of quantitative reasoning, social sciences, soft skills and general management education, giving Financial Analysis students a broader business foundation alongside their finance-focused concentration.
Graduate study options: UB offers further study through programs including the MS in Finance, with tracks in financial management and quantitative finance, as well as other graduate business programs. The university also lists combined BS/MS pathways for Business Administration students, including a Business Administration BS/MS Finance option.

Further Academic Progression: Students can continue into graduate-level finance or business study after completing the BS. UB offers an MS in Finance with financial management and quantitative finance pathways, and its undergraduate offerings also include a Business Administration BS/MS Finance combined-degree pathway for eligible students.