About This Program
Do you enjoy following the stock market? Would you like to analyze investments and make sound financial decisions? Are you interested in the inner workings of financial markets and institutions? If so, the Financial Markets Finance major may be a great fit for you. This rigorous major prepares you for careers in the financial services industry.
The program combines academic and experiential learning, giving you access to state-of-the-art technologies that replicate real-world investment settings. You’ll manage strategic decisions for a live investment portfolio worth more than $5 million through the Bulldog Fund, LLC.
Program Highlights
- Learn from the Financial Markets program director, who has led the program for 20+ years, and brings years of experience as a trader and portfolio manager in the U.S. and abroad. He teaches finance courses, coordinates the J-term practicum, and guides students as they manage the Bulldog Fund and build industry connections
- Develop skills in investment research, including evaluating the suitability of assets across different portfolio applications
- Create strategies for managing risk and return while making ethical, data-driven financial decisions
Research & Experiential Learning
- Student teams manage sectors of the S&P 500, making investment decisions for the multi-million dollar Bulldog Fund, LLC based on rigorous analysis and research
- Each team proposes a “relative value” strategy, recommending long and short positions based on their insights, aligned with the Bulldog Fund’s enhanced S&P 500 approach using a portable alpha component
- Teams present their strategies during four scheduled “rebalance” opportunities each year to the program’s Investment Oversight Committee—a panel of finance industry professionals who review and approve recommendations
- You incorporate fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis into your investment research
- You also benefit from broader LSBE experiential offerings:
- LSBE Company Days (on-campus industry engagement)
- Access to additional business-related student clubs open to all majors
- The Student Professional Engagement Program (PEP), which exposes you to co-curricular content and soft skills development
Student Internships
LSBE offers an in-house internship program led by a dedicated director who oversees more than 200 internships annually. The director works with both you and employers to ensure valuable, real-world experiences.
Students regularly secure internships at top companies, including: 3M, Cintas, Google, Hormel, Fastenal, Land O’Lakes, Minnesota Vikings, Target, UnitedHealth Group, Sherwin-Williams, Taylor Corporation, and SPS Commerce—as well as school-year and remote internships in the Duluth area.
Potential Careers
- Securities trading & analysis
- Investment banking
- Private placements (bonds, stocks, etc.)
- Operational support
- Asset, money, or portfolio management
- Investment research
Scholarships
LSBE awards more than 150 scholarships each year across all business majors.
Get Involved
- Investment Club
- UMD Sales Club
- AMA (American Marketing Association)
- Accounting Club
- Finance Club
- Bulldogs in Technology (BIT) (Formerly MIS/BA Club)
- MGD (Marketing and Graphic Design) Club
- Economics Club
- SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)
- Student Health Care Management Association (SHMA)
- Duluth Women in Business
- Entrepreneurship Club
- UMD Analytics Club
- Management Club
- Bulldog DECA
Requirements
Refer to the link below for more detailed information about the program, admission requirements, sample plans, and contact information.
Financial Markets Finance B.B.A. Courses & Requirements