2019-2020 BSC Catalog

94 ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
The Intercultural Leadership Summer Program at the European Study Center in
Strasbourg, France, may be used to fulfill one of the designated course requirements.
Contact the program director for additional information about this option.
Upon enrollment in a leadership studies designated course, students must indicate to the
professor at the beginning of the term that they intend to use the course in fulfillment of
the DLS requirements, and should plan to complete a project or paper focused on
leadership in order to earn credit towards the DLS program.
Mathematical Finance
Bachelor of Science
Jeffrey T. Barton, Paul A. Cleveland, Douglas A. Riley, Sara H. Robicheaux, Kathleen
Greer Rossmann, Guangjun Qu
Mathematical finance is the interdisciplinary study of financial markets. The major
employs economic theory to evaluate how time, risk, opportunity costs, and information
can create incentives for a particular decision; develops advanced mathematical tools
necessary to study and understand financial markets; and provides a foundation in
business finance. A major in mathematical finance provides an academic framework to
explore the role of financial markets and intermediaries in the allocation (and
misallocation) of capital. Among the topics studied in mathematical finance are financial
markets, banks and other financial intermediaries, asset valuation, portfolio allocation,
regulation and corporate governance. Students who enjoy abstract economics analysis,
applied financial analysis, and advanced mathematics will find the major interesting and
challenging.
Upon completion of the mathematical finance major, students will be able to
• use mathematical methods to solve quantitative problems
• engage in observation and inference from data and apply statistical methods
• present a coherent explanation of their work to a group of peers
The major requires a set of core courses designed to provide a foundation in mathematics,
economics, accounting, and finance. Following this core, students individualize their
major by choosing one of two tracks: financial economics or mathematics.
The financial economics track offers students a deeper knowledge of economics and
finance. This track involves intensive data analysis and applied economics. This track is
recommended for students interested in private and public sector careers.
The mathematics track provides students with a grounding in economic theory
comparable to that provided by the general economics major and exposes students to
rigorous and extensive training in mathematics. This track is recommended for students
contemplating graduate studies in economics or finance, or those interested in careers that
require strong quantitative skills or professional designations from organizations such as
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2019-2020