Finance, Bachelor's , Master's , Minor

At DeSales, we not only look at your past academic achievement but also your potential for future growth to determine your admission.

We find that students who have demonstrated significant achievement within a demanding curriculum are best suited for academic life at DeSales. Quality of academic performance plays a critical role in the admissions decision making process. This helps indicate a student's potential for academic growth going forward. We welcome applications from all qualified students regardless of race, religion, sex, national, or ethnic origin.

Application Checklist

• Application Fee: None
• Transcripts: Official High School Transcript
• Standardized Tests: Test-optional, however, an Admissions Interview may be requested
• Recommendations: Completed Guidance Counselor Form and Teacher Recommendation Form
• Please refer to the Program Specific Requirements section for any requirements specific to this program

All materials can be mailed to:
DeSales University Admissions Office
2755 Station Ave.
Center Valley, PA 

* SAT scores are highly recommended for students applying for the Nursing and Health Science programs. Please refer to the Program Specific Requirements section for any requirements specific to this program.

Additional recommendations

High School Academics - Remember, there is no single preferred high school academic program, but a college preparatory course of study is highly recommended. Here's an example:

• Four years of English
• Three or four years of college preparatory mathematics
• A minimum of two years of modern, foreign, or classical language
• At least two laboratory science courses

Visiting DeSales - A personal, on-campus interview is strongly recommended, but is not required. We encourage you to visit so that you'll have a chance to learn more about DeSales, and we'll have the opportunity to learn more about you, too.

Learn more about Undergraduate Admissions & Aid 

Major specific classes include:

• Investments and Portfolio Management
• Personal Finance
• Money and Banking
• Financial Markets and Institutions
• Financial Accounting
• Financial Management
• Economics
• Risk Management

DeSales also offers an Investment Practicum course, a hands-on approach to company analysis and investment, where students will oversee actual endowment funds, tracking the performance of existing positions and presenting new companies for consideration.

Business Capstone
As seniors, all business majors are required to take a Business Capstone course that will feature a team service project, along with assessment tests, a research paper, and a final presentation.  The project will work to benefit a community organization in the Salesian spirit of DeSales.

Past projects included students partnering with:

• Engineers Without Borders (EWB)
• Futuros Empresarious (FE)
• Kiva
• Green Team
• Para Per 4 Mance
• Saint Peter’s Evangelical Church
• The Special Olympics
• Girls on the Run
• Mercy School for Special Learning (MSSL)
• Children's Dyslexia Center of Lehigh Valley

The DeSales University Gambet Center includes state-of-the-art technology and equipment for Business education.

The second floor of the Center is home to the undergraduate business division and the MBA program. Through the Gambet Center, you'll have access to some of the most cutting-edge technologies and softwares, such as Financial Trading Systems (FTS): 

• The Fainor Center for Financial Services boasts a live-ticker and trading simulation software.
• The Center for Data Analytics and Applied AI provides education and training, inclusive outreach, and applied projects for our stakeholder organizations.

The Gambet Center is a showcase of green architecture featuring environmentally advanced design consistent with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.

In addition to rigorous classroom instruction, you will also learn through hands-on experiences through internships. Experiential learning is a way for you to apply what you have learned, grow your skills, and make connections in your field.

Completing an internship is a great way to discover what type of business environment you prefer and can help inform your job search after graduation.

Our Career Development Center can provide resources to help you find an internship that's right for you as well as help prepare you for the job market upon graduation (or sooner).

As a graduate of the Finance program, you'll be prepared to pursue a variety of careers including banking, financial management, financial planning, security analysis, and insurance. If you choose a specialty in personal financial planning, you can become a financial advisor or work for financial institutions such as banks, savings institutions, credit unions, brokerage firms, or law offices.

Did You Know?

The average salary for Personal Financial Advisors in PA is $104,330 and the PA mean wage across the Business and Financial Operations Occupations category is $76,330 according to data from the BLS. And, according to a February 2019 report by the New York Federal Reserve, the early-career median wage for finance majors is $52,000 (compared to $40,000 across all majors) with a mid-career median of $85,000.

DeSales can help make your college expenses affordable through a combination of grants, loans, student employment, and scholarship resources.

View a comprehensive list of financial aid forms and undergraduate program information sheets

Cost of attendance for undergrads for 2024-2025

Resident Students

Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Room and Board - $13,800
Mandatory Fees - $1,800
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $60,800 (including first-year/transfer fees)

Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Total cost for resident students: $67,116

Commuter Students

Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Mandatory Fees - $1,400
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $46,600 (including first-year/transfer fees)

Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Transportation Costs - $1,908
Living Expenses - $2,298
Total cost for commuter students: $57,122

Off-Campus*

Direct Costs
Tuition - $45,000
Mandatory Fees - $1,400
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $46,600 (including first-year/transfer fees)

Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Transportation Costs - $1,908
Living Expenses - $9,192
Total cost for off-campus students: $64,016
*First-year students are required to reside on campus or commute from home.

Parking Fee - $100

View a comprehensive list of financial aid forms and undergraduate program information sheets

Dual Degree Undergraduate-to-Graduate Programs

If you are enrolled in an undergraduate-to-graduate degree program — for example a 5-year, 3+2, 3+3, program — the undergraduate tuition and fees apply only to the undergraduate portion of the program. As you progress into the graduate phase of your program, graduate tuition and fees apply. Please see your respective graduate program for more information. 

Do you envision yourself pursuing a career in financial planning or banking?

At DeSales, you'll have the opportunity to choose an area of focus within the Finance major. Our program includes four options: general finance degree, the general degree with the financial planning track, the general degree with the data analytics track, and the option for a BS/MBA in five years.

Each track includes coursework to help you specialize your finance degree to match your specific career goals.

Financial Planning Track

In the Financial Planning Track option, you'll participate in our Certified Financial Planner CFP® Board Registered Program. Upon completion of the track, you'll be eligible to sit for the CFP® Certification Examination. 

The Financial Planning track includes the following courses:

• FN 290 Personal Finance
• FN 311 Income Tax Planning
• FN 315 Retirement and Estate Planning
• FN 342 Introduction to Risk Management
• FN 417 Financial Plan Development

Data Analytics Track

With the Data Analytics track, you'll learn the structures, concepts, mathematics, and computer languages of data analytics and AI. You'll learn to use the software and cloud platforms in demand in the job market, such as Tableau, SAS, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google TensorFlow.

You'll conduct real data analytics projects using open source datasets and data from local companies.

You'll learn how to govern data ethically and legally, in accordance with the Christian humanism mission of DeSales University.

The Data Analytics track includes the following courses:

• AB301 Corporate Financial Reporting
• AB345 Corporate Financial Analytics
• CS260 Databases & Data Visualization
• MG226 Intro to Data Analytics and AI
• MI353 Statistical Analysis and Predictive Modeling
• MI462 Applied AI Platforms & Projects

BS to MBA Option

The BS to MBA in Finance can be completed in five years with the addition of three (3) MBA courses, and two (2) 3-credit internship experiences, or one (1) 6-credit internship experience. Specific courses may be selected with consultation from your academic advisor.