The Finance major provides students with concepts and techniques of financial analysis. Through the use of accounting information and the basic understanding of financial theory, majors learn how to arrive at financial decisions and make financial projections in the business world. The finance program combines coursework concentrating on financial management, investment analysis, and financial markets to prepare students for positions with major corporations and small business enterprises, stock brokerage firms, governmental agencies, commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions.

Finance Advisors

Krystal Russell Headshot
  • Department Advisor, Department of Finance
Jill Hopkins is an advisor at UGA's Terry College of Business
  • College Advisor, Undergraduate Program in Athens
Gabriella Squarciafico-Volz headshot
  • College Advisor, Undergraduate Program in Athens
Matthew Gustafson
  • College Advisor, Undergraduate Program in Athens

Contact Us

If you are a Finance major, you are always welcome to reach out to us with questions about your degree progress, academic concerns, or any other questions. We will try to provide you with resources and help whenever we can. If you are a current Terry student interested in the major, please come visit us in drop-in hours. If you are an “Intended Finance” student, please direct your questions to the Exploratory Center.

Current finance majors should email their assigned advisor directly. Send your email from your UGA email address, and please include your 81-number in your email. Also, please note that because we are in advising appointments most of the day, phone calls and voicemail are not an efficient way to reach us.

Academic Advising

Advising is mandatory each semester prior to the pre-registration period date determined by the UGA Registrar’s Office. Unless you are graduating in the current semester, you must schedule an advising appointment on SAGE. Summer graduates do not need to make an advising appointment during the spring semester immediately before the summer in which they intend to graduate.

Finance majors can check SAGE to schedule an advising appointment with their assigned advisor.

If you know you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, please notify your advisor immediately. Should you miss an appointment and fail to let your advisor know, you will be marked as a no-show and subject to Terry College’s no-show policy. See our Advising Appointment FAQs handout for more information on advising, scheduling an appointment, and no-show policies.

Drop-In Hours

Drop-in hours are for current Terry students interested in changing their major to finance or adding finance as a second major. Our current students can come to drop-in hours to get TCAFs, ROTC forms, or other documents signed as well as ask general questions. If you are a current student, you should plan to visit the drop-in hours of your assigned advisor. We will not clear students to register during drop-in hours – you must schedule an advising appointment on SAGE.

Add/Drop drop-in hours will be offered beginning on the first day of classes and continuing through add/drop. Please check with your assigned advisor for more information.

Our drop-in hours during the fall/spring academic semesters will be as follows:

  • Jill Hopkins: Tuesdays (in-person) and Wednesdays (virtual only) from 3:00–4:00
  • Gabriella Squarciafico-Volz: Tuesdays (in person only) and Wednesdays (virtual only) from 3:00–4:00
  • Matthew Gustafson: Tuesdays (virtual only) and Wednesdays (in person) from 3:00–4:00
  • Krystal Russell: Tuesdays from 3:00–4:00 (in person) and Fridays (virtual only) from 10:00–11:00

This sheet has information on how to access the Zoom meeting rooms of each advisor.

Student Organizations

  • UGA Finance Society is an active and innovative business organization. Its main objectives are to maintain communications with the business community and the academic world, introduce and broaden network opportunities for students, provide a forum for interaction between faculty members and students, and create opportunities fro student fellowship through social services.
  • Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) provides students a unique learning opportunity through portfolio management and security analysis. Interested students apply in spring semester. Accepted students enroll in FINA 4150 (1.5 credit hours) the following fall and spring semesters, which combined count as one Finance major elective.
  • Women in Finance provide networking and mentorship opportunities to its members. Check the list-serv for application announcements.
  • Check out other student clubs and organizations in Terry.

Internships

While internships are not mandatory, they are valuable experiences before you apply for full-time jobs and can potentially count toward credit in FINA 4800. Students must apply, meet the outlined prerequisites, and be approved before granted access to the course.

Please take notes of our departmental policies regarding FINA 4800:

  • Students must be Finance majors to enroll in FINA 4800.
  • Students must have FINA 3000 completed or in progress before they can register for FINA 4800.
  • The internship must be approved by the department before students can enroll in FINA 4800.
  • Students cannot take any on-campus courses while enrolled in FINA 4800.
  • Students can be enrolled in maximum one online course while enrolled in FINA 4800.
  • Students must be enrolled in FINA 4800 during the internship. They cannot receive credit in FINA 4800 after they complete an internship (i.e. no retroactive credit).
  • Students cannot receive internship credit for two departments for the same internship (e.g. A student cannot receive credit in both FINA 4800 and REAL 4800 for an internship relating to real estate finance.).

Based on these policies, most students take FINA 4800 during the summer. We will provide students interested in summer internships more details on how to apply after spring break. If you intend to take FINA 4800 during the spring or fall, please get in contact with your advisor, as you will have different deadlines.

Students are strongly encouraged to register with Handshake in order have access to employment information provided through the Career Center however all internship opportunities may be submitted.

Intended Finance Students

Interested in Finance but not yet a Terry student? Visit the Exploratory Center to discuss pre-business curriculum and the “Intended Finance” major. If you are a transfer student – or intend to transfer – and have questions about how your transfer credits will impact your progress in applying to Terry, please direct your questions to Cindy Schulman in the Exploratory Center. She specializes in advising pre-business transfer students.

If you are a current Terry student interested in changing our adding a finance major, you can email any of the finance advisors, or you can email our general email address, finance@uga.edu, and an advisor will be in touch with you. You are also welcome to visit our drop-in hours.

Transfer Courses

If you intend to transfer in FINA-prefix courses, please check the Transfer Equivalency Database before you do so. Because the department routinely verifies which courses are deemed equivalent to ours, the equivalencies in the database are subject to change.

If you intend to take a FINA-prefix course abroad, please verify that the department will accept the credit. Please note that the Finance Department allows only one course of a student’s finance major curriculum to come from an institution besides UGA (i.e. Six of a student’s seven finance major courses must come from UGA).

Tutoring

The Division of Academic Enhancement provides free tutoring for FINA 3000 and FINA 4200, among other courses. If you would like to reach out to private tutors, please email email your advisor or finance@uga.edu asking for the list of student tutors. Note that you will need to settle tutoring rates with your private tutor.

Scholarships

Finance majors may apply annually for scholarships distributed and managed through the department. Application information will be distributed in February of each year for the upcoming academic year.

Additional Resources

  • The University of Georgia Bulletin is the official publication for academic matters of the University of Georgia. Check it for major, minor, and certificate curriculum, college and university requirements, and information on individual courses.
  • ATHENA provides the schedule of classes. You can also register for courses and view holds.
  • The Office of the Registrar maintains academic records for all University of Georgia students, and publishes the Academic Calendar. Final exam schedules for each semester are also available at the calendar site. Also check your registration date and information about the wait list.
  • Use DegreeWorks to track your degree progress.
  • The Office of Financial Aid can help you with questions regarding scholarships. We unfortunately cannot help you with questions regarding HOPE/Zell.
  • The Bursar’s Office answers questions regarding tuition and fee amounts.
  • Visit UGA Admissions for questions about sending transfer credit to UGA. Consult their Transfer Equivalency database before you enroll in courses from other institutions to see if they are equivalent to UGA’s curriculum.

Helpful Handouts