The field of finance involves money, of course, but it also involves other assets and their management as well. Financiers are concerned with project funding and risk, whether they work in commercial banking or manage the resources of corporations. In this multi-faceted field, students working on a Bachelor of Science degree in finance will specialize in business or investment banking, or even in international investment if they have global aspirations.

The Money Degrees

An associates of finance degree gives the student a taste of the world of finance, providing enough of a credential for entry level employment in banking, insurance, or government. Work at this level involves preparing financial reports and presenting data analysis. For students whose goal is to work first and learn later, online bachelor degree programs can prepare them for management duties.

• A Day in the Life of a Local Banker

  Students who begin work with an associate's degree in finance generally work in local banks or similar institutions where customer service is a high priority and workers have close connections to the community, its people, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. If working as a teller or an entry-level manager, the best way to advance is to bring additional computing and technical skills to the job, since the internet and technology are now central to becoming a finance banker.

Beyond the associate's degree, the bachelor's degree in finance provides a broad education in funding and investments. At the bachelor's degree level in finance, a student can specialize in corporate finance, buyouts, acquisitions, investments, income securities, and funding. Other options include studying investment management, venture capital, or securities and investments, banking and financial institutions; or international banking -- emphasizing international markets and multinational corporate finance.

• A Day in the Life of a Corporate Financial Analyst

  With a bachelor's in finance, the corporate analyst will do the entry-level number crunching and financial modeling on which higher-ups will make their decisions. The hours tend to be long and only the motivated survive to collect their bonuses and other perks. Most of the money is in New York, though regional jobs for analysts do exist. In time, with persistence, the financial analyst will get to work with clients, helping with pitches.

Ambitious bachelor of finance degree holders eventually head for a graduate education in their chosen field, regardless of their locations. Again, online master's degree programs make master's degree study in finance possible anywhere. A graduate certificate in financial analysis also gives junior bankers the additional credential to advance to positions of more responsibility.

• A Day in the Life of an Investment Banker

  As with other banking positions, investment banking can require as much as 70 hours of work each week. Include all-nighters and weekends in the picture. Working in teams, investment bankers help companies devise money-making strategies, including bond issues and public stock transactions. Communication talent is crucial at this level of finance.

At the bachelor's or master's degree level in finance, the most adventurous types can go global. With language skills, international travel internships, and international banking coursework to their credit, financiers can take positions abroad or travel the world for business.

• A Day in the Life of an International Investment Banker

  International bankers want to shape world banking establishments rather than being shaped by them. Jobs working with the newly capitalist eastern bloc countries are heating up, as are the Asian markets generally, especially for those who speak the language or share the culture. Multi-national corporations need highly motivated internal financial managers to shape their money strategies.

Sources:
American Finance Association (www.afajof.org)
Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
Pace, Fred. "A day in the life of a local banker..." Register Herald (Beckley, W Va.) (Jan 28, 2006)
Princeton Review (princetonreview.com)
Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking. Ed. Tom Lott. (2005).