Programs
All degree-seeking students in the Collat School of Business are required to engage in one of several options for an experiential learning credit. You should work with your academic advisor to determine which option is the best fit for you.
Creating a Competitive Advantage
Research shows that experience in addition to the degree is the #1 item employers are looking for in a new hire. In today's competitive job market you need to be able to show that you have on-the-job learning and understand the industry.
The experiential learning requirement allows you to apply what you have learned and showcase the skills that you have acquired to your future employer. In addition to building your resume, this requirement can better prepare you to develop career goals based on your experience in different kinds of industries and work environments. You may identify a specific area that you really enjoy and want to focus your studies on, or find that what you originally intended to major in may not be what you actually enjoy doing.
Real life, hands-on experience helps our graduates stand above the rest and ready to launch successful careers.
Experiential Learning Requirement Options
You may tailor the requirement to fit your needs by choosing one of the following options. See the UAB Undergraduate Catalog opens a new website for course descriptions.
Business Analysis Project
Complete Small Business Consulting and Research (MK 440/BUS 440) with a small team and professor to gain experience with an individual company and particular project.
Business Courses
Complete Practicum in Commercialization (ENT 426), Principles of Real Estate (FN 370), or Advanced Professional Selling (MK 425).
Education Abroad
Change the way that you view your education, career, and life. Broaden your perspective of the world through one of UAB's Education Abroad programs opens a new website.
Honors Programs
Complete the Collat School of Business Honors Program or another UAB Honors Program opens a new website.
Internship
Gain experience in your career field and develop the skills that employers want to see through a paid or volunteer internship. Not only can internships offer a possible income, they also may lead to future employment.
Research Project
Develop your research skills while working with a professor on a project — experience first-hand what may be required in graduate school or a career field heavy in research. You may even have a publication to add to your resume! Contact your academic advisor for more information.
Service Learning
Work on a semester-long project with a professor and class of students to complete a project or solve a problem. This can be fulfilled through an approved course or contract with a professor. Contact your academic advisor for more information.
Experience Waiver
Complete and submit the 
experience waiver to the chair of your department to be considered for a waiver of the experiential learning requirement. Some examples of activities that can merit a waiver include:
- work experience that allows you to integrate academic knowledge with practical application
- completion of a nationally recognized program such as the Disney college program
Providing an honors-level academic experience and enhanced credentials to students seeking top positions in business and related fields after graduation.
The Collat Business Honors Program goes beyond traditional business school coursework to teach leadership. An effective leader must not only possess financial and strategic skills, but also must understand how their own traits, characteristics, and behavior influence others in the organization.
“At Collat, opportunities await every day for students. Opportunities like the Business Honors Program allow students to learn business leadership practices and participate in research that explores developing topics in their respective industries and truly equips them with the knowledge to become successful business leaders.”
Destiny Nelson-Miles Business Honors Program alumna Students can explore their potential roles as leaders at all levels of an organization, from CEO to project team leader, and at all stages of their future careers. Students can also consider less direct aspects of leadership, such as thought leadership within an organization or industry and the attributes of good “followership.”
Honors courses provide opportunities for involvement in class discussions, exposure to relevant literature, and practice in leadership and business communications — beyond what is possible in most other courses. The program offers a shared learning experience that simulates real-world working and learning environments. It is these characteristics that distinguish the honors experience, not necessarily a greater quantity or more difficult level of work.
The program provides outstanding career development advantages and opportunities for students interested in accounting, banking, business law, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, graduate study, international business, investment management, and marketing.
In recent years, CEOs and senior executives from prominent organizations have traveled to our campus to meet with Honors Program students as part of a required course on strategic leadership. Organizations include:
- Buffalo Rock
- Coca-Cola Bottling United
- Encompass Health
- Hibbett Sports
- Medical Properties Trust, Inc.
- Protective Life Corp.
- ServisFirst Bank
- Vulcan Materials
Upon completing the program, students who are majors in a School of Business discipline receive the special designation of graduating from UAB “With Honors in Business” or “With Honors in Economics.”
Scholarship
Students receive a $500 scholarship, provided by the generous endowment gift of the Collat family, for each course in the program that is successfully completed.
Curriculum
The program consists of a three-course sequence focusing on leadership, corporate strategy, and business ethics.
- Junior Year Spring Semester — BUS 300: Introduction to Leadership Seminar. What makes for success as a researcher and business leader?
- Senior Year Fall Semester — BUS 496: Business Honors Seminar II. Preparation and presentation of a final research project selected by the student, advised by a faculty member.
- Senior Year Spring Semester — BUS 495: Business Honors Seminar I. The role of leaders in setting corporate strategy.
The curriculum offers the advantages of seminar-based learning within a large university, including increased interaction with faculty members dedicated to teaching and providing valuable academic and career guidance. Courses use a discussion-driven style centering on case analysis, real-world business experiences and examples, and students' own insights and perspectives. Through a mentored program format, participants develop the high-level communication, analysis, writing, presentation, and research skills exhibited by successful business leaders.
Students will prepare a research project selected by the student and are required to participate in the UAB Undergraduate Research Expo opens a new website.
Admissions Requirements
UAB undergraduate students wishing to be considered for the Business Honors program must either declare a major or minor in the Collat School of Business or otherwise have demonstrated a commitment to a business education and meet the following preferred eligibility requirements:
- 3.5 GPA in pre-Business and Business courses
- 3.0 overall GPA
If you do not meet these requirements, your application will be considered on an individual basis.
How to Apply
- Students meeting eligibility requirements should complete and submit an application by November 1 of their junior year.
- Students graduating other than immediately following a Spring semester should contact the program director about eligibility.
Contact
-
Interim Department Chair; Associate ProfessorBarbara Wech PhD205-934-8848CSB 357-C
Add in-demand skills with a certificate.
To help students and working professionals define themselves in the workforce and advance in their careers, the UAB Collat School of Business offers business certificate programs that provide specialized training to meet the latest industry needs. We offer graduate and undergraduate certificates — including two undergraduate bridge certificates designed to prepare students for graduate study in our Master of Accounting and Master of Science in Management Information Systems opens a new website programs. Individuals can also pursue certificates and professional courses through Collat Professional Education.
Marketable Minors
Regardless of your academic major, adding a minor in one of the following disciplines can enhance your degree, add valuable skills, and open up employment opportunities. Business minors are a great pairing with all kinds of majors, including arts and humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, the natural sciences and math, and engineering and clinical programs. Find your perfect fit below.
- Accounting
- Business Administration
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Human Resource Management
- Information Systems
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
- Social Media Strategies for Business
- Sports and Entertainment Marketing
A degree that can take you anywhere.
If you have excellent analytical and communication skills, then a marketing degree from UAB can give you the skills and knowledge necessary to be able to work in nearly any industry that exists today. Marketing is a critical part of any business plan and involves understanding the importance of consumer relations, communication, and the various stakeholders involved. A marketing degree can lead to a steady career path in sales or marketing management, public relations, fundraising, advertising, or promotions.
[00:01] Hi, my name's Nicole Slaski. I'm a marketing major concentrating in digital marketing. My first major was actually musical theater. So I had auditioned in Chicago for a bunch of different schools. Had never really heard of UAB, and then ended up here. But ended up just having a change of heart, and wanted to switch majors.
[00:22] And so I switched to marketing and loved it. The classes at least that really cemented what I wanna do were social media marketing, digital marketing, integrative marketing communications, the ones that fall all in that digital marketing track. They're so interesting to me and I think it's such an interesting new field.
[00:41] Definitely just made me wanna pursue that as a career. I've had so many great professors and advisers. They were all just so great in helping me figure out what I liked and just telling me about their experiences. And so I would just say, come tour the school, come talk with some professors if you can, talk with some students. And just get a feel to see if it's the right fit. I definitely found my fit here.
[01:08] I'm in Kappa Delta, so that's a sorority on campus. I don't know, I hadn't been as involved on campus before that and it definitely really pushed me to really explore new opportunities and talk to more people.
[01:20] And it's helped me so much in the last two years of my college career. Junior and senior year have really, I feel like I've grown so much and I'm really prepared now to go off into the real world.
[01:33] I do a lot of freelance photography and so I've worked with some local companies doing head shots and product photos. And I was the social media coordinator at Steel City Pops, so that was my internship course that I did for UAB. I took photos for them and scheduled all their posts out and things like that. So that was really fun. I was able to kind of explore that creative marketing side.
[01:56] It was a great stepping-stone that was kind of my first marketing job experience. And so that was really the stepping stone into all these other endeavors that I've been able to do. I have grown to absolutely love Birmingham, that's why I have never switched schools or anything after switching majors.
[02:14] I love downtown, it's so up and coming. There's so many jobs available. There's just so much to do. And I definitely want to stick around and work here for a while.
[02:23] So my ultimate goal would be to have a career where I'm able to travel or at least work and live abroad somewhere. I just know for sure that I wanna keep traveling and living in different places, and experiencing different cultures.
Marketing positions are plentiful and vary from daily communication with clients and growing sales to marketing research and brand management. A few common job titles include market research analyst, advertising sales manager, account executive, public relations manager, brand manager, marketing manager, social media analyst/strategist, and product development manager.
- Title:
New research dives into aligning social media skills development to industry expectations, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/news/research/item/14083-staying-on-trend-new-research-dives-into-aligning-social-media-skills-development-to-industry-expectations, Image:
- Title:
Yufei Zhang receives 2023 UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/yufei-zhang-receives-2023-uab-president%E2%80%99s-award-for-excellence-in-teaching, Image:
- Title:
Alums aim to give Americans a taste of “West African excellence” with new startup, Link:
http://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/alums-aim-to-give-americans-a-taste-of-%E2%80%9Cwest-african-excellence%E2%80%9D-with-new-startup, Image:
Learning to lead.
Effective managers are vital to the success of every organization — from small start-up companies to multinational corporations. Why? Because managers are the ones who skillfully coordinate and control the activities of the organization to achieve business goals. They are leaders.
Business organizations are complex and need people who can effectively align priorities, evaluate and make decisions, recruit and retrain employees, and manage resources. If you're good at strategy, can understand how processes work, have a passion for problem solving and can multitask effectively, then a degree in management can put you on the path to leadership.
[00:00] My name is Ryan King. I'm a business management major, and I decided to go to UAB pretty much because I have a family history at UAB. My mom attended UAB, my grandmother attended UAB, and just recently two of my sisters graduated from UAB. So I'm a legacy student and it just came naturally.
[00:19] I decided to choose business management as my major because I'm interested in becoming a doctor as well. And UAB has this great dual degree program (MD/MBA) where you can come and can get a masters in business administration as well as a medical degree. And with those two, I would like to run my own practice. And so the business management allows me to have that foundation in business that I can always rely upon.
[00:41] Another one of the great opportunities that I appreciate as a UAB Blazer is that UAB values community service. One thing that they are big on, and we are big on is giving back to our community. And all of that just trickles down to its students and personally, I love to volunteer.
[01:00] One of the biggest things I've been involved with at UAB is being a VITA volunteer, which means that I help prepare taxes for international students, faculty, and staff which gave me the opportunity to see another diverse community and help them.
[01:14] As a business student leader, when I'm touring a group, I really like to point out things like the different donors that we have that contributed to the school. Why? Because they are here with you as a student. A lot of them come in, introduce themselves, tell you about the different opportunities they have within their companies and just their passions.
[01:32] The faculty and staff at UAB are so great. They truly want to get to know you as a person and your interests and how they can help you with that.
[01:42] My personal experience is with my adviser and she's with the business management majors. She always has been there for me. Every time I needed to come see her with an emergency, whether it was a conflict in scheduling, or just me trying to meet someone new she was the first person to say, hey, let me help you. Hey, let me introduce you to this person. She was always there, and she does it with such a passion that it's not like it's a job for her. It's like it's a calling.
[02:07] My ultimate career goal is to become a medical doctor and build my own practice from the ground. Utilizing all those resources here at UAB, like the School of Medicine, the School of Business, and learning the management part of that, as well as the health care part, is perfect for me. And UAB has just played a great role and become a great asset for that.
A business management degree can lead to numerous career paths in a variety of fields, depending on focus or specialty. A few common job titles include account executive, business analyst, project coordinator, operation supervisor, facilities manager, and sales manager.
The median pay for a sales manager is $127,490 with an expected employment growth rate of 7% from 2020-30, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Title:
The “people side” of leadership: How to become an effective leader, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/news/youcanuse/item/13602-the-people-side-of-leadership-how-to-become-an-effective-leader, Image:
- Title:
Management grad uses Collat degree, education abroad experience to move to Italy, Link:
collat-news/management-grad-uses-collat-degree-education-abroad-experience-to-move-to-italy, Image:
- Title:
Otulanas give $1 million to support international and underrepresented students, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/news/campus/item/12860-otulanas-give-1-million-to-support-international-and-underrepresented-students, Image:
Technical expertise meets business savvy.
Do you enjoy working with both technology and people? Our information systems degree is a great choice. Our IS graduates serve as liaisons between technical teams and management to solve business problems via collaboration and innovation.
Information systems are the backbone of modern organizations, which need help keeping up with emerging technologies and understanding how different applications can be leveraged to accomplish their goals. Individuals who know how to develop technological solutions to business challenges are in high demand. Our information systems major pairs a solid foundation in business knowledge with specialized courses in information systems that prepare students for careers in this in-demand field.
[00:01] My name is Chordaryus Billingsly, and information systems is my major. So what drew me to the IS major, I wanted to do something different. I felt like my calling was more so dealing with integrating tech into the business world. Information systems was like the ideal major for me.
[00:18] I came here, tried it out, I just fell in love with the major. The students in that major are really smart. A lot of them knew technical terms, they knew the companies already, they had been doing programming, etc., etc. So they had a list built up of things that they had already been doing in their personal time.
[00:35] It gave me something to aspire to be, but it also was kind of intimidating, because I wasn't yet at that level, but it was always great competition for me also. Sometimes, I'd go to my professor's office, and I'd sit down with them and I'd say, I'm thinking about doing this, or I kinda wanna do this.
[00:53] And they'd be like, yeah, sure, you start off like this, these are companies that you might wanna look at. So they were really personable and professional with helping me develop my career, and that's what I really enjoyed about meeting with them. One thing that UAB really does well is they do try to get you integrated within a company prior to you even graduating, so there were always a lot of opportunities to work with companies.
[01:16] I would say UAB's diverse body really gave me a lot of exposure. UAB is like a bowl of Skittles, it's a bunch of different colors integrated together. You get a view from not just the United States, but you also get a view worldwide, and it expands your horizon upon graduating from UAB.
[01:34] UAB's location, for me, to be honest, it's really great, and the reason why I say that is because there are no walls, so it feels like we are part of downtown. Things that would take me a lot longer to grasp, graduating from college, I feel like I've gained it at a much more accelerated rate, because we're already embedded into the city.
[01:53] Initially, coming into college, I was an ideal introvert. The UAB ROTC program kinda took that away from from me. It made me two separate people. You can still be the introverted you that you were initially, but you also are gonna have to be a speaker. You're gonna have to get more involved, and by them forcing me to do that, it developed me into the person that I am today, which I believe will take me much further than an introverted me would've.
[02:17] My ultimate dream, eventually, I just wanna rule the world, I want to go out and do really great things. When someone looks over my career, I want them to say, there's no way humanly possible I can copy what he did. Essentially, I wanna end off my career as a security engineer for a major company, and possibly, I wanna be the CIO of that company, eventually.
A few of the common job titles for IS professionals include information security specialist, systems analyst, operations research analyst, information systems manager, and computer network architect.
Employment in computer and IT occupations is projected to grow 13% from 2020 to 2030. The median annual wage for computer and IT occupations was $97,430 in May 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Title:
Research shows gig workers can boost earning by building social skills, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/research-shows-gig-workers-can-boost-earnings-by-building-social-skills, Image:
- Title:
IS minor makes a pioneering impact and has a promising future in technology, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/news/people/item/14082-from-classrooms-to-corporations-computer-science-graduate-makes-a-pioneering-impact-and-has-a-promising-future-in-technology, Image:
- Title:
UAB's graduate management information systems program ranks No. 4 in nation, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/uab-s-graduate-management-information-systems-program-ranks-no-4-in-nation, Image:
- Name: Bernard Lisy, Undergraduate, Industrial Distribution, Testimonial: Being able to stand in an operating room and see how so many professionals and medical devices work together to transform people's lives is such an eye-opening experience. Additionally, shadowing Dr. Hadley and going through the Medical Equipment and Supplies concentration exposes you to a completely different side of healthcare that most people do not know about. These experiences truly help you realize where you belong in healthcare.
From Point A to Point B.
The Charles and Patsy Collat Industrial Distribution Program at UAB is one of a small number of such programs in the world that prepares graduates to manage the flow of materials from manufacturers to distributors — which means they play a key role in propelling the economy forward by supplying the building blocks for products created and used all over the world.
The UAB ID major program includes a strong emphasis on applied engineering technical knowledge and channel management, preparing students for careers in sales, operations, purchasing and logistics. A concentration in Medical Equipment and Supplies Distribution provides a unique path for students pursuing similar careers in the medical industry. Our partnerships with industry leaders in distribution and manufacturing — as well as UAB's School of Engineering opens a new website and Heersink School of Medicine opens a new website ensure our students are prepared with the tools and hands-on learning that is relevant in today's business practices.
- Name: Medical Equipment and Supplies Distribution, Description: A first-of-its-kind concentration that prepares graduates for a career in the medical equipment and supplies industry with a curriculum that blends life sciences, pre-medicine and health administration with health-related distribution courses., Link: index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=729&Itemid=1755
[00:01] My name is Prahlaad Ram, and I'm a medical equipment distribution major and entrepreneurship minor at the Collat School of Business at UAB.
[00:08] So I decided to become an industrial distribution major because I had started off at UAB with biomedical engineering, and a couple of years into the program, I realized that I wanted to streamline my focus into more than just creation of a product, but how to scale that product and make sure that it reaches the hands of people who need it.
[00:29] I currently work for an orthopedic implant company as an intern. I've been able to get the insights that I need to work for this company because of all the courses that I took at UAB.
[00:39] I know exactly what they're doing because they're a startup. Since they're scaling up, I'm able to understand what they need and how they need to get their product out to the surgeons that need it.
[00:49] So how I came across entrepreneurship is really funny because I only took the minor last semester and I found how much I loved it. I've loved my project. I loved my team members when I was in the commercialization accelerator. I thought on the spot, I need to be an entrepreneurship minor. I want to know more about this.
[01:05] So I think what's amazing about the ID program is that, you don't understand how core these concepts and topics are in the industry until after the course, and then you realize how interconnected these are and how important it is that something like ID can improve your knowledge on the inner workings of an industry. Really, I urge anybody to take this course if they want to have an understanding of not just one single industry but any industry that had that deals with physical products and physical goods. It gives you that insight as to how these people get their products to the end consumer.
[01:38] My ultimate goal is to become an expert in the field of medical devices and medical technology. I hope that I'm able to reach that goal, and UAB has definitely provided me the tools in order for me to get there.
The Industrial Distribution major prepares graduates for careers with manufacturers or distributors in technical or medical equipment and supplies industries and includes sales engineering, logistics, marketing, inventory and purchasing, as well as distribution management.
The job outlook for logisticians includes a high 30% growth rate from 2020 to 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Title:
ID Student Spotlight: Ella Grace Tankersley, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/student-spotlight-ella-grace-tankersley, Image:
- Title:
Revolutionizing Sales: New research shows how AI is shaping the future of sales strategies, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/revolutionizing-sales-new-research-shows-how-ai-is-shaping-the-future-of-sales-strategies, Image:
- Title:
ID student earns prestigious scholarship to study in Spain, Link:
http://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/id-student-earns-prestigious-scholarship-to-study-in-spain, Image:
Planning meets people skills.
Do you have what it takes to grow a team? In today's fast-changing business environment, organizations need leaders with comprehensive knowledge of today's most important issues in human resources and employment relations — including employment law, compensation, recruiting/staffing, training, workplace diversity, and strategic planning.
Our human resource management major prepares students for a career that is focused on attracting, managing, and retaining talent that achieves organizational goals. An HR management degree is ideal for people who like strategic thinking, can understand how processes work, and have a passion for problem-solving that creates value for the organization.
[00:00] My name is Makenzie Snyder and I'm a human resource management major. SoI first found out about human resources because of my mom. So my mom has been doing human resources for quite a while now. So that's kinda how I first heard about it and really got interested in human resources.
[00:15] And I really wanted to help people, but kind of in a different way. So HR really kind of is that. You're kind of helping people, but in a business aspect, and so that's what I really enjoy about HR. So as an HR major, we really work a lot with learning how to be an effective manager, but we also do a lot of different projects as an HR personnel.
[00:36] So right now as a student, I'm really getting that hands on experience of those different projects that a company would maybe ask me to do as an employee.
[00:45] I'm originally from Perrysburg, Ohio, so I'm about ten hours away from home. When I was looking for colleges, I really wanted to go out of state.
[00:53] And UAB was in one of my searches. And I was really looking for a university where I was gonna get that one-on-one connection with the professors. I really did not want to be a number on a roster. So some of the things that really caught my attention about the Collat School of Business, was that all the different things that they have to offer their students to succeed.
[01:11] So the first thing is the Collat Career Services. So we have a career services for all the of the university, but we also have a career services just for the Collat School of Business. They do a great job with connecting students to employers. And that is a huge thing when it comes time for graduation. When you really need a job and they have those connections.
[01:26] One of the things, as a student, that I've really enjoyed are the different opportunities that I've been able to interact with. The faculty, the staff members, the different professors, they have always been positive experiences. They really are here to help you get all your classes that you need, and get all the help that you need to succeed.
[01:42] So UAB is a very diverse campus. So you're gonna meet students from all over the world, all over the United States. They all have all different types of backgrounds, that's been really cool. The students are really kind people from all over.
[01:53] It's also a really urban campus. So we sit right here in the middle of downtown. It's been cool, as a student to really kind of incorporate myself into the city. And kinda become that type of person that's really doing all these different things to explore the city and see what it has to offer.
[02:07] My ultimate goal is to get my MBA from UAB. So after I get a few years of work experience, I wanna come back and get my MBA. And then hopefully, work for human resources here at UAB. UAB has played such a huge impact in my life that my end goal really is to kinda end here as well.
A few of the common job titles for HR professionals include human resource specialist, training coordinator, recruiter, employee relations manager, benefits manager, and labor relations specialist. The median annual wage for HR Specialists was $62,290 in May 2021 with a job outlook of 10% growth rate 2020-30, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Title:
Research shows gig workers can boost earning by building social skills, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/research-shows-gig-workers-can-boost-earnings-by-building-social-skills, Image:
- Title:
HR in Practice: Alesia Jones, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/advancement/why-give/students/the-human-connection, Image:
- Title:
International travel scholarship available for UAB business students beginning fall 2023, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/news/campus/item/13461-international-travel-scholarship-available-for-all-uab-business-students-beginning-fall-2023, Image:
- Name: Latrena Weatherspoon, Testimonial: I chose to major in finance because it is one of the broadest fields to go into. This was important to me because I wanted a major that would give me many different options for a successful career.
- Name: Anthony Marino, Testimonial: What really solidified my decision to major in finance was meeting some of the faculty. When I toured Collat, there was a consistent attitude shared by all the faculty and staff I spoke with: motivation. Every person I spoke with at Collat seemed hungry and motivated and I wanted to surround myself with like-minded individuals.
- Name: David Patterson, Testimonial: I decided to take an introductory finance class in my junior year of high school, and it sparked an interest in me. I never looked back. Now, as a finance major at UAB, I am enjoying my classes and my coursework even more than I did in high school. Learning about markets and how investments can change over time is something that I find interesting and beneficial.
- Name: Jackie Dang, Testimonial: Getting a degree in finance doesn’t only offer a lot of career opportunities, but also a chance for me to apply what I am learning to my everyday life. One thing that makes majoring in finance at UAB different from other majors is that there are many opportunities to gain real-world experience and networking opportunities while still in undergrad, allowing students to explore different paths.
Money matters.
Every individual, business, and organization needs to secure and effectively allocate financial resources in order to survive and grow. If you're interested in how money works — from assets to investments and beyond — then finance is a great fit.
Our curriculum uses both theory and best practices to teach you how to best understand and solve the financial operating and investment problems that businesses and individuals face. You'll be able to produce the numbers, but also analyze them in ways that can influence decision making and strategy.
[00:00] My name is Jacob Irvin and I am a major in finance and a minor in accounting. So I'm originally from Dothan, Alabama. I came here because UAB is known for its research and for its medical school, and I was actually going to be a biology major. My roommate at the time, he was a finance major.
[00:18] He just kind of was explaining his classes to me and it just sounded like things that I was more interested in. In my sophomore year, I decided to change and become a finance major, it was cemented by the UAB Green and Gold fund. They have a program where it's a student investment fund, where we manage as students, solely by students, $600,000 of real money.
[00:37] One of the first things they have us do as analysts in the UAB Green and Gold fund is to become Bloomberg certified. Essentially you get all the bases you need to be able to operate a Bloomberg terminal. You can put that on your resume, which I have it on mine, I think that's been invaluable.
[00:52] So I'm a finance major and an accounting minor, I see that accounting is the language of finance. It takes some degree of knowledge in accounting to be able to even understand the research that you're trying to do. And one of the ways that Collat School of Business allows me to stand out to employers.
[01:06] In the Collat Business Honors Program, I've met different professionals. I met the CEO of Coca-Cola Bottling Company United the other day, and I got to talk to him after class. It's a very physical way that you can stand out to employers.
[01:19] I would describe my friends here, just general finance students that I've been in my classes with. They're all approachable, friendly, and fun, but most of all, I think they're very motivated. Any time I start to feel like I'm not motivated to do something, there's always my friends. Who, just by being around them and their motivation, it kind of pushes me to work harder.
[01:37] The new Collat School of Business building is very impressive, I actually sometimes spend my entire day here, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. It's a great atmosphere to work in. To have these breakout rooms that have TVs for you to put up your displays, if you're working with a team. And even a whiteboard, if you want to work things out, so just kind of having it all available to you is just an invaluable tool.
[01:59] My ultimate goal is to become a manager at a hedge fund. I think that my work here on the UAB Green and Gold fund and my classes, it's going to translate very well to help me get there.
A Finance degree at UAB prepares you for a career in investments, real estate, banking, corporate finance, data analytics, and insurance.
The job outlook for financial managers includes a 17% growth rate from 2020-30, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Title:
Student’s networking, student org involvement pays off with coveted internship, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/student%E2%80%99s-networking,-student-org-involvement-pays-off-with-coveted-internship, Image:
- Title:
Student investment group presents at New York financial conference, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/student-investment-group-presents-at-new-york-financial-conference, Image:
- Title:
Finance student plans to expand media business after graduation, Link:
https://www.uab.edu/business/home/collat-news/finance-student-plans-to-expand-media-business-after-graduation, Image:
