Mendoza School of Business
Logo Business

Finance

instructor speaking in front of class

Become fluent in the language of business

A degree in finance from Notre Dame provides you with the educational foundation to pursue a number of career paths—from investment banking and money management to corporate finance and insurance and real estate.

As a student in the finance program, you’ll have access to the Mendoza College of Business’ nationally recognized faculty, a perennially ranked academic program (No. 15 in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report) and peers that are second to none—all on one of the nation’s most beautiful campuses.

close up of students at graduation in cap and gown

An educational environment defined by collaboration

The environment of some of the top-ranked finance departments in the country can be ultra-competitive. Not so at Mendoza. Many finance students cite the close relationships they form with classmates as one of the most valuable components of their Notre Dame experience. In addition to benefiting from the diverse perspectives your peers bring to the classroom, you’ll graduate with a built-in professional network that looks out for one another.

overview of students on laptops

A curriculum as wide as it is deep

By studying everything from mergers and acquisitions to corporate financial analysis and reporting, you will be equipped to ethically address any challenge you and your company face.

london buildings

Don’t just learn finance, experience it

And don’t just experience finance—experience it in London. Through Emerging Markets Investing, you can travel to London to analyze emerging market economies, and economies in transition. Or you can spend your spring break earning credit through the International Portfolio Management Practicum, which gives you the opportunity to spend an intensive week of real-world interaction with a leading investment management firm.

Career Support

You don’t have to navigate your career alone

Your career preparation as a finance student at Notre Dame begins long before you have a degree in hand—and it’s far from a solo endeavor. Starting your first year on campus, you can take advantage of the robust career development resources available to students, including:

From mock interviews and résumé-writing assistance to access to corporate recruiters and job fairs, the Career Center can help you prepare to apply to graduate schools or assist with a full-time job search.

Interact with corporate representatives through hundreds of on-campus touch points each year, or engage with the IDEA Center at Innovation Park, where aspiring entrepreneurs, faculty, students and industry experts collaborate.

  • Amazon
  • Bank of America
  • Deloitte
  • Ford Motor Company
  • Merrill Lynch
  • Proctor & Gamble
  • Target
  • Walt Disney

‘Finance’ and ‘fun’ aren’t mutually exclusive

While your education will be rigorous, there will also be plenty of opportunities to take advantage of Notre Dame’s legendary student experience. For example, you might:

What You’ll Learn

A curriculum worth the investment

Through classes like Investment Theory, Corporate Financial Reporting and Managerial Economics, you’ll be equipped with the skills to make the firms you serve more effective and efficient—and to do so through an ethical framework that advances the greater good.

You’ll also have the chance to attend seminars through the Clark Lecture Series, where guest lecturers address relevant topics in the world of finance. Recent presentations have touched on everything from banker compensation to the impact of labor obligations on credit markets to credit allocation under economic stimulus.

Mendoza School of Business

The Opus Real Estate Program

10 years. 2,731 students. Countless communities changed

Through the Opus Real Estate Program at Notre Dame, you’ll have the chance to:

  • Learn about land use policy and practice, real estate investment and capital markets
  • Intern with companies like State Farm, Thomson Reuters and Shopoff Realty Investments
  • Attend the Annual Real Estate Table, where professionals from companies like Fifth Third Bank, Pine Tree Commercial Real Estate and Oak Street Real Estate Capital actively recruit Notre Dame graduates
  • Participate in the Indiana Chapter of Certified Commercial Investment Members conference, which attracts more than 80 top real estate practitioners each year

Department Administration

rick mendenhall headshotRichard R. Mendenhall

William and Cassie Daley Professor and Department Chair
Contact: (574) 631-6076 or rmendenh@nd.edu

Rick Mendenhall studies the role of public information in setting stock prices. For example, he has studied the impact on stock prices of earnings announcements, securities analysts’ forecasts, and firms being added to or deleted from the S&P 500 Index. His studies have been featured and discussed in many media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Business Week, Forbes, CNN Headline News, and National Public Radio. In addition to his research, he remains current by maintaining professional contacts primarily with money managers and consultants. Mendenhall graduated from United States Naval Academy and served as an officer in the navy for five years. During that time he graduated from the Naval Nuclear Power School and served aboard a nuclear submarine. He later earned MBA and PhD degrees in finance from Indiana University. He has been a visiting faculty member at Indiana University and New York University.

 

Leady headshotJames Leady

Assistant Department Chair and Assistant Teaching Professor
Contact: (574) 631-5540 or jleady@nd.edu

Jim Leady brings expertise in the areas of agent-based simulations and experimental economics to the economics courses he teaches to both undergraduate and graduate students. He advises the undergraduate Finance Club and mentors through programs at Notre Dame and South Bend schools. He also serves as Question Leader and exam developer for the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Microeconomics examination.

Prior to joining Mendoza in 2006, Leady taught courses in public finance, labor economics, game theory, intermediate microeconomics, and principles of economics at Centre College in Danville, KY and at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, MI. Leady earned a PhD in Economics at the University of Michigan as well as an MA in Economics and a Certificate of Graduate Studies in Complex Systems. He graduated with a BS in Economics from West Point.

Major Leady continues to serve in the US Army Reserve as the commander of the 690th Quartermaster Petroleum Liaison Team. His most recent deployment was to Kuwait in 2015-2016.

 

wasikow headshotMarlene Wasikowski

Administrative Assistant
Contact: (574) 631-6370 or mwasikow@nd.edu