Are you an analytical thinker? Enjoy working with data to tell a story? Good with numbers and intrigued by financial markets and investment vehicles? You can explore this dynamic sector which offers opportunities to work in public, corporate or personal fields in a variety of roles that are as broad as the markets themselves.
Welcome to the Finance / Investment / Real Estate / Insurance Community
Students who have an interest in numbers, money management and business may find banking, finance and investment to be a good direction to take. Commercial banks take deposits from individual and institutional customers, which they then use to extend credit to other customers. Corporate Finance professionals manage an organization’s money, including forecasting where it will come from, knowing where it is, and making recommendations for spending to ensure the greatest return. Investment banking is the term used to describe the business of raising capital for companies. When firms need cash in order to grow and expand their businesses, investment banks sell securities to public investors to raise this cash. Investment banks may work with corporations, governments, institutional investors and/or extraordinarily wealth individuals to raise capital and provide investment advice. Consulting firms and insurance corporations also hire for financial positions. FinTech refers to technologies designed to automate and enhance financial services for businesses and consumers. This can include mobile banking, peer-to-peer apps such as Venmo, stock trading platforms such as Robinhood, as well as blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency development and trading. Coding skills are not required, but definitely beneficial for your job prospects, so consider learning Java, C++, Ruby, etc.
Relevant Courses
Depending on your main area of interest, your academic pathway will shift. To explore this field, you can take courses that will provide you with knowledge and skills in:
Critical and creative thinking
Problem solving
Effective communication
Research
Quantitative Analysis
In the Relevant Courses section below are a few examples of relevant SBS courses, but we urge you to talk to your major/departmental advisor and explore available courses in SPIRE. Remember not to constrain yourself to classes within your major. Check SPIRE for full course descriptions and availability. These are abbreviated descriptions, and details may change at the discretion of the instructor. Courses may not be offered every semester.
Also in this section are some relevant non-academic Linkedin Learning courses that you can take for free, compliments of UMass.
Career fairs are one of your best opportunities to speak directly to a recruiter. Whether you are looking for internships or full-time jobs, this is a chance you don’t want to miss.
Starting in mid-September, the fall UMass career fair …
By Carol Sharick
Carol SharickDirector of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Whether you are a senior preparing for the job search, or a student thinking ahead to summer internships, please review the recruiting timeline below for the timelines of the different industries.
The corporate sector tends to do bulk of their …
By Carol Sharick
Carol SharickDirector of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Forage helps you bridge the gap between the classroom and the world of work. Find your career fit and showcase your skills by completing these virtual job simulations with top global companies. Get started today!
Your major does not necessarily have to be in direct line with your career! Sociology majors can work in the business sector. Economics majors can work in government. Poli Sci majors can work on Wall Street. Many SBS departments offer courses relevant to various career paths. Here is a very small sampling of courses relevant to this industry from across the majors. Please speak with your academic advisor to explore all available courses, and remember that you need not constrain yourself to courses within your major. Study what is interesting to you!
The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans. The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation. Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students. The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.
The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans. The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation. Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students. The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.
First Destination
Top Employers
Starting Salary
Job Titles
Employment Locations
Top Universities
Degree Types
Fields of Study
First Destination
SBS graduates pursue a range of plans after graduation, including employment, continuing education, and volunteering/service, among others. This graph depicts what recent SBS graduates tell us they are doing within six months after graduation.
Top Employers
Students in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst build the skills employers seek, such as critical and analytical thinking, creative problem solving, communication, cultural awareness, and more. This makes our students highly attractive candidates for a wide variety of roles with an even wider range of employers and industries. The list of employers featured here is based on information reported by students or employers to SBS, or employment data that is made publicly available by students. The list is formulated based on the most-commonly reported hiring employers. Generally, the first ten on the list have hired multiple students, and after that, employers who have hired at least one SBS grad are listed in alphabetical order. Survey data indicated that a minimum of 330+ distinct employers hired UMass students in 2022.
Starting Salary
Starting salary data is self-reported by the new graduates and is not a required field on the survey, so this data is incomplete with regard to salary ranges. Keep in mind that salaries for volunteer/service roles are, by their nature, low, and skew the averages lower. There are also students making significantly more than the average. Both cost of living (based on geographic location), and chosen industry have a significant impact on starting salaries. These data do not include information on benefits such as health insurance, tuition reimbursement, bonuses, and other important factors in a student's employment decision making process.
Job Titles
Employment Locations
A majority of students in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, as with the University as a whole, are residents of Massachusetts. While the majority of our graduates choose to stay in Massachusetts for their first post-graduate jobs, many others accept positions all across the country, and around the world. Common first destination locations are Washington, D.C., New York City, California, and the other New England states.
United States
World
Top Universities
The list below provides a look at the most-commonly reported graduate schools in which SBS graduates are enrolled. While many SBS graduates choose to stay at UMass Amherst for their graduate education, many others attend universities across the country and around the world.
Degree Types
Fields of Study
The variety of fields of study selected by SBS graduates is a good indication of their diverse interests, and their desire to both expand and deepen their understanding of their area of interest.
We don’t have enough student data to show you these results.
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