Dickinson's New Finance Major: A Q&A With the Program's Chair
"There are many courses throughout the Dickinson curriculum that push students to think about the questions finance inevitably raises: inequality, ethics, power, sustainability and human behavior," says Associate Professor of Economics Anthony Underwood. "Many finance programs emphasize technique first and context later. We’re teaching those together."
Associate Professor of Economics Anthony Underwood makes the case for Dickinson's new major, one grounded uniquely in the liberal arts
When Dickinson launches its finance major this fall, it won't look much like the programs at big business schools—and that's exactly the point. Associate Professor of Economics Anthony Underwood, the chair of the new program, helped design the major from the ground up with a liberal-arts logic: drawing on economics, data analytics, mathematics and the humanities to produce graduates who can think, not just execute. Below he explains what the new major means to Dickinson and our students and how the program's approach will set it apart.
Dickinson is a liberal-arts college, not a big research university. What does it mean to launch a finance major in that environment, and how does it give graduates an edge that traditional finance programs often miss?
This was central to our conversations in designing the major. Launching a finance major at Dickinson doesn’t mean replicating what you’d find at a large business school; it means reimagining finance as a liberal-arts discipline. While Dickinson finance students learn many technical skills, they also learn how to think critically about markets, risk, and value in social, ethical and global contexts. We’re preparing students for a lifetime of decision-making in complex financial systems, not only that first job. Employers consistently tell us they can teach firm-specific skills, but they can’t teach intellectual curiosity, ethical reasoning or adaptability. To that end, we are very fortunate to have the Burgess Institute for the Global Economy, which gives students the opportunity to learn directly from industry leaders. I think that’s where a Dickinson finance major stands apart.
Dickinson students have already been landing competitive internships and building impressive careers in finance. How does having a named major accelerate that momentum?
We consistently place students in both internships and first-destination jobs at some of the largest financial institutions in the world. To me, it’s striking that Dickinson students have been doing so well in finance without a formal major. It’s a real testament to the work that students and faculty are already doing. In true liberal-arts fashion, students have been taking courses in international business & management, economics and data analytics, participating in co-curricular activities like the investment competition and the student investment group, and landing internships and jobs in finance. It’s worked! In some ways, all we’ve done is remove some of the perceived friction. Having a finance major makes their preparation easier to explain and easier for others to recognize. It also helps students earlier in their time here. They can plan earlier, find faculty mentors more easily, and readily connect to alumni and recruiting networks that are explicitly looking for finance majors. Importantly, the major doesn’t change the kind of students we have; it just helps them move more deliberately and more confidently.
The major draws on five different academic areas: economics, international business & management, data analytics, mathematics and the humanities. Most finance programs don't look anything like that. What's the advantage of building it that way?
Finance is inherently interdisciplinary, so our curriculum reflects that reality. In many ways, the finance major curriculum is a recognition of the faculty expertise and student interests that already exist on campus. Economics courses give students a way to think carefully about incentives, markets and policy. Accounting and finance courses in international business & management ground those ideas in real institutions and financial markets. Statistics, mathematics and data analytics courses give students the tools to work seriously with evidence. There are many courses throughout the Dickinson curriculum, including in my own program, that push students to think about the questions finance inevitably raises: inequality, ethics, power, sustainability and human behavior. Many finance programs emphasize technique first and context later. We’re teaching those together.
The major comes with access to Bloomberg Terminals and a pathway to CFA Institute affiliation. Why do those things matter, and what does it signal that Dickinson is investing in them?
These investments matter not only because they connect our curriculum to professional practice in concrete ways but because they change how students learn. Bloomberg Terminals expose students to the same real-time data and analytical tools used by professionals around the world. Finance becomes something they do, not just something they study. This builds confidence. When Dickinson students walk into internships or interviews, they already speak the language of the industry. That can go a long way in terms of breaking down barriers. The pathway to CFA Institute affiliation sends a different but related signal. It tells students, and potential employers, that Dickinson takes finance seriously as a rigorous field with strong ethical standards (ethical and professional standards comprise 15-20% of the CFA Level 1 Exam).
Every finance major has to complete a real-world internship or research experience. What does that look like, and what do students walk away with that they couldn't get from a classroom alone?
The experiential learning requirement is central to how the major works. Students might complete an internship in investment management, consulting, corporate finance, public finance or nonprofits. Others might work with faculty on data‑driven finance research. The key is that the experience is intentional and integrated with the academic program. They gain professional fluency, a clearer sense of direction and an understanding of how messy actual financial decision‑making can be. I often hear from students that they also learn a lot about themselves: what kinds of work they enjoy, what they’re good at and what they want to develop further. I think that matters too. The Burgess Institute is also such an important element here, acting as an accelerator for financial fluency and network formation. The networks that students build through the Burgess Institute or through their internships are invaluable in their pursuit of lifelong learning.
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Published May 21, 2026