Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

Students Collaborating

Ignite Your Future

Financial services make up some of the fastest-growing industries in the nation, stoking a global demand for experienced professionals to manage cash flows and wealth, including both physical and financial assets.

The Finance, Insurance & Real Estate (FIRE) Department at the Herberger Business School is unique among university programs, standing out with broad coverage of all areas of the financial service industry and offering the only four-year Insurance degree program in Minnesota in addition to majors in Finance, Real Estate, a specialized Real Estate certificate, and a specialized Insurance certificate program.

Degree Programs

The FIRE Department offers Bachelor of Science degree tracks in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate, with opportunities for specialization and minors. Find your program:

Finance

${imageAlt}

Finance students immerse themselves in the vital role finance plays in business, industry, government and nonprofit organizations, connecting the economic past and present to the future. All students have easy access to multiple financial databases, and analytic software tools, in the Swenson Financial Markets Lab.

Our graduates are well-versed in securities management, investment, international business, government regulation, administration and service agencies. They enter the workforce prepared to help clients analyze growth, invest capital in securities and stocks to build the financial resources needed to grow, modernize and develop new markets and services

Finance Bachelor of Science (Finance Major)

  • General
  • Investments Concentration

Finance Minor

  • Available to Business Majors, non-Business Majors and Bachelor of Elective Studies (BES)

Apply Now

Finance Program Highlights

  • The Husky Growth Fund, a student-run portfolio management course, allows undergraduate Finance students to oversee a large portfolio of invested assets. All investment decisions are made by Finance students during this innovative hands-on learning opportunity.

Insurance

Insurance students at the Herberger Business school are part of the only four-year Insurance major program in Minnesota. Students become risk analysis experts during their time at HBS. Learn deeply across all aspects of insurance operations — underwriting, claims adjusting, insurance accounting, loss control and risk management. Insurance graduates leave St. Cloud State University prepared to begin their career in any and all areas of the insurance industry.

Insurance Bachelor of Science (Insurance Major)

Insurance Specialization (Certificate)

  • Available to all SCSU Majors

Apply Now

Insurance Program Highlights

  • Students in the Insurance program will have the opportunity to meet local insurance industry professionals who regularly visit campus as guest speakers in the classroom.

Real Estate

Real Estate students at the Herberger Business School join the most diversified real estate program in the upper Midwest, one of only two accredited programs in Minnesota. Rich coursework and hands-on experience prepare students for licensing in their real estate field.

Choose from career specializations that train you to appraise property, arrange financing, develop investments and manage construction projects in both the public and private sectors. Our graduates spur residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural development where they live and work, planning and building better communities for themselves and future generations.

Real Estate Bachelor of Science (Real Estate Major)

Real Estate Minor

  • Available to Business Majors, non-Business Majors and Bachelor of Elective Studies (BES)

Real Estate Specialization (Certificate)

  • Available to all SCSU Majors

Apply Now

Real Estate Program Highlights

  • St. Cloud State University is proudly home to the Minnesota Chair in Real Estate, the first endowed professorship in the state university system.
  • Real Estate students also benefit from an annual opportunity to partner with a Real Estate alumni who provides one-on-one mentorship in the profession. The Real Estate Alumni Association aims to provide career growth and success for its members, current students and the industry.
  • Members of the on-campus Real Estate Association compete against teams from five upper Midwest universities in the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) University Challenge. Club members also organize an annual visit to real estate companies and properties in Chicago.
  • The courses in this real estate certificate have been approved by the Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce for real estate salesperson pre-license education (90 hours) and appraiser trainee pre-license education (60 hours). The real estate certificate will give students an introduction to real estate principles, valuation techniques, and the laws around leasing, selling, owning and managing real estate. The courses focus on both residential and commercial real estate.
95%

of Finance, Insurance & Real Estate Department graduates are employed in a related field within one year of graduation.

300

Information Systems students enrolled annually.

23

Average class size.

Program Highlights

Professors think and work locally and globally to provide the widest perspective.

  • Twelve-week, senior-year internships earn academic credit and pay. Students build a resume with real work experience in an entry level job in their field.
  • Active student clubs and organizations encourage professional, personal and social growth.
  • The Business Honors Program provides opportunities for driven students to engage one-on-one with like-minded peers and professors.
  • One of Forbes’ “America’s Top Colleges”
  • Access to the latest technologies and tools in the newly-remodeled Herberger Building.
  • Centralized advising, career guidance and counseling.

Top Careers

  • Financial planner/broker, corporate financial management, investment banking, real estate agent/broker, property/building management, real estate investment/development, risk management, loss control specialist, underwriting.
Apply Now

Application Process

The Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Department admits students based on a thorough evaluation of each candidate’s GPA, curriculum and other academic indicators. Extra-curricular activities may also be considered, and optional personal statements and recommendations may be considered if you choose to submit them.

St. Cloud State University student in the James W. Miller Center
  1. Complete an application online or mail a physical copy of your application by the appropriate deadline.
  2. Put in a request with your high school counseling office to send an official transcript to SCSU.
  3. Optionally submit ACT or SAT score reports. While test results are not required to complete your application, you are welcome to submit score reports if you feel they will improve your application and/or scholarship consideration.

Apply Now

St. Cloud State University’s online hub makes it easy to learn more about the application process and submit your application. Incoming and existing students may also apply for scholarships specific to the Herberger Business School and the Accounting program. There is no application fee required to submit your application to St. Cloud State University.

Learn More

Prepare for a bright future as a business leader. Visit the SCSU Admissions Department online to request more information, or to schedule a campus visit or online Zoom session with an admissions counselor.

Ready to apply? Begin your online application today!

Apply Now

Student in the classroom

Connect with SCSU