A student in the WMU Haworth Hallways

Our approach

Do you like numbers, logic and analysis? Do you enjoy working with people to help them understand complex concepts? If you are a person who enjoys data and details, one of our majors may be a great fit for your aptitude!

Department of Finance and Commercial Law

The Department of Finance and Commercial Law provides you with many hands-on activities that help you practice the core skills needed in the fields of finance and law. Courses immerse you in real-life business environments, and internships will help you to gain the experience you need to be extremely marketable in your job search. The talented faculty, paired with resources like the college’s Zhang Career Center, will help you land your dream job after graduation and position you for a lifetime of success.

Business law

Personal financial planning

Finance degree programs

Finance degree programs that mean business

The Department of Finance and Commercial Law offers you the very best in experiential learning, from simulations, to specialized classrooms, to certifications, to preparation for graduate school. No matter where you want to take your career, the department can help you get there and achieve your goals in record time. Whether you want to work in corporate finance, business law or financial planning, the numbers show that our graduates are employable and fulfilled in the jobs they take after graduation—the best of both worlds! The department also offers several scholarships to help you on your path to success.
Business Law students sitting together in the tables

Enhance your experience with focused resources

Whether you need career advice, personal and professional development, or would like to connect with other finance and commercial law students, our department gives you a wide breadth of resources so you can take full advantage of your WMU education.

Bloomberg Certification

WMU Haworth students can sharpen their finance skills beyond formal coursework and earn the Bloomberg Market Concepts certificate.

Student Managed Investment Fund

Interested in managing a portfolio of $5.5 million of WMU Foundation money? Students can participate in this real-world experience and earn 3 credit hours.

Greenleaf Trust Trading Room

Bloomberg terminals provide real-time data on market movements. The trading room enables WMU Haworth students to experience the fast pace of Wall Street.

Find your competitive edge at WMU

Adysen Straw Headshot

Future financial advisor Business Bronco builds community at WMU

Peer financial coach Adysen Straw is getting to the bottom line of her future career as she educates students across campus about how to make responsible financial decisions at the Sanford Center for Financial Planning and Wellness. Pursuing a degree in personal financial planning, Straw is learning the fundamentals within her career before graduation in this role. 

Alexis Ehlebracht and Tatum Kral stand with their first-place plaques in the lobby of Schneider Hall

WMU students claim top spots at DECA competition

Western Michigan University business students once again distinguished themselves as top finishers at the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference, which included 1,200 competitors from across the world. Five WMU Haworth students placed in the top three in the international competition.