This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2026-2027 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
The Bachelor of Science in Finance with a concentration in risk management and insurance prepares students for careers in the insurance industry on all levels including underwriting, claims adjusting, employee benefits, risk modeling and analysis, risk management in all sectors of the economy, financial planning, and graduate-level study of risk management.
Learning goals
The goal of the risk management and insurance concentration is to provide students with skills in financial management, risk management and financial planning. Graduates will be able to analyze and communicate findings on complex financial issues.
Student learning outcomes
Upon completing this program:
- Students will be able to identify risks, measure them and find mitigating solutions using all financial hedging instruments and insurance. The students will use relevant data to measure risks and solutions including design risk/awards and forecasting, loss reserves, frequency and severity. The students will be using appropriate quantitative measures for making informed risk management decisions as well as financial plans.
- Students will learn how to interpret data and apply the analysis and design they create to various situations.
- Students will be able to produce written reports and to express verbally the analytic, quantitative and ethical dimensions of risks and risk management of various entities to a variety of audiences.
- Students will be able to identify and analyze ethical dimensions of every element in risk management situations and relate those dimensions to professional ethical standards. Specifically, students will understand and articulate their fiduciary responsibility in a variety of topics and scenarios.
Special requirements
The School of Business has special academic policies, including policies on transfer credits, that apply to all undergraduate degrees.
School of Business and B.S. in Finance progression policies
Students enrolled in undergraduate programs of the School of Business engage in a demanding curriculum designed to set them up for success in the world of business. In order to successfully maintain progress towards graduation, students are required to meet the following criteria in order to remain in their majors:
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Students are required to pass major and ancillary requirements within two attempts. If a student withdraws from a course, it will count as an attempt.
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Upon the third attempt at a course, students will be placed on business probation and must pass the course successfully in that third attempt.
- Students must receive a minimum grade of C in FIRE 309, FIRE 317 and FIRE 479 and must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the remainder of the risk management and insurance concentration requirements. Students must attain a minimum grade of C in minimum grade of C in FIRE 309, FIRE 317 and FIRE 479 after two attempts or they will be asked to change concentrations.
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Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 major GPA.
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If a student's major GPA drops below 2.0, they will be placed on business probation and allowed one semester to raise their major GPA to 2.0.
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Upon notification of being placed on business probation, students will receive a registration hold, and must meet with their business adviser prior to the add/drop deadline of the pursuant semester in order to create an action plan to either pass the repeated course successfully, or increase their major GPA.
Students who do not meet the performance expectations of business probation in that same semester will be required to change their major prior to the start of the next semester.
Students may appeal the change of major via the associate dean of the School of Business. Students must initiate the appeal with their assigned academic adviser. The associate dean may, at their discretion, extend the time period needed to meet the requirements, generally by only one semester. A student who wishes to appeal must submit his or her appeal at least one week prior to the start of the next semester in which they register for classes.
Degree requirements for Finance, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in risk management and insurance
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General education | ||
| Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser. | 30 | |
| Major requirements | ||
| • Major core requirements | ||
| FIRE 312 | Financial Modeling | 3 |
| FIRE 317 | Investments | 3 |
| • Concentration requirements | ||
| FIRE 309 | Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 369 | Insurance Company Operations | 3 |
| FIRE 429 | Property and Liability Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 479 | Enterprise Risk Management | 3 |
| • Concentration electives | ||
| Approved RMI electives | ||
| Select from the courses in the list below. | 12 | |
| Ancillary requirements | ||
| • Ancillary core courses | ||
| ACCT 203 & ACCT 204 | Introduction to Financial Reporting and Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 6 |
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BUSN 325 | Business Communications | 3 |
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives) | 3 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| • Additional ancillary requirements | ||
| BUSN 201 | Foundations of Business 1 | 3 |
| or BUSN 205 | Introduction to the World of Business | |
| BUSN 212 | Business Problem Solving and Analysis (either satisfies general education quantitative foundations) | 4 |
| or MATH 200 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | |
| Open electives | ||
| Select any course. 2 | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOI for global perspectives.
Students may choose electives to reach the minimum total number of 120 credits.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.
Approved risk management and insurance electives
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 301 | Federal Income Taxation for Individuals | 3 |
| ACCT 303 | Intermediate Accounting I | 3 |
| ACCT 410 | Advanced Tax Accounting | 3 |
| BUSN 400 & BUSN 401 | Principles of Consulting and International Consulting Practicum (must get credit for both courses to count toward degree completion) | 6 |
| ECON 300 | Contemporary Economic Issues | 3 |
| ECON 301 | Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 302 | Macroeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 303 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| ECON 305 | Public Finance | 3 |
| ECON 307 | Money and Banking | 3 |
| ECON 315 | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 321 | Urban Economics | 3 |
| ECON 325 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| ECON 333 | Behavioral Economics | 3 |
| ECON 338 | Game Theory | 3 |
| ECON 402 | Business Cycles and Forecasting | 3 |
| ECON 403 | Introduction to Mathematical Economics | 3 |
| ECON 419 | History of Economic Thought | 3 |
| ECON 421 | Government and Business | 3 |
| ECON 431 | Labor Economics | 3 |
| ECON 442 | Economic Growth | 3 |
| FIRE 305 | Principles of Real Estate | 3 |
| FIRE 315 | Real Property Management | 3 |
| FIRE 316 | International Financial Management | 3 |
| FIRE 319 | Financial Mathematics | 3 |
| FIRE 320 | Actuarial Probability Concepts | 3 |
| FIRE 359 | Issues in Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 417 | Security Analysis and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| FIRE 429 | Property and Liability Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 439 | Life and Health Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 441 | Funds Management in Financial Institutions | 3 |
| FIRE 445 | Real Estate Investment Analysis | 3 |
| FIRE 449 | Employee Benefit Planning | 3 |
| FIRE 451 | Options, Futures and Swaps | 3 |
| FIRE 461 | Cases in Financial Management | 3 |
| FIRE 469 | Advanced Property/Casualty Insurance: Alternative Markets | 3 |
| FIRE 491 | Topics in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 1-3 |
| FIRE 492 | Independent Study in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 1-3 |
| FIRE 493 | Internship in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (requires departmental approval) | 3 |
| HSEP 302 | Emergency Planning and Response | 3 |
| HSEP 310 | Hazard Mitigation and Risk Assessment | 3 |
| HSEP 314 | Principles of Cybersecurity | 3 |
| MGMT 319 | Leadership | 3 |
| MGMT 331 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| MKTG 315 | Buyer Behavior | 3 |
| MKTG 325 | Business-to-business Marketing | 3 |
| MKTG 335 | Professional Selling I: The Art of Persuasion | 3 |
| MKTG 442 | Services Marketing | 3 |
| SCMA 302 | Business Statistics II | 3 |
| SCMA 386 | Global Supply Chain Management | 3 |
What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.
Recommended course sequence/plan of study
| Freshman year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Hours | |
| BUSN 201 or BUSN 205 | Foundations of Business 1 or Introduction to the World of Business 1 | 3 |
UNIV 111  Play course video for Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication | Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| UNIV 191 | Student Success Special Topics or Introduction to the University or Education and Career Planning | 1 |
| General education courses | 6 | |
| Open elective (prerequisite to BUSN 212 suggested) | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| ACCT 203 | Introduction to Financial Reporting | 3 |
| BUSN 212 or MATH 200 | Business Problem Solving and Analysis or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | 4 |
| ECON 210 | Principles of Microeconomics (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and/or AOI for global perspectives)) | 3 |
| UNIV 200 | Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Sophomore year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| ACCT 204 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 211 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| FIRE 311 | Financial Management | 3 |
| MGMT 303 | Creativity and Ideation | 3 |
| SCMA 301 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 301 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| BUSN 325 | Business Communications | 3 |
| FIRE 312 | Financial Modeling | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Managing People in Organizations | 3 |
| MKTG 301 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 16 | |
| Junior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| FIRE 309 | Risk Management and Insurance | 3 |
| FIRE 317 | Investments | 3 |
| INFO 360 | Business Information Systems | 3 |
| SCMA 320 | Production/Operations Management | 3 |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 323 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| FIRE 369 | Insurance Company Operations | 3 |
| FIRE 429 | Property and Liability Insurance | 3 |
| Approved RMI elective | 3 | |
| Term Hours: | 12 | |
| Senior year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| Approved RMI electives | 6 | |
| General education course | 3 | |
| Open electives | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| BUSN 499 | Business Knowledge Exam | 0 |
| FIRE 479 | Enterprise Risk Management | 3 |
| MGMT 434 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| Approved RMI elective | 3 | |
| Open electives | 6 | |
| Term Hours: | 15 | |
| Total Hours: | 120 | |
BUSN 205 satisfies general education AOI for global perspectives.
The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.