Opportunities & Activities

Economics and finance majors have many opportunities to enrich their formal classroom instruction and gain hands-on experiences that will enhance career prospects. Many of these opportunities also allow students to network with industry professionals, another huge advantage enjoyed by economics and finance majors.

Davis Center for Portfolio Management

The Richard P. and Susan P. Davis Center for Portfolio Management is run by student managers and team leaders selected competitively each year.  The most visible part of the Center is students who run the #1 student-managed investment fund in the country.  This is real money and students make the decisions as to what stocks to buy and sell.  They are assisted by the Center director and an executive-in-residence, real-world practitioners — but the decisions are made by the students. They conduct educational seminars, arrange field trips, participate in national finance competitions, undertake service projects—and, perhaps most importantly — teach each other.

Hanley Sustainability Fund

The Hanley Sustainability Fund (HSF) is a student-managed equity portfolio, which aims to outperform the overall stock market while investing in sustainable companies. The HSF's investment portfolio is divided into two branches: the discretionary branch which contains approximately 75% of the fund's portfolio, and a non-discretionary branch which is compromised of the remaining 25% of the fund’s assets. The non-discretionary portion of the portfolio is determined by an algorithmic model, while the discretionary portion of their portfolio is determined through students to buy and sell pitches and approval from a vote by the securities team.

CFA Exam Scholarships

The Department of Economics and Finance has been a member of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program since 2012. The finance undergraduate program has been acknowledged as incorporating at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) and placing emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice within the program. Through participation in the CFA-affiliated program, our school is eligible to sponsor up to six finance majors each academic year for CFA student scholarships.

Econ Games

Develop skills beyond the classroom by developing technical and soft skills needed for economic & business analysis careers. Econ Games is an annual data analytics and research competition designed to help undergraduate students solve real-world problems. Within teams, students analyze real-life data for a local company and provide a solution to the company's question.

UD Investment Banking Club

The University of Dayton’s Investment Banking Academy is a competitive, undergraduate organization dedicated to the development and advancement of its members toward a career in investment banking, private equity, and other related fields.

UD2NYC

Through UD2NYC, 12-16 economics and finance majors travel to New York City and visit corporations and major financial institutions. Each company provides insight on the college courses that are necessary to perform well as a new hire, the typical duties of a new hire, and an overview of the typical career path.

Omicron Delta Epsilon

Omicron Delta Epsilon is the international honor society for economics, and the Ohio Tau chapter is housed at the University of Dayton. Members must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.25, take at least 12 hours of economics courses, and maintain a 3.25 GPA in economics.  In addition to chapter events and networking opportunities, members receive a subscription to The American Economist and become eligible to earn economics awards.