Daniels school establishes Investment Banking Academy | Campus

The Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University is enhancing its undergraduate finance program — its largest major — starting in fall 2025.

According to the Daniels School of Business website, the centerpiece of these advancements is the newly established Investment Banking Academy, an elite program designed to prepare top students for careers in investment banking and high finance.

The IBA will be a program that requires applications, interviews and a minimum GPA.

According to the website, it will be led by faculty and staff along with top students, and it will offer specialized coursework and hands-on extracurricular activities to bridge classroom learning with real-world application.

Clinical Associate Professor Alexander Boquist, a former Goldman Sachs banker, will serve as the academy’s primary faculty advisor.

There are new foundational courses that will introduce first-year students to industry skills and career pathways, according to the website. Those include Introduction to Finance with Excel (taught by Phillip Baeza) and Finance Industry Exploration (taught by a 30-year Wall Street veteran).

According to the website, additional curriculum enhancements include restructuring key finance courses like Financial Management and Corporate Finance to align with internship recruitment timelines.

A new course, Problem Solving in Business, will provide training in project management, client relations and professional communication, guided by former CEO Dave Randich and a finance faculty member.

Attempting to further strengthen career readiness, the school is expanding case competitions, launching wealth management and private equity courses and introducing industry-specific career mentors through Business Career Services, according to the website.

A Corporate Advisory Board and Business Fellows Program will also connect students with finance executives and industry insights.

“Our goal is to make our undergraduate finance major one of the top-rated programs in the nation,” says Huseyin Gulen, a professor of management and the Area Head of Finance. “These initiatives will challenge students and accelerate their job readiness, ensuring they stand out in a competitive industry.”