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Home > Degree Programs > Full-Time MBA > Academics > Curriculum > Finance

Finance Concentration

This concentration prepares students for careers in financial management of business enterprises. It offers a detailed knowledge of the principles and techniques of financial decision-making, valuation and capital markets. This concentration emphasizes analytical, computational, and managerial skills for financial problems faced by decision makers. 

Abundant opportunities are present for finance concentration graduates in corporate environments, including positions in financial analysis, financial planning and control and asset-liability management. In financial intermediaries, opportunities are available for security analysts, trust advisors, portfolio managers, bank loan officers and account executives. Consulting firms provide growing job opportunities. Additionally, government agencies offer many employment opportunities similar to those in the private sector.

Concentration Requirements

FIRST YEAR

  • Fall Semester
    • MBA Core 12 credits
    • MGE 601 Economics for Managers
  • Spring Semester
    • MBA Core 12 Credits
    • MGA 609 Management Accounting
      OR
    • MGF 633 Investment Management (required if planning to attend the Levin Institute Program in International Finance)

SECOND YEAR

  • Fall Semester
    • MGF 633 Investment Management - if not taken in first spring semester
    • Finance electives – 6 credits
    • Electives and/or internship – 6-9 credits
  • Spring Semester
    • MGA 609 if not taken in first spring semester
    • Finance electives – 6 credits
    • Electives – 6-9 credits

Finance electives must be selected from:

  • MGA 632 Financial Statement Analysis
  • MGA 635 Global Financial Reporting
  • MGE 602 Global Economy and the Business Firm
  • MGF 636 Complex Financial Instruments
  • MGF 637 Financial Modeling
  • MGF 638 Fixed Income Securities
  • MGF 641 Financial Policies and Strategies
  • MGF 643 Strategic Financial Management and Value Creation
  • MGF 644 Conducting Research: Fixed Income Securities**
  • MGF 645 Conducting Research: Equities**
  • MGF 647 Supervised Research
  • MGF 656 Acquisitions Transactions
  • MGF 658 Mergers and Acquisition Strategy and Financing
  • MGF 661 Management of Financial Institutions
  • MGF 685 International Financial Management
  • MGF 696 Portfolio Theory and Strategy
  • LAW 688 Securities Regulation

**Only MGF 644 or MGF 645 (not both) may be used toward the finance concentration

Levin Institute

The UB School of Management Levin Institute is a New York City based SUNY program in International Finance and Banking. Students spend a semester in NYC earning 15 credits and undertake projects for major banking and financial institutions. The Levin program fulfills elective credits in the Finance concentration .

Finance Internships

Finance concentration students who do not have at least one year of qualifying work experience must complete an internship. Sample finance internship sites include:

  • A.G. Edwards
  • M&T Bank
  • Prudential Securities, Inc.
  • United Parcel Service
  • Rich Products
  • Perry’s Ice Cream
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Smith Barney
  • Sorrento Lactalis

Student Organizations

The Financial Management Association (FMA) offers an opportunity for graduate students interested in finance to join with fellow students and faculty in order to broaden their exposure to the various aspects of nonacademic finance. This is accomplished through guest speakers, formal meetings and investment games. A typical yearly schedule includes guest speakers from the fields of banking, investment analysis and corporate finance. In addition, FMA also sponsors activities in conjunction with other student organizations (such as the Society for Human Resources Management or the American College of Healthcare Executives) in order to keep pace with developments in other functional areas.

Department of Finance and Managerial Economics Faculty