The Master of Science in Finance

The Master of Science in Finance program is designed for students who wish to obtain a comprehensive graduate-level education in the field of finance, but do not wish to take the extra time required to complete the broader-based MBA program with a concentration in finance. The courses provide detailed knowledge of the policies, principles, and techniques involved in financial decisions made by professionals in corporations, financial institutions, securities firms, and pension fund and mutual fund organizations. The M.S. program consists of 10 courses, totaling 30 credit hours, and can be completed in one academic year.  The two tracks are detailed below.

The Financial Management Track

The M.S. in Finance-FM Track will provide motivated and talented students with a finance-intensive program that includes both advanced financial theory and practical business applications. Students learn to become better financial strategists and policy-makers by enhancing their theoretical knowledge and analytical skills in the area of finance. The M.S. in Finance-FM Track program is one year in length and will provide students with greater exposure to the finance discipline.

By obtaining an M.S. Program in Finance-FM Track, a graduate can enhance his or her career opportunities in corporate finance, portfolio analysis and management, the management of financial institutions, and investment banking. Specific positions to which a graduate can aspire include, among others: portfolio manager; commercial lending officer; investment banker; corporate treasurer; and chief financial officer.

An applicant must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0. All applicants must submit a score on either the GMAT or the GRE exam. If the applicant’s undergraduate degree is in a non-business discipline, the applicant must have completed courses in the following areas:

   Accounting (Equivalent to MGA 201-202)

   Economics (Equivalent to MGE 302)

   Finance (Equivalent to MGF 301)

   Statistics (Equivalent to MGQ 301)

The Financial Engineering Track

The FE Track will provide motivated and talented students with a curriculum that is intensive in mathematics, finance, and statistics. Students will learn to value existing complex securities and also to design new complex securities.  The program differs from the M.S. in Finance-FM Track program in terms of the intense focus on advanced mathematics related to finance.

Graduates of the program will be able to choose from a wide variety of career opportunities. For instance, a graduate might find a position with a multi-national corporation, managing its foreign-exchange risk or its executive stock option program. Alternatively, a graduate might be hired by a major investment banking firm, designing complex corporate securities such as bonds or bi-lateral contracts involving derivatives. Still another graduate might be hired by a major commercial bank or other financial institution to manage its interest rate risk using derivatives. Another graduate could aspire to manage a mutual or pension fund’s portfolio risk using derivatives.

An applicant must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0. All applicants must submit a score on either the GMAT or the GRE exam. All applicants must have completed the following business and mathematics courses:

   Business Courses:

   Accounting (Equivalent to MGA 201-202)

   Economics (Equivalent to MGE 302)

   Finance (Equivalent to MGF 301)

   Mathematics Courses:

   Calculus III (Equivalent to MTH 241)

   Linear Algebra (Equivalent to MTH 242 and MTH 309)

   Differential Equations (Equivalent to MTH 306)

   Mathematical Statistics (Equivalent to MTH 411 or MTH 412)

In addition, we strongly recommend prior courses in computer programming.

NOTE: THE MS FINANCE PROGRAMS ARE FULL-TIME RESIDENCY PROGRAMS, REQUIRING AT LEAST TWO SEMESTERS OF STUDY.