Innovations in financial markets, institutions, and securities present significant opportunities and challenges to financial managers on a daily basis. The Master of Science in Finance is a highly focused program designed to equip professionals with the advanced knowledge and cutting-edge analytical tools they need to successfully navigate today’s financial markets. The 30-credit program is ideal for professionals interested in upgrading their technical training and knowledge in finance as well as for individuals with strong quantitative skills seeking a career change. Students interested in taking the CFA or FRM certification exams can significantly cut the need for additional preparation by taking the appropriate electives. The program can also serve as a stepping stone for those interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in finance or a related field.
MS in Finance Program Learning Goals
| Financial Reasoning Skills | Students will develop the skills needed to estimate the values of projects, companies, financial securities and derivatives; to evaluate the validity of these estimates; and to formulate and implement strategies based on them. |
| Communication | Students will be effective oral and written communicators of financial data and concepts, and will be able to convey complex financial valuations, securities, and decision-making tools to others in the organization in clear, convincing ways. |
| Leadership | Students will be able to originate and implement financial strategies that create value for their firms or investment portfolios. |
| Global Awareness | Students will be able to utilize and apply their understanding of differences among global businesses and institutions in their financial practice and decision making. |
| Ethical Awareness | Students will be aware of ethical issues in finance, and be able to demonstrate their ability to identify ethical conflicts in financial matters and either resolve or avoid them. |
MS in Finance Curriculum
Curriculum effective for Students Entering Fall 2020 (students entering in Spring 2021 should scroll down)
Preliminary Courses Based on their academic background, the admitted applicants may be required to take the preliminary courses from the following list. These courses are not part of the 30-credit MSF curriculum and the students who take them will incur additional cost. | ||
| Firms in the Global Economy | 1.5 credits | |
| Fundamentals of Macroeconomics | 1.5 credits | |
| Introduction to Quantitative Tools for Finance | 3 credits | |
| Corporate Finance | 3 credits | |
| Required Courses (10.5 credits) | ||
The following courses are required for all MSF students. The students are advised to take the required courses as early in the program as they can because these required courses serve as prerequisites for many electives. | ||
| Business Communication I* | 1.5 credits | |
| Intermediate Corporate Finance* | 3 credits | |
| Econometrics: Theory and Applications I* | 3 credits | |
| Investment Analysis* | 3 credits | |
| *Not open to students in the cohort format. | ||
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To earn the MSF degree the students need to successfully complete a total of 19.5 credits of elective courses from the following list. Note: Only a small subset of these courses is offered each semester and the actual course offerings vary from semester to semester. | ||
| Money, Banking, and Monetary Policy | 3 credits | |
| Econometrics - Theory and Applications II | 3 credits | |
| Mergers and Acquisitions | 3 credits | |
| Entrepreneurial Finance | 3 credits | |
| Futures and Forward Markets | 3 credits | |
| Management of Financial Institutions | 3 credits | |
| International Finance Markets | 3 credits | |
| International Corporate Finance | 3 credits | |
| Equity Markets: Trading and Structure | 3 credits | |
| Seminar in Finance | 3 credits | |
| Advanced Corporate Finance | 3 credits | |
| Advanced Investment Analysis | 3 credits | |
| Debt Instruments and Markets | 3 credits | |
| Options Markets | 3 credits | |
| Measurement and Management of Market Risk I | 1.5 credits | |
| Measurement and Management of Market Risk II | 1.5 credits | |
| Measurement and Management of Credit Risk I | 1.5 credits | |
| Measurement and Management of Credit Risk II | 1.5 credits | |
| Measurement and Management of Risks in Operations and Information Technology | 1.5 credits | |
| Measurement and Management of Risks in Investments | 1.5 credits | |
| Implications of Corporate Governance, Regulation, and Ethics of Risk Management | 1.5 credits | |
| International Finance Markets | 1.5 credits | |
| Debt Securities | 1.5 credits | |
| Futures and Forwards | 1.5 credits | |
| Options | 1.5 credits | |
| Venture Capital | 1.5 credits | |
| Special Topics in Investments | 1.5 credits | |
| Special Topics in Investments | 2 credits | |
| Special Topics in Investments | 3 credits | |
| Special Topics in Corporate Finance | 1.5 credits | |
| Special Topics in Corporate Finance | 2 credits | |
| Special Topics in Corporate Finance | 3 credits | |
| Risk Management in Financial Institutions | 3 credits | |
*BUS 9551 is effective for all MS-Finance students admitted in spring 2016 or later. Students admitted prior to spring 2016 should consult their preliminary course evaluation and/or waiver exam results, since other requirements and conditions may apply. ***Elective courses to be selected by the Department of Economics and Finance from the above list for students in the cohort format. | ||
Curriculum effective for Students entering in Spring 2021
Preliminary Courses Based on their academic background, the admitted applicants may be required to take the preliminary courses from the following list. These courses are not part of the 30-credit MSF curriculum and the students who take them will incur additional cost. | ||
ECO 9730 | Firms in the Global Economy | 1.5 credits |
ECO 9740 | Fundamentals of Macroeconomics | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9762 | Introduction to Quantitative Tools for Finance | 3 credits |
FIN 9770 | Corporate Finance | 3 credits |
Required Courses (10.5 credits) | ||
The following courses are required for all MSF students. The students are advised to take the required courses as early in the program as they can because they serve as the prerequisites for many electives. | ||
BUS 9551 | Business Communication I | 1.5 credits |
ECO 9723 | Econometrics: Theory and Applications I | 3 credits |
FIN 9781 | Intermediate Corporate Finance | 3 credits |
FIN 9783 | Investment Analysis | 3 credits |
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Choose 13.5 - 1935 credits from the list below: Note: Only a small subset of these courses is offered each semester and the actual course offerings vary from semester to semester. | ||
ECO 9713 | Money, Banking, and Monetary Policy | 3 credits |
ECO 9724 | Econometrics - Theory and Applications II | 3 credits |
FIN 9759 | Mergers and Acquisitions | 3 credits |
FIN 9774 | Entrepreneurial Finance | 3 credits |
FIN 9782 | Futures and Forward Markets | 3 credits |
FIN 9784 | Management of Financial Institutions | 3 credits |
FIN 9786 | International Finance Markets | 3 credits |
FIN 9788 | International Corporate Finance | 3 credits |
FIN 9789 | Equity Markets: Trading and Structure | 3 credits |
FIN 9790 | Seminar in Finance | 3 credits |
FIN 9792 | Advanced Corporate Finance | 3 credits |
FIN 9793 | Advanced Investment Analysis | 3 credits |
FIN 9795 | Debt Instruments and Markets | 3 credits |
FIN 9797 | Options Markets | 3 credits |
FIN 9852 | Measurement and Management of Market Risk I | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9853 | Measurement and Management of Market Risk II | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9854 | Measurement and Management of Credit Risk I | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9855 | Measurement and Management of Credit Risk II | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9856 | Measurement and Management of Risks in Operations and Information Technology | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9857 | Measurement and Management of Risks in Investments | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9858 | Implications of Corporate Governance, Regulation, and Ethics of Risk Management | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9880 | International Finance Markets | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9881 | Debt Securities | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9882 | Futures and Forwards | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9883 | Options | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9884 | Venture Capital | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9891 | Special Topics in Investments | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9892 | Special Topics in Investments | 2 credits |
FIN 9893 | Special Topics in Investments | 3 credits |
FIN 9895 | Special Topics in Corporate Finance | 1.5 credits |
FIN 9897 | Special Topics in Corporate Finance | 3 credits |
FIN 9985 | Risk Management in Financial Institutions | 3 credits |
*BUS 9551 is effective for all MS-Finance students admitted in spring 2016 or later. Students admitted prior to spring 2016 should consult their preliminary course evaluation and/or waiver exam results, since other requirements and conditions may apply. ***Elective courses to be selected by the Department of Economics and Finance from the above list for students in the cohort format. | ||
| Business Electives: Choose 0 - 6 credits from the list below:* | ||
ACC 9110 | Financial Reporting | 3 credits |
ACC 9810 | Current Topics in Financial Accounting | 3 credits |
ACC 9993 | Special Topics in Accountancy | 3 credits |
CIS 9555 | Principles of Fintech | 3 credits |
RES 9776 | Real Estate Finance | 3 credits |
RES 9850 | Real Estate Capital Markets | 3 credits |
| BUS 9801 - 9803 | Graduate Internship I, II, III (in FIN) | 3 credits |
| Business elective credits and transferred credits for specialization can be at most 6. | ||