The Master’s of Science in Finance offers a specialized curriculum with focused training in finance. The degree is designed to offer advanced, applied and theoretical experience in investment banking, corporate finance, actuarial science and/or financial derivatives.
The course of study is designed to provide insight into the following topics:
- The important role of financial intermediaries
- The management of financial intermediaries and an understanding of the markets in which they participate
- The valuation of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, derivatives, and other specialized assets and how they are managed in a portfolio
- The determination and behavior of interest rates and rates of return on assets
- The incentives and determinants of corporate behavior.
The program offers focused areas of study:
- Corporate Finance Focus
- Financial Engineering Focus
- Actuarial Focus
- Real Estate Focus
Admissions
The Master's of Science in Finance admission standards are significantly higher than other Business School programs. All application materials are carefully considered. Students are not required to have obtained an undergraduate degree in business.
In addition to the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, to be considered for regular admission an application must include:
- Resume
- 3 letters of recommendation
- A GPA of 3.5 or greater for regular admission
- A GRE score of at least 320 (verbal + quantitative) or a GMAT score of at least 640
Students who do not meet these requirements, but who excel in other areas, may be considered for "Admission with Permission to Continue."
Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) students must meet the minimum admission requirements as listed in the AMP section of this catalog.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
The choice of undergraduate major does not preclude successful completion of the MSF program. It is important to realize, however, that most graduate finance courses assume that students are familiar with a common core of fundamental concepts in accounting, statistics, calculus, linear algebra, economics, and finance. Students with deficient backgrounds in these core courses, especially calculus and microeconomics, should prepare for the graduate courses, prior to commencing the program.
Undergraduate Courses (not required)
| Fundamental Common Core Classes | Hours |
| Intro To Accounting | |
| Calculus & Applications | |
| |
| Calculus I | |
| Calculus II (Prefer) | |
| Calculus III | |
| Introduction to Linear Algebra | |
| Statistical Data Analysis | |
| Intermediate Microeconomics | |
| Intermediate Macroeconomics | |
| Business Finance | |
Master's Course List with Focused Areas of Study
The MSF requires 30 hours of coursework.
| Required Core Courses | Hours |
| FI 510 | Financial Management | 3 |
| FI 512 | Money And Capital Mkts | 3 |
| FI 515 | Quantitative Investment Analys | 3 |
| FI 522 | Bank Administration | 3 |
| FI 596 | Capstone Project | 3 |
| EC 571 | Econometrics | 3 |
| AC 544 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| FI 505 | Corporate Valuation | 3 |
| FI 506 | Mergers & Acquisitions | 3 |
| 3 |
| FI 519 | Financial Engineering | 3 |
| FI 520 | Financial Risk Management | 3 |
| |
| FI 535 | Real Estate Invest & Develpmnt | 3 |
| FI 534 | Seminar In Real Estate | 3 |
| |
| FI 450 | Loss Models I | 3 |
| FI 451 | Loss Models II | 3 |
| FI 440 | Life Contingencies I | 3 |
| FI 441 | Life Contingencies II | 3 |
| FI 450 | Loss Models I | 3 |
| FI 451 | Loss Models II | 3 |
| FI 505 | Corporate Valuation | 3 |
| FI 506 | Mergers & Acquisitions | 3 |
| FI 519 | Financial Engineering | 3 |
| FI 520 | Financial Risk Management | 3 |
| FI 534 | Seminar In Real Estate | 3 |
| FI 535 | Real Estate Invest & Develpmnt | 3 |
| FI 572 | Financial Econometrics | 3 |
| FI 597 | Special Topics: Finance | 3 |
Transfer Credit
Graduate School information on Transfer Credit.
Accelerated Master's Program
Graduate School information on the Accelerated Master's Program.
Capstone
Students must successfully pass FI 596 to meet their culminating requirement.
Time Limit for Degree Completion Requirements
Graduate School information on Time Limits.
Academic Misconduct Information
Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct.
Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information
Graduate School information on Withdrawals and Leave of Absence.
Academic Grievances Information
Graduate School information on Academic Grievances.
Grades and Academic Standing
Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.
Graduate School Deadlines Information
Information on Graduate School Deadlines.
Application for Graduation Information
Information on the Application for Graduation.
