Degree Requirements
A minimum of 33 credit hours are required for a Master of Science in Finance degree. Students without prior preparation in accounting, economics, finance or statistics may need to take prerequisite courses. Of the total required, at least 80 percent of all courses must be passed with a grade of “B” (3.0) or higher. No grade below “C” (2.0) in any 500-level course, or below “B-” (2.7) in any 300 or 400-level course may count toward the M.S. Finance degree.
M.S. Finance students must be advised before enrolling in their first semester of coursework. Subsequent advising is not required, but recommended.
All students must submit a program of study form once they have completed 50 percent of their program hours. An application for graduation must be submitted early in the student’s final semester. See the academic calendar for specific deadlines. Forms are available in the Bloch School Services Office, room 115. The minimum GPA for retention and graduation is 3.0 (B).
Program Prerequisites
- ACTG 5517: Survey of Accounting (3 hours)
- DSOM 5505: Decision Science (1.5 hours)
- FIN 5504: Managerial Economics (1.5 hours)
- FIN 5505: Global Macroeconomics (1.5 hours)
- FIN 325 -or- FIN 5532: Financial Management (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504 & FIN 5505 or equivalents) (3 hours)
Prerequisite courses can be waived based on completion of comparable courses at the undergraduate or graduate level with a grade of “C” or better. Any prerequisite courses needed are in addition to the 33 hours required in the M.S. Finance program.
Core Courses-12 Hours
- FIN 5552: Global Financial Markets & Institutions (FIN 325/5532 or equivalent, previous graduate coursework suggested) (3 hours)
- FIN 5553: Investments (FIN 325/5532 or equivalent) (3 hours)
- FIN 5560: Financial Modeling (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505 & FIN 325/5532 or equivalents) (3 hours)
- FIN 5561: Financial Statement Analysis (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505 & FIN 325/5532 or equivalents) (3 hours)
Program Tracks
Corporate Finance
Track Courses:
- FIN 5550: Advanced Financial Management Theory & Policy (six hours of finance coursework beyond FIN 5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5551: International Finance (FIN 5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5563: Valuation/Mergers & Acquisitions (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 5532 or equivalent)
Financial Analyst
Track Courses:
- FIN 5557: Derivative Securities (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5562: Fixed Income Analysis (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5563: Valuation/Mergers and Acquisitions (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN325/5532 or equivalent)
Required Elective Courses:
- FIN 5564: Portfolio Management (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5565: Alternative Investments (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
Financial Services Management
Track Courses:
- FIN 5550: Advanced Financial Management Theory & Policy (six hours of finance coursework beyond FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5556: Management of Financial Intermediaries (FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5562: Fixed Income Analysis (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent) -or- FIN XXXX: Payment Systems
Flexible Design Track
Pick three FIN designated courses to fill in the track portion of your program. For the designated elective section of the program, at least two courses must have the FIN designation.
Wealth Management Track
Track Courses:
- ACTG 5561: Personal Financial Planning (ACTG 5517 or equivalent)
- FIN 5XXX: Financial Plan Development
- FIN XXXX: Introduction to Risk Management and Insurance
Required Designated Electives:
- ACTG 5557: Introduction to Income Taxation (ACTG 5517 or equivalent)
- ACTG 5571: Individual Tax Problems (ACTG 5557 or ACTG 409 or concurrent enrollment in 409)
- ACTG 5573: Taxation of Estates Gifts & Trusts (ACTG 5557 or ACTG 409 or concurrent enrollment in 409)
- Remaining designated elective should be selected from finance course options.
Designated Electives
Twelve hours are required and at least 6 hours must be from finance (exception in Wealth Management track). Designated electives may include but are not limited to:
Finance
- FIN 5550: Advanced Financial Management Theory & Policies (six hours of finance coursework beyond FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5551: International Finance (FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5556: Management of Financial Intermediaries (FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5557: Derivative Securities (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5559: Strategic Financial Management (FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5562: Fixed Income Analysis (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5563: Valuation/Mergers & Acquisitions (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5564: Portfolio Management (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5565: Alternative Investments (ACTG 5517, DSOM 5505, FIN 5504, FIN 5505, FIN 325/5532 or equivalent)
- FIN 5582: Seminar in Finance (FIN 325/5532 and consent of instructor)
- FIN 5587: Special Topics
- FIN 5595: Internship
Entrepreneurship
Selected courses including:
- ENT 5585: Venture Capital Finance & Investment (FIN 325/5532 or equivalent and one of the following: ENT 5515, 5525, 5535, 5541, 5545)
- ENT 5681: Multivariate Statistical Methods II (DSOM 5516 or equivalent)
Management
MGT 5552: International Study in Business
Management Information Systems
Selected courses; consult with finance faculty
Real Estate
Selected courses; consult with finance faculty
Selected courses in economics, mathematics, law or other graduate programs can be approved by a finance faculty member.
For an M.S.F. evaluation form, click here.
