Academic Programs

Master of Science, Finance (MS-FI)

The Master of Science/Finance curriculum is designed to provide graduates with advanced knowledge of master's-level finance, including particular expertise in their area of specialization (chosen from Corporation Finance, Investments, or Financial Institutions and Markets). The primary emphasis of the program is to provide students with the theoretical, analytical, and technical skills necessary to examine particular financial situations and develop policy initiatives. The program prepares graduates to understand the context for issues encountered in the rapidly evolving financial environment. This goal requires a combination of theoretical, policy, and application perspectives in the pedagogy of the program. Quantitative and analytical course requirements in the areas of optimization techniques, computer modeling, and statistical methodology complement the finance course requirements.

Regulations for the Degree

  I. All Master of Science students will complete the "Business Communication Skills Requirement". The "Summary of Regulations-Master's Programs" applies to the M.S. program with a major in finance as do the regulations, policies, and procedures given in the "Master's Enrollment". A maximum of six hours of transfer credit is permitted in this program only if 12 hours are taken in section B below; otherwise a maximum of three hours of transfer credit is permitted.

II. Course Requirements. The course requirements for the degree of Master of Science with a major in finance and the format of the program follow. Consult the Course Descriptions for a listing of the prerequisites for each course.

A. Foundation Courses. The courses in this list are in addition to the 27-30 semester hours required for the degree. They are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student's transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent course work has been previously completed with grades of C or higher.

Accounting: MBA 7010 or financial and managerial accounting principles and corporate finance principles (Acct 2101, Acct 2102 and Fi 3300).
Behavioral Science: Management principles (Mgs 3400) or marketing principles (Mk 3010).
Economics: Macroeconomics principles (Econ 2105) and microeconomics principles (Econ 2106).
Mathematics: College algebra (Math 1111) and calculus (Math 1220).
Statistics: MBA 7020 or Math 1070.

B. Required Major/Technical Support Courses (9-12 hours). These courses must be completed during the first 18 hours of 8000-level course work in the M.S./Fi program.

MGS 8020 Business Intelligence (3)
MGS 8150 Business Modeling (3)
MGS 8110 Applied Regression Analysis (3)
MBA 8130* Foundations of Corporate Finance (1.5) and
MBA 8230* Applications of Corporate Finance

Both MBA 8130 and MBA 8230 may be exempted if Fi 3300, Fi 4300, and Fi 4320 or their equivalents have been completed with grades of C or higher at the time of admission.

C. Specialization (18 hours). The following course is required for all M.S./Finance students:

Fi 8000 Valuation of Financial Assets (3)

In addition to Fi 8000, students are required to take a minimum of nine semester hours within a finance specialization.

Three areas of specialization are shown below along with courses considered appropriate for each area. A course marked * is required as part of the nine semester hours in the indicated specialization. The student must also select, with departmental approval, an additional six semester hours of finance-related elective courses.

Corporate Finance
Fi 8300 Advanced Corporate Finance (3)
Fi 8320* Cases and Readings in Corporate Finance (3)
Fi 8340 International Corporate Finance (3)
Fi 8360 Special Topics in Corporate Finance (3)

Investments
Fi 8020 Financial Analysis and Loan Structuring (3)
Fi 8200* Derivative Markets I (3)
Fi 8220 Derivative Markets II (3)
Fi 8240 Global Portfolio Management (3)

Financial Institutions and Financial Markets
Fi 8020 Financial Analysis and Loan Structuring (3)
Fi 8400 Financial Management of Depository Financial Services Firms (3)
Fi 8420 The Financial System (3)
Fi 8440 Multinational Bank Management (3)

The department encourages all students pursuing the M.S. degree with a major in finance to take Fi 8000 early in their program as it is a prerequisite for all electives except Fi 8020 and Fi 8040. Fi 8000 is designed so that it may be taken simultaneously with MBA 8130 and MBA 8230 to provide students greater scheduling flexibility.

III. Program of Study. Each student's program must be planned in consultation with the M.S./finance faculty adviser before a non-required course is taken. A copy of the program will be filed with the Office of Academic Assistance and Master's Admissions for review and approval.

Progress toward the degree, including clearance for graduation, cannot be confirmed without an approved program of study. Any changes in the program must be approved by the faculty adviser and a copy of the changes sent to the OAA/MA.

Students always must consult the Course Descriptions to determine if they have met the prerequisites for any course to be taken.

IV.Time Limit. The time limit for completing the M.S./Fi. program is five years from the first semester a course in section B or C (above) is taken.

For more information please contact the MS Finance Advisor.

Professor Milind Shrikhande - 1223 RCB - 404.413.7334