university -College Finance Programs :
Master of Science in Finance (MSF) is a Master's degree designed to prepare graduates for careers in financial analysis, investment management and corporate finance. The MSF is generally a one-year, non-thesis degree, and is often positioned as a professional degree.
In the typical MSF, the core curriculum is focused on investment analysis, corporate finance and financial management / managerial accounting. These core topics are preceded by more fundamental coursework in economics, accounting, and quantitative methods (time value of money and introductory statistics) - if these are not a prerequisite for admission, or assumed as known; students with appropriate background may be exempt from (several of) these. The MSF usually concludes with advanced topics - where several areas are integrated or applied - such as portfolio management, financial modeling, mergers and acquisitions and real options. In general, MSF programs emphasize quantitative topics, although may also offer some non-quantitative elective coursework, such as corporate governance, business ethics and business strategy.
The MSF curriculum may also include financial economics and financial risk management as advanced topics (and sometimes managerial economics and quantitative finance / computational finance). Here, the exposure will likely be limited to the generalist level; these areas are usually studied as disciplines in their own right, via specialized degrees in economics and applied mathematics. These branches of economics are usually taught to strengthen the theoretical underpin of the degree - however, since the emphasis on MSF programs is application, they are not developed. The computational topics, although practical, are too technical for a generalist MSF.
Master of Science in Finance (MSF) is a Master's degree designed to prepare graduates for careers in financial analysis, investment management and corporate finance. The MSF is generally a one-year, non-thesis degree, and is often positioned as a professional degree.In the typical MSF, the core curriculum is focused on investment analysis, corporate finance and financial management / managerial accounting. These core topics are preceded by more fundamental coursework in economics, accounting, and quantitative methods (time value of money and introductory statistics) - if these are not a prerequisite for admission, or assumed as known; students with appropriate background may be exempt from (several of) these. The MSF usually concludes with advanced topics - where several areas are integrated or applied - such as portfolio management, financial modeling, mergers and acquisitions and real options. In general, MSF programs emphasize quantitative topics, although may also offer some non-quantitative elective coursework, such as corporate governance, business ethics and business strategy.
The MSF curriculum may also include financial economics and financial risk management as advanced topics (and sometimes managerial economics and quantitative finance / computational finance). Here, the exposure will likely be limited to the generalist level; these areas are usually studied as disciplines in their own right, via specialized degrees in economics and applied mathematics. These branches of economics are usually taught to strengthen the theoretical underpin of the degree - however, since the emphasis on MSF programs is application, they are not developed. The computational topics, although practical, are too technical for a generalist MSF.
Programs usually require a bachelor's degree prior to admission, but many do not require that the undergraduate major be in finance, economics, or even general business; the usual requirement is a sufficient level of numeracy - often including some exposure to calculus and / or probability. Some programes may require work experience (sometimes at the managerial level), particularly if the candidate lacks a relevant undergraduate degree.