Master of Science in Finance
Curriculum
To earn a Master of Science in Finance, students must successfully complete 33 credit hours (11 courses). The typical program will consist of six core cores and five elective courses. However, students may request that they be allowed to substitute an elective course for a core course if they can demonstrate to the program director that they have already mastered the material in the core course.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | (18) | |
| MSF 501 | Mathematics with Financial Applications | 3 |
| MSF 502 | Statistical Analysis in Financial Markets | 3 |
| MSF 503 | Financial Modeling | 3 |
| MSF 504 | Valuation and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| MSF 505 | Futures, Options, and OTC Derivatives | 3 |
| MSF 506 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| Elective Courses | (15) | |
| Select a minimum of five courses from the following: 1 | 15 | |
Alternative Investments | ||
| Alternative Investments | 3 | |
| Commodities and Managed Futures | 3 | |
Corporate Finance | ||
| Corporate Finance | 3 | |
| Investment Banking | 3 | |
Entrepreneurial Finance | ||
| Entrepreneurial Finance | 3 | |
| The Venture Capital Process | 3 | |
Financial Econometrics | ||
| Time Series Analysis | 3 | |
| Bayesian Econometrics | 3 | |
Financial Engineering | ||
| Models for Derivatives | 3 | |
| Term Structure Modeling and Interest Rate Derivatives | 3 | |
| Computational Finance | 3 | |
Financial Markets | ||
| Global Financial Markets | 3 | |
| Market Microstructure | 3 | |
Financial Programming | ||
| .NET and Database Management | 3 | |
| C++ with Financial Markets | 3 | |
High Frequency Finance | ||
| OOP and Algorithmic Trading Systems | 3 | |
| High Frequency Finance | 3 | |
Investment Management | ||
| Equity Valuation | 3 | |
| Structured Fixed Income Portfolios | 3 | |
| Quantitative Investment Strategies | 3 | |
Risk Management | ||
| Market Risk Management | 3 | |
| Credit Risk Management | 3 | |
| Enterprise Risk Management | 3 | |
Trading | ||
| Equity and Equity Derivatives Trading | 3 | |
| Foreign Exchange Market and Fixed Income Strategies | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
| 1 | Elective classes are organized into concentrations. Students who complete two or more courses within a particular concentration will have the concentration recognized on official transcripts. |
Core Requirement
All Master of Science in Finance students must complete the six core classes unless they have obtained written permission from the program director to substitute an alternative class for a core class.
Course Substitutions
To the extent that students have completed commensurate coursework or professional experience, substitutions to the required curriculum may be permitted, with the approval of the program director. Qualified students may substitute courses from the Master of Mathematical Finance for elective courses in the Master of Science in Finance program.
Free Electives
Up to two graduate-level electives may be taken from outside the courses prescribed above. These electives may be taken from other offerings at the Stuart School of Business, the Chicago-Kent College of Law, or Mies Campus graduate programs, provided that:
- They are consistent with the Master of Science in Finance program objectives.
- They have been approved, prior to the student’s registration, by the Master of Science in Finance program director or the student’s academic adviser.
Students may also transfer up to two classes from a graduate program at another AACSB accredited university if the student has not used the classes to satisfy the requirements for a degree at the university. Additional classes may be transferred with the permission of the program director.
Prerequisite Courses
Some students may be required to take prerequisite courses in mathematics, statistics, or computer programming before being admitted to a graduate course. Undergraduate course offerings, which typically are listed with a primary numeral of four or below cannot be used as free electives in the Master of Science in Finance program.
