Master of Science in Finance (MFIN)
The Master of Science in Finance (MFin) is a 36-credit degree program that addresses the needs of students looking to advance their management careers in the financial sector. It consists of core courses covering fundamental topics in finance and economics, the management of financial technologies, and allows students to specialize in topics such as regulatory and market environments, the management of risks, or financial project management.
The Finance curriculum is structured in such a way as to provide students with a rigorous education that will familiarize them with the terminology, methods and application areas of economics, finance and financial technology, while providing an understanding of the financing needs of companies and the market mechanisms available to meet these needs. Graduates will be able to apply financial technologies for analysis, forecasting and management; assess the financial health of an organization; develop comprehensive plans that address financial management needs of an organization; and lead business and technology teams.
Graduates of the Master of Finance program will:
be familiar with terminology, methods, and application areas of economics, finance, and financial technology
understand the financing needs of organizations and the market mechanisms available to meet these needs
be able to apply common financial technologies for analysis, forecasting, and management of financial enterprises
be able to assess the financial health of an organization
be able to develop a comprehensive plans that address the financial management needs of an organization
lead combined business and technology teams in the delivery of change projects
Degree Requirements: The MS in Finance degree comprises 12 courses (36 credits). A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to graduate.
Admission Requirements: The Master of Science in Finance is designed for working professionals who want to advance their management careers in the financial sector. Applicants should have a minimum of two years of work experience.
Applicants who do not meet the work experience requirement, but have outstanding academic records, may be considered for admission. Admission to the program requires a bachelor’s degree with at least a “B” average, and two letters of recommendation.
Meeting minimum admissions standards does not guarantee admission; minimum requirements serve as a guide to the minimum expected qualifications necessary to be considered for admission.
Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. Students can apply at any time during the year.
All applicants to the MS in Finance Program must submit a GMAT/GRE score.
Structure of the MS in Finance Program
Pre-requisites
Students interested in waiving a prerequisite course(s) should submit a written request attaching the CFA exam (1, 2 or 3) results and/or the CFA certificate, the syllabus of the course(s) previously taken, or the certification of completion of online MOOCs. The prerequisites should be completed before or during the first semester of the program.
The prerequisite courses will not be counted towards the 36-credits for the program.
| FIN 500 | Financial and Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| FIN 523 | Financial Management | 3 |
| BIA 652 | Multivariate Data Analysis I | 3 |
A prerequisite course in business writing and communication also is required. This can be fulfilled through a MOOC.
Curriculum
Electives
Students are required to complete 12 credits of elective courses. The elective courses may be any graduate course at Stevens with advisor approval. Students may also choose to use their elective courses to pursue one of the three specific tracks (concentrations) detailed below.
Core Courses
Investment Banking and Valuation
This concentration is tailored to students who are aiming to compete for finance positions, primarily in equity analysis, investment banking and commercial banking, at corporations. This concentration is aligned with the CFA Level 1 exam.
Investment Banking and Valuation Concentration Requirements
Students are required to take 4 of the courses from the list below:
| FIN 526 | Private Equity and Venture Capital | 3 |
| FIN 530 | Investment Banking | 3 |
| FIN 540 | Sustainable Finance | 3 |
| FA 542 | Time Series with Applications to Finance | 3 |
| FIN 640 | Renewable Energy Finance | 3 |
| FIN 648 | International Finance | 3 |
| FIN 688 | Mergers Acquisitions and Other Corporate Restructuring | 3 |
| MGT 808 | Fundamentals of Consulting | 0 |
| MGT 809 | Industry Capstone Experience | 3 |
Financial Analytics and Risk
Students who are interested in careers in analytics, financial technology and risk management are good fits for this concentration, which provides a thorough overview in regulation, business intelligence and risk. This concentration is aligned with the Financial Risk Manager – GARP exam.
Financial Analytics and Risk Concentration Concentration Requirements
Students are required to take 4 of the courses from the list below:
| FA 542 | Time Series with Applications to Finance | 3 |
| FA 590 | Statistical Learning | 3 |
| FA 631 | Investment, Portfolio Construction, and Trading Analytics | 3 |
| FA 636 | Advanced Risk Analytics | 3 |
| BIA 656 | Advanced Data Analytics and Machine Learning | 3 |
| MGT 808 | Fundamentals of Consulting | 0 |
| MGT 809 | Industry Capstone Experience | 3 |
Wealth Management Concentration
This concentration is suitable for students who wish to pursue careers in wealth management; to advise private and institutional client investors, or support the client-facing professionals in wealth management firms.
Wealth Management Concentration Requirements
Students are required to take 4 of the courses from the list below:
| FA 542 | Time Series with Applications to Finance | 3 |
| FIN 540 | Sustainable Finance | 3 |
| FIN 550 | Financial Planning and Risk Management | 3 |
| FIN 555 | Retirement and Estate Planning | 3 |
| FA 631 | Investment, Portfolio Construction, and Trading Analytics | 3 |
| FIN 640 | Renewable Energy Finance | 3 |
| FIN 658 | Wealth Management Principles and Practices | 3 |
| MGT 808 | Fundamentals of Consulting | 0 |
| MGT 809 | Industry Capstone Experience | 3 |
Certified Financial Planner
Students wishing to pursue a career in financial planning may consider this affiliate of the wealth management concentration. It is aligned with the Certified Financial Planner Board’s curriculum and prepares students to successfully take the exam to obtain the CFP designation.
Suggested Courses
Note: Two of the four courses listed below are common with the Wealth Management concentration.
| FIN 550 | Financial Planning and Risk Management | 3 |
| FIN 555 | Retirement and Estate Planning | 3 |
| FIN 560 | Federal Taxation of Individuals for Financial Planning | 3 |
| FIN 565 | Financial Plan Development | 3 |