Jasel Patel MS '23: Finance

Finance
MS

Offered as: 
On-campus
Graduate

The Charlton College of Business Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program provides advanced and affordable education in finance for those with finance, business or non-business baccalaureate degrees. The MSF program is a high-quality, well-rounded program designed to prepare students to be competitive, market-ready, and successful in a rapidly changing global environment.

The MSF is a 10-course, 30-credit degree program. Students will be prepared to pursue nationally and globally recognized credentials, including the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Our program covers the major topic areas of the CFA exams, so graduates will have a strong foundation from which to draw while completing required exams.

Students can choose between either a general finance or the STEM-approved quantitative finance concentration for their degree.

Quantitative finance concentration

The quantitative finance concentration has mathematical and capital market focus that will appeal to students interested in quantitative financial analysis, risk management, investment management, and financial technology careers. The quantitative finance concentration is STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) designated, offering students on a VISA an extended OPT upon completion of the degree.

Career opportunities

The MSF program prepares you for various career opportunities, including as

  • a financial analyst working for commercial banks, brokerage firms, insurance companies, and in government
  • a securities, commodities, and financial services sales agent working for brokerage firms, investment banks, and trading companies
  • a financial manager or personal financial advisor

Required courses

  • ACT 670 Financial Statement Analysis
  • FIN 650 Finance for Decision Making
  • FIN 655 Quantitative Methods in Finance
  • FIN 670 Investment Analysis
  • FIN 672 International Financial Management
  • FIN 691 Options, Futures, and other Derivatives
  • FIN 698 Financial Institutions Management

Elective courses

Students can choose between either a general finance or quantitative finance concentration for their degree.

For the MSF general finance degree, students may choose three elective courses from the following courses:

  • FIN 675 Fixed Income Analysis
  • FIN 684 Finance Seminar
  • FIN 685 Mergers and Acquisitions Analysis
  • FIN 686 Ethics in Finance
  • FIN 692 Financial Risk Management
  • FIN 693 Financial Management of Corporations
  • FIN 697 Financial Modeling
  • FIN 699 Internship/Practicum
  • Other graduate business course approved by the MSF Coordinator

For MSF quantitative finance concentration degree (STEM program), students may choose three electives from the following courses

  • FIN 675 Fixed Income Analysis
  • FIN 692 Financial Risk Management
  • FIN 693 Financial Management of Corporations
  • FIN 697 Financial Modeling
  • Other graduate course in mathematics, statistics, computer science, or data analytics approved by the program coordinator

Prerequisites or additional requirements (as needed)

  • ACT 500 Financial Accounting
  • FIN 500 Economic Concepts for Managers
  • POM 500 Statistical Analysis

Course descriptions, schedules and requirements

Student success

Jeevan Araveti pictured in front of a Bloomberg Terminal in the Charlton Technology Center
Jeevan Teja Araveti '24: Master of finance

Finance MS student makes the most of investment in education.

UMassD advantages

  • CCB is AACSB accredited, the international gold standard.
  • Only 10% of business schools have all undergraduate and graduate programs accredited by AACSB.
  • Students gain a high-level understanding of corporate finance, investment, risk management, international finance, among other topics to prepare them for careers in different finance areas.
  • Students are prepared for the CFA and other finance certificates. Having both MSF degree and CFA designation sets students apart from the competition within the financial industry.
  • Courses are taught by leading scholars and practitioners in the field.
  • Students gain great classroom experience and career opportunities in finance.
  • The 30-credit hour curriculum can be completed in one calendar year on a full-time basis.
  • Programs are flexible to meet students' needs, with options for online, blended, and face-to-face classes.
  • All programs offer high value and high quality.
  • A Bloomberg certification program is offered prior to graduation. Bloomberg-certified employees provide an advantage to the employer and make prospective employees candidates among similarly qualified competition.
  • Students can choose between general finance or quantitative finance concentration for their degree. The quantitative finance concentration is STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) designated, offering students on a VISA an extended OPT upon completion of the degree.

Rankings

  • 100% of MS Finance graduates were employed full-time within six months of graduating - Class of 2023 NACE survey

University requirements for graduate admissions

  • Submit an application via the online portal. Be sure to provide your full legal name and to capitalize the first letter of all proper nouns.
  • Pay non-refundable $60 application fee (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) via the online portal. For Nursing applicants, the non-refundable application fee is $75.
  • Statement of Purpose, minimum 300 words. Unless otherwise indicated in the program requirement details, indicate your graduate study objectives, research interests and experience, and business or industry experience if applicable. If you are applying for a teaching or research assistantship, include any special skills or experience that would assist us in making assistantship decisions.
  • Resume
  • Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not). Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled a final official transcript is required. International students applying with an transcript evaluation, please submit that document with your unofficial transcripts. International applicants for Data Science must submit semester-by-semester transcripts as well as consolidated transcripts. 
  • Many programs have specific recommendations/requirements, please see the additional program-specific requirements for more information.
  • International students: official TOEFL iBT, IELTS, Pearson PTE or Duolingo (if accepted by program) score. Unofficial scores are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled official scores are required and must be sent by the testing agency (copies/scans not accepted). This is required of any applicant who did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or accepted English-speaking country, see exemptions for more details. We require an overall/total minimum score of 72 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.0 on the IELTS or a 52 on the Pearsons PTE Academic for entrance to any program and a minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.5 on the IELTS for consideration for a teaching assistantship. Some programs require higher minimum scores (see program-specific requirements). Most programs also accept the Duolingo with a minimum score of 95. The following programs do not accept the Duolingo: Art Education, Biology/Marine Biology, Nursing (MS, DNP, PhD), Psychology: Clinical, and Public Policy. 
  • All official documents are required for enrollment, please have documents (ie. test scores) sent prior to the expiration. 

Program-specific requirements

Candidates must submit the required application materials, university requirements and program-specific requirements, for consideration.

  • GMAT, LSAT or GRE score (minimum score of 500). Alternatively, some applicants may qualify for GMAT waiver.
  • 2 letters of recommendation: preferably from a faculty member or an employer. Applicants will be required to provide each recommender's name and email address so we can contact the recommender for the letter of recommendation.
  • International students should have a minimum English Proficiency score of TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110 or the Pearsons PTE Academic 58.

Program deadlines

Finance faculty

Duong Nguyen, PhD
Gopala Vasudevan, PhD
Michael Anderson
Michael Anderson, PhD
Zhenzhen Sun, PhD
Zhaojin Xu
Zhaojin Xu, PhD