The nine-month MS in finance provides extensive coursework and an in-depth application of materials, preparing students for a range of job opportunities. In addition to the coursework, enrichment seminars in topics ranging from teamwork and leadership to ethics and corporate social responsibility support the "whole student" experience by incorporating professional development into the academic experience.
The focused finance curriculum offers students a firm grounding in general finance, and helps to develop the specific skills necessary to pursue careers in a variety of financial fields.
The MS degree in finance offers two tracks to develop skills in specific disciplines:
- The investment management (IM) track provides the knowledge and practical tools to construct optimal investment portfolios for an investor's desired goals in terms of assets, risks and returns. The curriculum offers strong foundational knowledge of investment theories along with intensive data-driven analysis to inform asset selection, portfolio construction, diversification and risk management. Coursework covers the drivers of value and growth in markets, the institutional features of stocks, bonds and derivatives markets, as well as investors’ considerations among the various investment vehicles including ETFs, mutual funds, hedge funds, venture capital and private equity. This track prepares graduates with competencies necessary to pursue a career with an investment management firm and to take the CFA Level I exam.
- The sustainable finance (SF) track provides up-to-date knowledge for a wide array of careers helping investors, corporations, and governments allocate capital between different sustainability projects and evaluate the impact of sustainable funding in the markets.
- The corporate finance/consulting (CF) track prepares students for a career in management consulting, investment banking, private equity and venture capital.
For additional information, please visit Leeds School Graduate Programs or email us at leedsgrad@colorado.edu.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| MSBC 5015 | Managerial Economics | 1.5 |
| MSBC 5020 | Financial Accounting | 1.5 |
| MSBC 5031 | Quantitative Methods in Finance | 3 |
| MSBC 5060 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| MBAX 6210 | Applied Financial Management | 3 |
| MSBC 5220 | Investment Management & Analysis | 3 |
| MBAX 6250 | Derivative Securities | 3 |
| MBAX 6260 | Fixed Income Investing | 3 |
| MBAX 6710 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| Track-Specific Elective Courses | ||
| Choose two track-specific electives: | 6 | |
Investment Management | ||
| Advanced Portfolio Management | ||
| Applied Derivatives | ||
or MBAX 6290 | ||
or MBAX 6230 | International Financial Management | |
Corporate Financing/Consulting | ||
| Financial Strategy and Decision Modeling | ||
| Applied Derivatives | ||
or MBAX 6290 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Sample Plan of Study
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| MSBC 5015 | Managerial Economics | 1.5 |
| MSBC 5020 | Financial Accounting | 1.5 |
| MSBC 5031 | Quantitative Methods in Finance | 3 |
| MSBC 5060 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| MBAX 6220 | Investment Management and Analysis | 3 |
| MBAX 6250 | Derivative Securities | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| MBAX 6210 | Applied Financial Management | 3 |
| MBAX 6260 | Fixed Income Investing | 3 |
| MBAX 6710 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| Two track-specific electives (see Requirements tab) | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |