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The MS in Finance curriculum starts with foundation courses in accounting, economics, statistics, business analytics, and finance fundamentals, providing essential knowledge.

You’ll then take six core courses covering advanced corporate finance, investment management, derivatives, fintech, and financial statement analysis.

Finally, you can choose one to four electives, such as investment fund management, fixed income securities, cost management, and courses in data structures and algorithmic finance using Python.

The program requires 30-33 credit hours, depending on whether your previous coursework qualifies you to waive foundation courses in accounting, economics, business statistics, or finance.

Program Curriculum
10-11 courses (30-33 credit hours)

Foundation Courses
0-4 courses (0-12 credit hours). You may qualify to waive foundations courses if you meet certain criteria.  See "Course Waivers and Transfer Credit Below."

ACC 505 - Developing and Interpreting Financial Information
BE 530 – Economic Analysis: Firm and Consumer
DS 520 or BA 510 - Applied Statistical Modeling or Introduction to Business Analytics
FIN 531 - Finance Fundamentals and Value Creation

Core Courses
6 courses (24 credit hours)

FIN 581 – Advanced Corporate Finance
FIN 650 – Corporate Valuation and Strategy
FIN 651 - Investment Process, Analysis, and Management
FIN 652 - Derivatives and Risk Management
FIN 654 – Banking, Insurance, and Fintech
ACC 608 or ACC 514 - Financial Statement Analysis or Financial Reporting

Electives 
1-4 courses (3-12 credit hours), depending on number of Foundation Courses waived, including at least one FIN course, from:

ACC 516 - Intermediate Financial Accounting III
ACC 555 – Cost Management
ACC 603 – Management Control Systems
BA 530 - Programming & Data Structures with Python
BE 583 - The Global Economy: Crisis and Growth
DS 630 - Applied Forecasting with Python
FIN 653 - Asset Pricing and Portfolio Management
FIN 655 - International Financial Management
FIN 656 - Fixed Income Securities
FIN 657 - Investment Fund Management
FIN 658 - Algorithmic Finance using Python
BA 690 - Graduate Research (with Department Chair approval)
BA 691 - Graduate Seminar (with Department Chair approval)
BA 682 - Experiential Project (with Department Chair approval)
BA 500 - Business Internship (with Department Chair approval)

• Financial Analysis: Learn to evaluate financial performance, manage risks, and apply valuation techniques.
• Risk Management: Gain expertise in managing global financial risks, using tools like derivatives and portfolio theory.
• Real-Time Market Data: Many of your courses will use the Bloomberg Finance Lab’s vast data to enhance learning and decision-making.
• Bloomberg Certification: Earn your Bloomberg Market Concepts certification, a valuable credential in finance.
• Effective Communication: Develop the ability to clearly convey financial insights to stakeholders.

Our online programs meet the same course requirements and admission standards as campus-based programs, and your diploma and transcript will be identical. Whether you complete your degree online, on campus, or in a hybrid format, it’s the same degree. Online students are welcome to enroll in campus-based courses and are encouraged to take advantage of campus resources and in-person events, like professional organizations and study-abroad opportunities.

Asynchronous Virtual Classroom

College of Business online courses follow the regular semester schedule and are mostly delivered asynchronously. This means your professors will set deadlines, but you’ll have flexibility in when you complete assignments, tests, and activities. Unless specified, there’s no need to log in at a specific time, allowing you to participate from anywhere with internet access! To keep you engaged, our online courses often include group discussions, videos, projects, and quizzes or exams.

Personalized Attention and Support

As an online graduate student, you’ll have direct access to your professors, just as if you were on campus. You’ll also receive priority registration for online courses each semester. For academic advising, call us at 313-593-4776 to schedule a phone appointment during daytime or early evening hours, or email quick questions to [email protected]. While not required, we encourage online students to take advantage of campus resources and events, including professional organizations and study-abroad opportunities. Additionally, you’ll have full access to digital resources like the ÂÜÀòÉç-Dearborn library.

Previous coursework deemed substantially similar to ACC 505, BE 530, DS 520 or BA 510, and FIN 531, if completed with a grade of "B" or better, may qualify to waive students from those courses. Students who receive 1-4 foundation course waivers may reduce the length of the program from 11 courses (33 credits) to 10 courses (30 credits).

In addition, up to 9 transfer credits for previous equivalent graduate coursework can be applied to the degree if those credits have not been counted toward a degree.  

Waives and transfer credit are granted at the discretion of the program faculty.

This program welcomes students from all undergraduate majors and levels of work experience. We conduct a holistic review of each application, focusing on strong academic performance, quantitative skills, and a clear statement of purpose. Admission is selective. View our Class Profile for details.

To be considered, you must have:

• A four-year U.S. bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from a regionally accredited institution.
• A grade of C or better in college algebra, trigonometry, pre-calculus, or higher. If you haven't met this requirement, we'll help you complete an appropriate course before or shortly after admission.