Online Master in Finance

What is It?

The master’s in finance online at Imperial University for Science & AI is designed to equip students with the analytic skills and theoretical tools required for a wide range of careers in the world of finance. The program’s rigorous, flexible, and cutting-edge curriculum and expert faculty provide students with the foundational knowledge and research methodology needed to master practical issues in finance and a path to earning some of the most popular financial certifications such as the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

So, what do financial analysts and planners do? At a basic level, they help businesses and individuals better understand their finances and reach their long-term financial goals. This can include things like:

• Consulting with clients to determine their goals, risk tolerance, and what life or corporate stage they are at—and then help them make appropriate risk management and investment decisions
• Advising clients on building a portfolio by distributing savings into a diversified collection of investments in order to grow or provide income
• Retirement, estate, and tax planning
• Help determine a working budget and best options for insurance coverage
• Evaluate current and historic financial data as well as economic and business trends
• Assess a company's value by evaluating financial statements and prepare written reports on the findings

In a online MSF degree, you’ll learn the concepts, theories, and applications needed to achieve all of the above. Through courses in areas from business accounting and analysis, regulations and ethics of financial services, and financial planning and wealth management, you'll be prepared to serve all your clients' financial needs.

What Careers Can I Do With an Online Finance Degree?

There are a wide range of career options available to you once you complete your Master's of Science in Finance online, including:

• Personal Finance Advisor.Work with individuals to help them manage their finances and plan for their financial futures.
• Financial Risk Analyst.Manage unpredictability and evaluate possible threats to investment decisions to limit potential losses. Make investment decisions such as selecting stocks, bonds, and mutual funds for a portfolio.
• Fund Manager.Work exclusively with hedge funds or mutual funds. Make buy and sell decisions in reaction to ever-changing market conditions.
• Investment Analyst.Evaluate investment programs and financial data of institutions and respond to client questions regarding asset allocation and alternative investment banking topics like hedge funds, property investment, and venture capital.
• Portfolio Manager.Build and manage a company's investment portfolio with a mix of products, industries, and regions and explain your decision to stakeholders.
• Ratings Analyst.Evaluate the ability of companies or governments to pay their debts and, based upon the findings, rate the risk of a company or government not repaying its bonds.
• Securities Analyst.Identify high-yield assets for clients and companies by evaluating market and economic forecasts, securities markets and trends, bond performance reports, daily stock quotes, and other financial statements and publications.

Is an MS in Finance Worth It?

For many students, earning a master’s in finance is a valuable professional investment. Here’s why many find it worthwhile to pursue a graduate degree in finance:

• Career Advancement.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, candidates for specialized financial analyst roles will have the best job prospects if they earn an advanced degree along with an appropriate certification. Similarly, financial advisors that are graduates of a master's program should be the most competitive for job opportunities.
• Higher Earnings.Earning a master’s in finance can help you prepare for high-paying roles. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the highest 15 percent of financial analysts earned more than $131,710 annually as of 2021.
• More Opportunities.Demand for financial analysts is projected to grow by 6 percent from 2020 to 2030, higher than the average for all professions. Despite this projected growth, there are still more people interested in entering the field than there are positions available. Having a graduate degree and certification can greatly increase your chance of employment.

Curriculum and Degree Requirements

The online master’s degree in finance at Imperial University for Science & AI is intended for working professionals seeking the advanced credentials and expertise required to achieve long-term success. Designed for candidates with a bachelor’s degree in business or a relevant field, the program will build on your past experience and business acumen to help you prepare for new challenges.

The program coursework is designed with illustrative case studies, participatory simulations, and computerized finance models that provide a thorough understanding of present-day financial theories and practices that are vital to the financial industry. Through this coursework, the Master of Science in Finance program has identified the following learning goals and intended learning outcomes:

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of present-day financial theories and practices.
• Perform sophisticated financial analyses using the appropriate financial tools, techniques, and technologies pertinent to a range of financial issues.
• Conduct rigorous research and apply research-based strategies that integrate theory and practical applications across business functional areas in the context of overall business operations.
• Apply the standards of ethical reasoning skills and behavior to ethical issues in the financial profession and practice.
• Work in a team environment and effectively communicate recommendations of financial analyses guided by high professional standards.

The master’s in finance is comprised of 31 required credit hours with financial planning and analysis courses delivered in two eight-week sessions and 16-week sessions during the fall, spring, and summer semesters, or 16-week semester courses. Full-time degree candidates normally take one or two classes per bi-term, a total of 9-12 hours per semester. Each course is three semester credit-hours and aligned with the program’s goals. An outline of the Program of Studies for the Master of Science in Finance at Imperial University for Science & AI is provided below:

• BACC681 Financial Accounting & Analysis (3 hours)
• BADM682 Quantitative Methods for Finance (3 hours)
• BADM683 Financial Services, Regulation, & Ethics (3 hours)
• BADM684 Financial Modeling & Valuation (3 hours) (3 hours)
• BADM685 Economics Analysis for Decision Making (3 hours)
• BADM686 Corporate Finance (3 hours)
• BADM687 Financial Planning & Wealth Management (3 hours)
• BADM688 Big Data & Financial Analytics (3 hours)
• BADM689 Global Capital Markets & International Finance (3 hours)
• BADM691 Capstone - Strategic Financial Management (3 hours)
• BADM 699 Capstone (1 hours)

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Hutton School of Business and the Plaster Graduate School of Business is to foster academic excellence and student achievement at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students are provided with a strong academic foundation in business, and are prepared to become productive, competent, and ethical professionals. The Hutton School of Business provides a learning environment that is characterized by student-oriented instructional methodologies and the development of leadership and

life-long learning skills in its students. At the Hutton School of Business, the following broad-based goals for students have been developed:

1. Students will acquire the relevant disciplinary knowledge and competencies appropriate to their program of study.
2. Students will acquire effective business-related professional skills.
3. Students will be challenged to assess their personal values and connect them to ethical behaviors appropriate to their intended endeavors.

Based upon these broad-based goals, the Hutton School of Business and the Plaster Graduate School of Business have identified the following general intended student learning outcomes for students pursuing the M.S. in Finance:

1. Students will acquire advanced knowledge, relevant financial tools, and appropriate analytical techniques applicable to finance.
2. Students will acquire the research skills needed to integrate financial theories and practices across a range of business functions.
3. Students will acquire the ability to apply an ethical decision-making framework to decisions that have ethical considerations.
4. Students will acquire the ability to collaborate productively and communicate effectively.

Admission Requirements

Admission to our University is very competitive as well as selective and we review each application by the same standards.

• Application and Application fee
• A completed Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
• Submit official transcripts from all applicable colleges/universities attended; must be received directly from the issuing college or university.
• A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of a 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale
• Any international course work completed must have official transcript evaluations completed and submitted to the University by the evaluation firm. Evaluations MUST include GPA for admission.

  Approved Evaluation Firms are:

  • World Education Services (WES)
  • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
  • International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
  • Educational Perspectives (EP)
  • SpanTran
• Documentation of language fluency for non-native speakers of English, such as a score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the 8 International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or a report from Duolingo. This requirement is waived for students who have completed bachelor’s or master’s level coursework in the U.S. at an accredited institution.

  The minimum acceptable TOEFL or IELTS scores for admission are:

  • Paper-based TOEFL (PBT) - 550
  • Internet-based TOEFL (IBT) - 79
  • IELTS - 6
  • Duolingo - 100

All admissions materials should be submitted to Graduate Admissions:

Imperial University for Science & AI
Graduate & Online Admissions
Email: admissions@iusa.uk