Master of Science in Finance, M.S.
Degree Outcomes
Master of science in finance programs are designed to provide specialized skills for those interested in careers in banking, corporate finance, investments, financial analysis, wealth management, and risk management. The master of science in finance program is STEM designated and has a rigorous and quantitative curriculum in finance that integrates theories and applications from economics, accounting, mathematics, strategy, and other fields.
Learning Goals and Objectives for Master of Science in Finance
Students who successfully complete all requirements for a Master of Science in Finance will achieve the following goals and outcomes.
- Students will have a core of finance knowledge:
- Students will integrate financial knowledge to solve complex business problems.
- Students will have analytical research skills:
- Students will evaluate solutions to financial problems.
- Students will have communication skills:
- Students will compose financial recommendations to solve complex business problems.
- Students will be ethical financial professionals:
- Students will identify ethical implications of financial decision making.
Admission Requirements
- Statement of Goals
- Current resume
- Two recommendation letters
- Official transcripts (from all previously attended academic institutions)
- A bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university recognized by the University of Portland
- International Applicants: All foreign degrees will be evaluated by International Student Services prior to an admission decision
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher (on a scale of 4.0)
- Optional: Official GMAT (Minimum quantitative score in the 55 percentile and verbal score of 50 percentile) or GRE (score equivalent to GMAT score). One of these tests may be requested if the applicant's GPA is below the minimum.
- International Applicants: An official score from the TOEFL (minimum score of 88), IELTS (minimum score of 7.0), Duolingo (minimum score of 110), or completion of all level 5 courses of Pacific International Academy’s Intensive English program.
- International Applicants: Proof of financial support will be required to attend the University of Portland, but is not required for application review
4+1 Program & Admission Requirements
- Open to University of Portland juniors or seniors who complete the above application requirements.
- Please note, a conditional admission of acceptance is given until a degree awarding transcript with G.P.A. verification is submitted to the Graduate School.
M.S. in Finance Degree Requirements
Common body of knowledge prerequisites (CBK): The prerequisite courses provide incoming M.S. in Finance students with the basic knowledge necessary for graduate-level course work in the School of Business. Students without the necessary background may take M.B.A. equivalent classes to fulfill the CBK requirements. The number of prerequisite courses required will be determined by the director of graduate programs after reviewing the student’s previous academic record. However, all students must take BUS 500 Statistical and Quantitative Analysis or pass a statistics waiver exam early in their program. A student passing this exam will have the BUS 500 class waived from their course requirements. Please note that students are expected to have some familiarity with statistics and a basic proficiency with Excel applications before entering the BUS 500 class.
Students may be waived from one or more of the core courses if they have completed comparable courses from an AACSB-accredited school with a grade of B or better within eight years of acceptance to the M.S. in Finance program. If a student has coursework from a non-AACSB accredited school, it will be reviewed for acceptability by the director of graduate programs.
Common body of knowledge (CBK) requirements include: Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Principles of Microeconomics, and Principles of Macroeconomics.
Students can choose one of two tracks: a thesis option or a non-thesis option.
Students must complete 30 credit hours (ten courses) of finance coursework and must satisfy the common body of knowledge (CBK) required of the master of science in finance program.
Non-Thesis Option
A minimum of 30 credit hours beyond the common body of knowledge.
Prerequisite — 3 credit hours
| BUS 500 | Statistical and Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
Required Courses — 15 credit hours
| BUS 530 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| BUS 531 | International Finance and Investments | 3 |
| BUS 533 | Financial Markets and Institutions | 3 |
| BUS 534 | Derivatives and Risk Management | 3 |
| BUS 563 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
BUS 530; if waived based on completion of three finance courses, students may substitute any finance elective.
Electives — 15 credit hours
Select 15 credit hours from the following:
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
No more than three credit hours may be taken in directed study.
Thesis Option
A minimum of 27 credit hours beyond the common body of knowledge.
Prerequisite — 3 credit hours
| BUS 500 | Statistical and Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
Required Courses — 15 credit hours
| BUS 530 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| BUS 531 | International Finance and Investments | 3 |
| BUS 533 | Financial Markets and Institutions | 3 |
| BUS 534 | Derivatives and Risk Management | 3 |
| BUS 563 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
BUS 530; if waived based on completion of three finance courses, students may substitute any finance elective.
Electives — 12 credit hours
Select four courses from the following:
One time graduate course offerings in BUS (designated 591/592) may fulfill the certificate requirements. Please confirm eligible yearly course offerings with the program director.
Thesis — 3 credit hours
The thesis will follow the guidelines provided by the Graduate School of the University of Portland. Registration of BUS 599x is required for any graduate student who has received the grade of IP in BUS 599.