Master of Science in

Finance

Wall Street in the Classroom

Launch or extend your career in finance. The MS in Finance at Golden Gate University (GGU) provides real-world and in-depth exposure to the principles and practices necessary for a career in investment management or corporate finance. The program focuses on specific, compelling areas necessary for success in careers in financial management, investment management, security analysis, corporate banking and portfolio management, among others.

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Online
San Francisco
Hybrid

1,050 /unit

45 Total Units

The Master of Science in Finance is a specialized, technical program providing in-depth exposure to the principles and practices of corporate finance and investment management. The main objective of the program is to provide the specialized knowledge needed to add immediate value to your organization as a financial manager or investment adviser.

Located in the heart of San Francisco's Financial District, Golden Gate University provides networking and internship opportunities through its 68,000-strong alumni network and relationships with the local financial community.

The MS in Finance program has been certified by the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute as a University Affiliation Program. This membership signals to employers that the MSF curriculum is closely tied to the practice of financial management, and helps to prepare students for the CFA exams.

The MS in Finance does not attempt to provide the broad overview of business that is typical of an MBA. Instead, it focuses on the specific areas of compelling interest to financial managers, security analysts, corporate bankers, and portfolio managers. This degree is intended for students who have made a professional commitment to this key business discipline, and who are interested in equipping themselves with a comprehensive array of analytical tools and techniques.

You can choose to earn this degree entirely online or through a combination of online and in-class courses that are taught by the same professors and present the same material as the traditional format.

PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS

Business Proficiency

Students will need to have an understanding of United States business practices to be successful in our graduate programs. Learn More

Computer Proficiency Requirement

Applicants are expected to demonstrate a working familiarity and skill with computers and software applications appropriate for graduate studies. This includes knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet analysis, visual presentation software and network access capabilities.

Faculty may require additional preparation for those students who have not achieved the needed proficiency.

Math Proficiency

Students admitted to this program are expected to possess a level of mathematical skill at least equivalent to College Algebra (MATH 30). Learn More

Writing Proficiency

Graduate degree programs require proficiency in writing to ensure that students are successful in their course of study. Learn More

TOTAL UNITS — 45

CONCENTRATIONS

GENERAL FINANCE CONCENTRATION

The general concentration permits students to choose from among the full array of finance and economics course offerings. Students whose career objectives inspire them to a broad sampling of the various specializations of the field, as well as those who are not yet ready to declare a specific career focus, will find the flexibility of this concentration attractive.

Select six courses (18 units) from the following:

ECON 340: International Trade and Finance
FI 314: Working Capital Management
FI 317: Mergers and Acquisitions
FI 318: Venture Capital and Start-Up Financing
FI 346: Derivative Markets
FI 347: Financial Engineering and Risk Management
FI 352: Technical Analysis of Securities
FI 356: Student Managed Investment Fund
FI 360: Behavioral Finance
FI 421: Personal Investment Management
FI 428: Business Valuation
FI 463: Real Estate Finance and Investment
FI 382: Management of Banks and Financial Holding Companies
FI 497: Internship: Finance
MSBA 300: Foundations of Business Analytics
MSBA 301: Performance Management and Metrics

CORPORATE FINANCE CONCENTRATION

A focused degree concentration designed to prepare finance students for a career in corporate finance.

The required courses for the corporate finance concentration help you develop skills essential for careers in financial management — from financial analyst to CFO. These courses examine the tools and techniques of managing short-term assets and liabilities, fixed assets and capital investments, and long-term financing. In addition, courses in international finance and in financial strategy provide a high-level management perspective on the relationship between financial decisions, both domestic and global, and value creation.

REQUIRED COURSES — 9 UNITS

FI 312: Capital Budgeting and Long-Term Financing
FI 320: Financial Strategy
FI 343: International Corporate Finance

ELECTIVES — 9 UNITS

Choose three courses from the recommended electives.

ECON 340: International Trade and Finance
FI 314: Working Capital Management
FI 317: Mergers and Acquisitions
FI 318: Venture Capital
FI 346: Derivative Markets
FI 360: Behavioral Finance
FI 382: Management of Banks and Financial Holding Companies
FI 428: Business Valuation
FI 497: Internship: Finance
MSBA 301: Performance Management & Metrics

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

A focused degree concentration designed to train graduate finance students for a career in investment management.

The twelve units of required coursework for the investment management concentration are appropriate for students who are planning careers as security analysts, portfolio managers, and investment advisors. Building on the principles acquired in the core investments course, work in portfolio management and derivatives exposes them to the most advanced technologies of the field. Students can also choose between technical market analysis and fundamental analysis as you begin to refine your approach to security valuation.

REQUIRED COURSES — 12 UNITS

FI 344: Equity Analysis
FI 346: Derivative Markets
FI 348: Fixed Income Analysis
FI 350: Portfolio Management

ELECTIVES — 6 UNITS

Select two courses from the recommended electives.

ECON 340: International Trade & Finance
FI 347: Financial Engineering & Risk Management
FI 352: Technical Analysis of Securities
FI 356: Student Managed Investment Fund
FI 360: Behavioral Finance
FI 421: Personal Investment Management
FI 463: Real Estate Finance & Investment
FI 497: Internship: Finance
MSBA 300: Foundations of Business Analytics

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The MS finance requires completion of 12 units in the foundation program and 33 units of advanced program coursework, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better in courses taken at Golden Gate University. Courses carry three semester units of credit unless otherwise noted. Individual foundation program courses may be waived if the student has previously completed comparable courses at a regionally accredited college or university. Students may be admitted to advanced program courses before completion of the entire foundation program, but must complete the foundation program by the time that 12 units have been earned in the advanced program.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Graduates of the MS in Finance program will have the knowledge and skills to:

Evaluate and explain financial decisions regarding the firm’s investment and long- and short-term financing strategies by applying financial theory, quantitative decision-making tools, and analytical methods.
Apply economic analysis to the firm’s decision-making, taking into account the impact of markets, institutions, and international trends on these decisions. Understand whether or to what extent a financial market satisfies the conditions of an efficient market.
Define and measure business and financial risk. Describe the relationship between risk and return, and distinguish between expected and required returns. Explain how risk affects the valuation of real and financial assets, and describe techniques for managing risk.
Evaluate the corporate governance structures of firms and examine the interactions, from a governance perspective, among firm management, financial markets, and stakeholders.
Describe and evaluate the ethical implications of financial decision-making and financial practices, assess alternative recommendations for solutions to ethical financial problems, and offer appropriate resolutions to those problems.

FINANCE AND ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT

Andrea Anthony, Chair of Finance & Economics
Manish Arora, Adjunct Professor
Louis Barajas, Adjunct Professor
Nicholas Bergan, Adjunct Professor
Roman Bogomazov, Adjunct Professor
Scott Buchanan, Senior Adjunct Professor
Elissa Buie, Adjunct Professor
Katherine Chen, Adjunct Professor
Yvette Hollingsworth Clark, Adjunct Professor
Gregg Clarke, Adjunct Professor
Saundra Davis, Adjunct Professor
Vincent Deluard, Adjunct Professor
Marty Dirks, Adjunct Professor
Peter C. Freeman, Senior Adjunct Professor
Philip Friedman, Professor
Fernando Garcia, Adjunct Professor
Robert Gigliotti, Adjunct Professor
Kacy Gott, Adjunct Professor
Lewis Gridley, Adjunct Professor
Mohsin Hafeez, Adjunct Professor
Steve Hawkey, Professor
William Hermann, Senior Adjunct Faculty
Davin Hsieh, Adjunct Professor
Todd Jensen, Adjunct Professor
Todd A. Jensen, Senior Adjunct Professor
Elizabeth Jetton, Adjunct Professor
Giancarl Johnson, Adjunct Professor
David Kaczorowski, Academic Program Manager
Robert Kagan, Senior Adjunct Professor
Rick Kahler, Adjunct Professor

Margaret Kim, Adjunct Professor
Randall S. Lee, Adjunct Professor
Richard Lehman, Adjunct Professor
Richard Leonhardt, Adjunct Professor
Peter Lou, Distinguished Adjunct Professor
Darius Malekpour, Adjunct Professor
Thomas McAlone, Adjunct Professor
Martin Medeiros, Senior Adjunct Professor
Randy Merk, Adjunct Professor
Ashley Murphy, Adjunct Professor
Brian Pon, Adjunct Professor
Harry Portolos, Senior Adjunct Professor
Martin Pring, Adjunct Professor
Henry "Hank" Pruden, Professor
Ross Richardson, Adjunct Professor
William C. Sarsfield, Senior Adjunct Faculty
Robert Scannell, Adjunct Professor
Larry Schimka, Adjunct Professor
Shahbaz Shahbazi, Adjunct Professor
Raj Sharma, Adjunct Professor
Hamid Shomali, Professor
Lawrence A. Souza, Senior Adjunct Professor
Brett Villaume, Adjunct Professor
Mark Walsh, Adjunct Professor
Douglas Weinstein, Adjunct Professor
Jon P. Yankee, Adjunct Professor
Dr. David Yeske, Director of Financial Planning
Iana Zemniakova, Adjunct Professor
John Zott, Adjunct Professor

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Featured Alumni

Anne (Williams) Trester

MS 13

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MS 12

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Morgan McKinley

Garima Gupta

MS 11

Sr. Financial Performance Consultant
Stanford Health Care

Although I had moved away from San Francisco, I was able to finish my degree program online. I'm fortunate that GGU has portability in its programs so that I could continue my education and move elsewhere […] and I can proudly and honestly say it was worth every moment

Terry Everett Graduate Finance '02, Rockland Capital

I started to explore GGU for a master's degree in finance because of their great reputation in the fields of tax and accounting. Networking-wise, there are a lot of opportunities with fellow students and employers because of GGU's location within San Francisco's Financial District.

Taylor TsaoMSF '18