Master of Science in Finance

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Bonnie Buchanan, PhD, MSF Program Director

Seattle University’s Master of Science in Finance (MSF) degree program provides an opportunity to obtain advanced in-depth education in finance. The program is designed primarily for individuals who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in business. Applicants without a business degree will be required to take some preparatory business courses.

In addition to the development of appropriate quantitative and communication skills, the MSF provides detailed coverage of the following major areas of finance:

Business finance
Investments
Financial institutions and markets

The program also includes the corollary fields of accounting and economics and incorporates discussion of ethical issues in business and finance.

MSF graduates typically work in banking, credit analysis, risk management, personal financial planning, wealth management, securities analysis and trading, portfolio analysis and management, alternative investments, business valuation, real estate finance, international finance, and general corporate financial management. Many seek CFA, CFP, CAIA, or FRM certification.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to graduate programs should contact the Albers School of Business and Economics at (206) 296-5700 or Seattle University Graduate Admissions at (206) 220-8010 for admission materials. Documents required for admission to the Master of Science in Finance program include the following:

Completed Application for Graduate Admission and non-refundable $55 application fee (waived for Seattle University alumni)
Official transcripts of all post-secondary education institutions attended in the last 90 quarter/60 semester credits of the bachelor’s degree, including any transfer credits earned during this time, and any post-baccalaureate course work
Official scores from the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Records Examination (GRE)
Current résumé. Work experience is highly recommended though not an absolute requirement. Seattle University MSF students have an average of two and one-half years of work experience, with a range of zero to eight years.
If English is not the applicant’s native language, official English proficiency scores meeting the University entrance requirements are necessary. See policy 2008-01 in Admissions Policies for details.

Degree Requirements:

I. Prerequisites

Students must have completed satisfactorily coursework in statistics, financial accounting and business finance. The alternatives may be online courses, self-paced tutorials, waiver exams, or other options deemed appropriate by department faculty.

II. Core Courses

15 credits, including:

NOTE:

Students with previous comparable course work with a B- (2.70) or better will need to substitute any relevant classes with other finance classes.

III. Recommended Tracks

15 credits chosen from one or more of the recommended career tracks below:

Financial Analyst/Investments

Risk Management

Corporate Finance

IV. Supportive Fields Electives

Choose 9 credits from the following:

ACCT courses
Business Analytics courses
ECON courses
Entrepreneurship courses*
FINC: other FINC courses chosen from Section III above**
Information Systems courses

Notes:

*Entrepreneurship courses include: BLAW 5305 , FINC 5315 , IS 5300 , MGMT 5300 , MGMT 5315 , MGMT 5320 , MGMT 5330 , MGMT 5340 , MGMT 5360 , MGMT 5370 , MKTG 5310 , MKTG 5340

**Each course may satisfy one requirement (cannot count towards both Sections III and IV).

V. Behavioral Electives

Complete 6 graduate credits from the Albers School of Business and Economics outside the supportive fields indicated in Section IV above.

Minimum credits required for degree: (45)

Graduate students must have a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA in order to earn a master’s degree.

MSF students may pursue any of the existing graduate certificates offered by Albers School of Business and Economics. More information is here: http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/graduate/certificates/