Curriculum Requirements

Master of Business Administration – Finance Concentration

Academics > Degrees > Master of Business Administration, M.B.A. – Finance (CFA Track) > Curriculum

Major Requirements

Waivable Program Core (Prerequisite Courses) Credits:
ACCT 501 Accounting I 1.5
A study of accounting fundamentals. Topics include the accounting cycle, statement preparation, systems, asset valuations, accounting concepts and principles for the sole proprietorship.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 1.5-0-1.5
ECON 501 Principles of Economics I 1.5
A study of basic economic concepts emphasizing analysis of the aggregate economy. The fundamental concepts of national income and its determination, economic fluctuations, monetary and fiscal policies, and economic growth are covered.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 1.5-0-1.5
FINC 501 Finance 1.5
An overview of the financial management function in modern business, emphasizing the time value of money and financial analysis. The financial and economic environment and capital markets and securities are covered.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 1.5-0-1.5
MIST 501 Management Information Systems 1.5
This course provides an introduction to information technology and application software. It also introduces students to how information is used in organizations and how information technology enables improvement in decision making at all managerial levels.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 1.5-0-1.5
QANT 501 Business Statistics 1.5
This course introduces students to both descriptive and inferential statistics. Coverage includes applications to business and other disciplines and the use of technology as a decision support tool.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 1.5-0-1.5
QANT 510 Production and Operations Management 1.5
Addresses concepts and critical activities required in the manufacturing of goods and the delivery of services. Quantitative applications and the use of relevant computer software are an integral part of this course.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 1.5-0-1.5
    Total: 9 Credits
All students must complete this 9-credit core requirement. Courses may be waived in those instances where the undergraduate experience includes course equivalencies. Courses in this core are offered to M.B.A. students in an accelerated format.
 
Non-Waivable Program Core Credits:
ACCT 601 Managerial Accounting 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ACCT 501 or a waiver

Special emphasis is placed on the collection and interpretation of data for managerial decision-making purposes. Data includes both financial accounting and cost accounting topics, such as concepts for financial statement analysis using ratios and cost control tools for internal purpose.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
BUSI 610 Professional Development Seminar 0
This preparatory course addresses select professional skills that are requisite to success for the MBA student, and include seminars and workshops in public speaking, business writing, teamwork, critical thinking and business research.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 0-0-0
ECON 601 Managerial Economics for Decision Making 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ECON 501 or a waiver.

Application of economic theory, quantitative methods and artificial intelligence (AI) to business decision making. It covers various topics including business cycles, consumer choice, product demand, marginal pricing, neoclassical and linear production theory, market structure, and choice under imperfect information. It also involves the use of empirical techniques, AI-driven model building, and advanced AI tools for business forecasting and analysis.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
FINC 601 Financial Management 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: FINC 501 or waiver

This course uses data and information technology resources and AI tools to emphasize the development of a comprehensive framework for the theory and practice of financial decision-making. Topics covered span a broad spectrum of financial markets and corporate financial practices including capital budgeting, risk management and mergers and acquisitions. AI is utilized to extract data and enhance financial analysis.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
MGMT 605 Organizational Behavior 3
This course provides an in-depth exploration of the key theories, and managerial practices in the field of Organizational Behavior, focusing on how individuals, group and organizational level factors influence behavior within business organization. Special attention is placed on the impact of emergent technology (e.g., AI) on organizational effectiveness.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
MIST 610 Enterprise Resource Planning Systems 1.5
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: MIST 501 or a waiver

This course provides an overview of modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in use today. It introduces students to how information is used in ERP systems of organizations and how information technology enables ERP systems to support decision making at all managerial levels.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 1.5-0-1.5
MRKT 620 Strategic Marketing and Branding 3
This course is designed to prepare the student to approach, structure, and solve complex marketing problem on strategic and tactical levels, with an extension to the other functional areas of business strategy, to align the dynamic capabilities with operations and finance. Using digital and AI tools, students will analyze the trends affecting the everchanging customers' wants and preferences, evolving market structures and competitive scenarios will reflect the present complexity of the marketing task, and the imperative of capturing market opportunities via delivery of superior customer value and the brand equity management.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
QANT 620 Multi-criteria Decision Models 1.5
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: QANT 501or a waiver

An introduction to decision sciences and the application of multi-criteria quantitative and behavioral modeling to those problems often requiring complex decisions of policy makers. Course content focuses on applications in the business environment and the use of technology as a decision support tool.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 1.5-0-1.5
QANT 630 Operations and Supply Chain Management 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: QANT 510 or a waiver

This course discusses a wide range of issues from how organizations successfully create and manage its operations and supply chain to how they control operations and supply chain. Using AI technologies, this course discusses key drivers and approaches organizations adopt to improve productivity and achieve competitive position. It also addresses major issues in operations and supply chain including inventory management, logistics management, facility location, total quality, material requirement planning (MRP), project management, and scheduling. The innovations and capabilities of these areas that are related to revenues and financial performance of the organizations are discussed.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
    Total: 21 Credits
The non-waivable core is an integrated educational experience where courses are delivered in modules and are highly interdisciplinary. Modules in this core may not be waived, nor can credit hours be transferred into the Division of Management as substitutes for these modules. The core must be completed, in its entirety, in the Division of Management.
 
Required Capstone (choose one) Credits:
BUSI 650 Business Analytics and Decision Making 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: FINC 601, MRKT 620, QANT 630

This course discusses the integration of business analytics and modeling to support businesses, non-profits, and governments towards gaining insight and strengthening decision-making ability. Students will develop descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics capabilities using machine learning and AI-powered tools through case studies to support decision-making in the presence of uncertainty and a large set of alternatives. The focus will be on applying these techniques to different functional areas of business, including operations, marketing, finance, and strategic planning.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
MGMT 650 Strategic Leadership Capstone 3
The course focuses on the examination of the role of high-level leadership, including its impact on the development of the organization's strategy and long-term strategic plan, as well as the making of consequential decisions in a complex and rapidly changing business environment, while considering sustainable business goals and maintaining ethical standards. Students will utilize state of the art techniques, including Generative AI, in evaluating market forces, strategic positioning for the effective achievement of organizational goals.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
    Total: 3 Credits
Students will take the required capstone course after completing all 600-level courses.
 
Finance Concentration (select four**) Credits:
ACCT 713 Financial Statement Analysis 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ACCT 501 and (FINC 501 or waiver)

This course offers an in-depth analysis of financial reporting from a user's perspective, focusing on evaluating a firm's performance, earnings quality, and valuation using financial statements and disclosures. Topics include accounting principles, IFRS regulations, and the connection between financial data and business transactions. Case studies and readings develop critical thinking skills, while students learn how financial decisions impact value creation and strategy. The course also incorporates modern AI tools for financial analysis, emphasizing the importance of human judgment in interpreting results and making strategic recommendations.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
ACCT 721 Advanced Financial Accounting 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: ACCT 610

This course blends accounting concepts with practice, covering topics like inventory, assets, bonds, pensions, cash flow, equity, and revenue recognition. It also compares IFRS with US GAAP. Students develop advanced critical thinking skills through AI-assisted forensic analysis of financial statements and complex accounting situations. The course emphasizes professional judgment in an AI-augmented environment, teaching students to leverage technology for deeper insights while maintaining rigorous accounting standards.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
FINC 705 International Finance 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: FINC 601 or (FINC 610 and FINC 620)

The central theme of this course is financial decision making in a multicurrency setting. Modern paradigms of foreign exchange markets are used to relate differences between countries in terms of interest rates, purchasing power, inflation and changes in the relative values of various currencies. The course develops a modern, consistent and integrated framework of foreign exchange markets and applies it to problems of international financial management. Topics include: interest rate parity, purchasing power parity, balance of payments, adjustment mechanisms, currency risk and hedging foreign exchange exposure, international investment and financing.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
FINC 734 Analysis and Valuation of Equity Investments 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: FINC 601 or (FINC 610 and FINC 620)

This course focuses on the development of a comprehensive framework for analyzing and evaluating equity investments and selecting stocks. Both Intrinsic ("Absolute") equity valuation models of discounted cash flows to stockholders (Dividends, Free Cash Flows, and Residual Cash Flows) and Relative valuation of Comparable Multiples will be applied and reconciled. The Capital Asset Pricing Model and multi-factor Arbitrage Pricing Theories will be employed. Criteria for choosing an appropriate model for valuing a particular firm will be discussed. Estimates of risk-adjusted-discount-rates, growth rates, and duration of growth phases will be explained. Financial statements will also be utilized to obtain relevant estimates for company and industry analysis and valuation.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
FINC 736 Management of Valuation of Fixed Income Securities 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: FINC 601 or (FINC 610 and FINC 620)

This course provides the foundations for one's effective participation in fixed income investment activities. The course starts with a broad overview of the major segments (Treasury, Corporate, Agency, Municipal, Mortgage-Backed, Asset-Based and International) of the fixed income markets and instruments. The features and characteristics if the segments and securities will be discussed. The course then focuses on the development of a comprehensive framework for analyzing, evaluating, and selecting fixed income securities and constructing fixed income portfolios. The following tools and techniques will be included among our means of valuation and management of fixed income portfolios: yield-spreads, term-structure and risk-structure of interest rates, spot rates and forward rates, duration and convexity, cash matching, indexing, immunization, bond swaps, and interest rate options.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
FINC 740 Derivatives Analysis 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisite: FINC 601 or (FINC 610 and FINC 620)

This course is an introduction to derivatives, including options, futures, forward contracts and SWAPs. The emphasis of this course is on the use of derivatives in trading, hedging, arbitrage and risk management. The course will provide an integrated framework for the valuation of different types of derivatives.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
FINC 760 Corporate Financial Decision Making 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisites: FINC 601 or FINC 610 and FINC 620

This course examines established paradigms related to corporate finance and explores advanced theory in financial management. Additionally, the course will apply such concepts and analytical tools learnt in a real-world case study framework to enhance financial decision making in a complex business world. AI will be used to analyze financial data to identify risks, growth opportunities and sentiments trends for newly public firms.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
FINC 765 Portfolio Management 3
Prerequisite: Prerequisites: FINC 601 or FINC 610 and FINC 620

This course focuses on financial institutions and markets in the context of portfolio construction, management, performance evaluation and performance presentations standards. Specific topics include: the efficient market hypothesis, market inefficiencies and selection criteria, fundamental versus technical analysis, portfolio diversification methods, asset pricing models, portfolio construction and asset allocations, hedging and risk management including the role of derivative securities, performance presentation standards, performance evaluation and attribution. Additionally, the course introduces the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in portfolio management, focusing on how AI can enhance the creation of portfolio policy statements, asset allocation, and security selection to meet investment objectives.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 3-0-3
BUSIE 700 Faculty-Led Study Abroad 3
Students travel abroad for intensive study that includes academic, professional and cultural components. These experiences are culture-specific, including academic lectures, company visits, and site seeing in the context of developing global business competencies.

Classroom Hours - Laboratory and/or Studio Hours – Course Credits: 0-3-3
    Total: 12 Credits
** Students pursuing the M.B.A. Finance concentration with the CFA track must choose five courses from the list (excluding BUSIE 700) to complete 15 total credits.
 
Total Required Credits = 36–48

Students with a concentration may complete the M.B.A. program in as few as 36 credits. The program consists of the waivable program core, the non-waivable program core, capstone course, and concentration courses.