Finance, M.S.

Learning Objectives

The objectives of the MSF program are:

• To prepare students to become successful professionals in the field of finance and/or add value to existing finance professionals by expanding and updating their core base of technical knowledge, competency and skills.
• To provide students with a specialized knowledge in one of the following areas: corporate finance, investments and portfolio management, or risk management.
• To provide students with the analytical skills necessary to make effective business decisions.
• To develop professional written communication skills.

The MSF program prepares students for a professional career in a range of specialized areas: corporate finance, investments, portfolio management, financial institutions, and risk management. This program is designed for students who desire an opportunity for in-depth study of the sophisticated analytical techniques and market transactions that drive financial innovation. Curriculum options for corporate finance and investments and portfolio management are designed for students with an undergraduate degree in business administration, an MBA, or undergraduate or graduate degrees in other disciplines. The risk management option is designed for students with strong quantitative backgrounds, typically with undergraduate degrees in mathematics, statistics, the physical sciences, and engineering.

Foundation Courses

To determine if a student will need to take any foundation courses, a transcript evaluation is conducted at the time of application to see if a student has successfully completed courses in accounting, managerial economics, statistical analysis, and basic calculus before starting work on the MSF. Normally, foundation courses must be completed before enrollment in required courses or electives.

• MBA 7003 Preparing, Understanding and Using Financial Statements
• ECON 0713 Economic Concepts
• QM 0713 Statistical Analysis
• STAT 4813 Statistical Methods for Scientists and Engineers (alternative to QM 7023 )
• MATH 2014 Calculus I (or MATH 1103)

Foundation Waiver Policy

Normally, admitted students requiring foundation courses will enroll in those courses at The University of Tulsa. However, any of the following may qualify a student for a foundation course waiver:

• Completion, with a grade of B or higher, of a course or courses covering comparable material within the past six years from an AACSB accredited business program or as part of a four-year bachelor’s degree in business administration.
• Additional course work, with a grade of B or higher, in the subject area, beyond the principles or introductory courses covering the comparable material.
• Extensive career experience using the subject matter that builds on prior course work in the subject area.
• A successful score on the proficiency exam for the subject.

Waiver Note: Foundations may be satisfied in different ways:

• Traditional classroom courses
• Online courses
• Passing a proficiency exam after preparation with:
  • Non-credit short courses, or
  • Self-study following TU-prepared material

Satisfactory Progress

A candidate for a Master of Science in Finance degree is expected to complete the program in a timely manner. All requirements for the degree must be completed within six years from the date of enrollment in the program. Students who do not make satisfactory progress may be dismissed from the program.

MSF Applied Option

Students are required to apply business principles in an actual business environment through a formal Collins College of Business internship, following the College’s Guidelines for Administration of Student Internship Programs.

To earn the MSF Applied Option, the student:

• Must complete all requirements for the MSF.
• Must satisfactorily complete an additional one-semester internship course (BUS 7021 ) which is graded P for Pass or F for Fail and in which satisfactory performance in the internship is required for a passing score. Students may only enroll in BUS 7021  for one term.
• Will be responsible for securing the internship, but the firm and internship must be approved by the faculty member guiding the internship, the Director of the School of Finance, Operations Management and International Business, and the Director of Graduate Business Programs.

Curriculum

All candidates for the Master of Science in Finance degree must have completed or complete the foundation courses and 36 semester hours of advanced study. The curriculum requirements for each option of study are shown below. A thesis is not required, but is an option for the degree. A minimum of 27 credit hours must be completed in advanced (7000-level) courses reserved exclusively for graduate students.