Academic Catalog

Finance (M.S.)

Admission Requirements

Admissions into the Master of Science in Finance program is contingent upon admission to the Wayne State University Graduate School.  In addition, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • GMAT
    • The GMAT requirement can be waived, if you meet the following criteria:
      • An acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) entrance exam.
      • GPA of 3.3 or higher from an AACSB-accredited business program.
      • GPA of 3.3 or higher from a regionally accredited university in any major.
      • A minimum 3.0 GPA and at least three years of relevant professional experience that shows increased responsibility over that period.
      • You have passed level one of the CFA exams.
      • GPA of 3.0 or higher in a major in Engineering, Physics or Mathematics.
  • Overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75, with a 3.0 major GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
  • Submit a copy of your professional resume (should include start and end dates for each position held).
  • Three letters of recommendation from professors or employers.

Program Requirements

The M.S. Finance (M.S.F.) program requires a total of 30 credit hours.  Up to six transfer credits from previous equivalent graduate coursework can be applied to the degree if those credits have not been counted toward another degree, are from an AACSB accredited institution, are equivalent substitutes, have a B grade or better and are not older than 6 years.

Students can pursue the M.S.F. full time or part time.  Students must complete the program within six years.

A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or greater is required for graduation.  A maximum of two courses in which a C grade has been received may be used to meet graduation requirements, provided this is offset by sufficient A grades to maintain the required 3.0 GPA.

The M.S.F. curriculum will provide the student with a solid foundation for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) level one exam and will prepare them for a variety of financial roles.  There are three phases of course work required:

  • Foundation
  • Core
  • Electives

Foundation Requirements

Before progressing to the core courses of the program, students should possess a solid foundation in finance, accounting, statistics and mathematics as comprised by the following set of courses:

BA 2300Quantitative Methods I: Probability and Statistical Inference3
BA 6000Introduction to Accounting and Financial Reporting3
BA 6005Basics of Financial Management3
MAT 2010Calculus I4

If the applicant's business administration, finance or accounting degree is from a college or university located outside of the United States, some or all of the foundation requirements may not be waived because U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (US GAAP) may not have been studied.

Core 

Core courses form the backbone of the M.S.F. program, providing general analytical methods and technical tools that can be applied to a variety of sub-specialties in finance. 

Financial Accounting for Decision Making
Corporate Financial Management
Applied Financial Analysis
Quantitative Methods in Finance
Data Analytics in Finance
Money and Capital Markets
Investment Policies

Electives

Please select three courses (9 credits) from the available elective courses: 

Fixed Income Securities
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Finance
Advanced Managerial Finance
Financial Technology
Entrepreneurs' Ecosystem
Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital
Topics in Finance
Futures and Options
International Finance
Internship in Finance
Mergers and Acquisitions
Portfolio Management/Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF)
Directed Study
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