Finance
Prepare for a career in financial management, capital markets, banking, corporate treasury, or investment management with Duquesne University's Master of Science in Finance (MSF), launching in Fall 2023. This hands-on program will help you develop deep skills in financial analysis and valuation for decision making in all aspects of business investment, financing and operating activities, so that you will be prepared to fully engage in organizations ranging from small and medium enterprises to major corporations.
Maximum flexibility
Your MSF studies will support your career commitments. Asynchronous online classes allow you the flexibility to complete the program where and when you choose. Cornerstone and capstone experiences will be delivered with some synchronous online sessions.
Program Information
This hands-on program will help you develop deep skills in financial analysis and valuation for decision making in all aspects of business investment, financing and operating activities.
Program Type
Major
Degree
Master's
Academic Department
Economics and Finance
More in this Program
Hear from Our Professors
"Finance is an intellectually rich, challenging discipline offering a wide range of rewarding career possibilities. Duquesne's MSF program will help you develop comprehensive skill in financial analysis and valuation for decision making. Graduates will be prepared to contribute to the long-run growth and success of any business organization.”
Curriculum and Course Descriptions
*Up to 6 credits may be waived based on previous coursework in accounting, finance, and statistics. To be eligible for a course waiver, a grade of ‘B-‘ or better is required in an approved course taken within the past 5 years. Pass/fail courses will not be eligible for a course waiver. | ** Included in Certificate Program.
This course provides graduate business students with a deeper understanding of the accounting cycle used in companies to produce both internal and external financial information. Special emphasis is placed throughout the course on understanding, analyzing and interpreting financial statements and related information. Additionally, students will be introduced to decision making tools such as ratio analysis and challenged to utilize them to critically evaluate financial information and make effective decisions. The basics of corporate sustainability reporting will also be covered. Prerequisite: Online Accounting Module to be completed prior to ACCT 715; material to be tested in ACCT 715. Lecture, Online. Offered summer only.
This course provides the necessary foundation in probability and statistics necessary for students looking to go on to study the application of statistics to business. In this course, students will learn the rules of probability, how to identify and use common probability distributions, and how to conduct basic hypothesis tests. Online. Offered every semester.
Financial Management is about decisions firms make in two broad areas: the investments it makes and how it pays for them. The first involves expenditures for physical capital, human capital, technological capability, brand capital, and so forth. The second involves raising money in financial markets. In business decision making, the objective is to maximize shareholder wealth. Why the emphasis on shareholders? Among stakeholders generally (i.e., customers, employees, suppliers, government, communities, etc.), shareholders alone possess a uniquely comprehensive and long-term view of the firm’s viability as an ongoing enterprise. This perspective arises from the residual nature of shareholders’ claim to earnings and assets. Wealth is created when the return from investing business resources exceeds their opportunity cost. FINC 501 Finance Fundamentals provides an introduction to fundamental topics which are prerequisite for FINC 530 Financial Management: • Financial Statements and Ratio Analysis • Financial Statement Forecasting • Time Value of Money Pre-Requisite: ACCT 501 for level GR with minimum grade of C (may be taken concurrently). Online. Offered every semester.
This course is intended to help students become more informed consumers of financial statement information. It is aimed at developing their understanding of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) that underlie external financial reporting and solidify their grasp of key general purpose financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, statement of cash flows). Students will then learn how to analyze and interpret the financial statements to assess the business entity’s profitability, liquidity and solvency and use earnings and cash flow information to value the business entity.
Financial Management is about the decisions firms make regarding (a) the acquisition of business resources, both tangible and intangible, (b) the management of these resources, and (c) the financing of their acquisition (i.e., how firms pay for them). In surveys of Chief Financial Officers, an overwhelming majority cite corporate culture as the single most important factor in creating value. The Finance function is seen to promote effective culture by exemplifying accountability, integrity and transparency, by providing analytical tools for superior execution, and by focusing employees on long-term objectives. Finance embodies important aspects of sustainability because it is based on objective benefit/cost analysis with the goal of maximizing shareholder wealth while simultaneously considering the impact of decision on other stakeholders. It is nearly always the case that what is good for stakeholders generally also results in long-term shareholder wealth maximization. Through problem solving and case analysis, students obtain a sound foundation in the application of financial decision-making tools toward the goal of optimizing the firm’s long-run viability. Topics covered include valuation, cost of capital, financial planning and forecasting, capital budgeting, risk and return, and options and/or international corporate finance. Prerequisite: Online Finance Module to be completed prior to FINC 721; material will be tested in FINC 721 . Lecture. Offered fall only.
Corporate Finance (FINC 613) covers advanced topics in financial analysis and decision making, including advanced valuation, short-term finance, long-term finance (debt and equity), capital structure, payout policy, leasing, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. Prerequisite FINC 530.
Provides advanced coverage of the structure of the finance industry, money and capital markets, derivatives, foreign exchange, central banks and monetary policy, depository institutions and regulation. Prerequisite FINC 530. Offered every spring.
Offers students the opportunity to work in teams with a real company to develop an analysis and recommendation in credit analysis, structured finance, project finance, merger, acquisition and/or related topics. Students will utilize methods, skills and techniques acquired in the MSF to solve a real-world business challenge. In doing so, students make high-stakes and impactful recommendations to top management under time-pressure and with high expectations for quality and analysis. Prerequisites FINC 530, FINC 613, and FINC 615.
Equity Investments (EQ)provides in-depth coverage of topics in the analysis and valuation of common stocks, modern portfolio theory and management, performance evaluation, risk management and hedging with options and futures. Prerequisite FINC 530.
Multinational Corporate Finance (MF) covers topics in financial decision making in multinational firms. More specifically, topics covered include foreign exchange, the international monetary system, parity conditions, balance of payments, currency and interest rate derivatives, translation and transaction exposure, economic exposure, international financing, euromarkets, international portfolio management, country risk analysis, and cost of capital. Prerequisite FINC 530.
Shows students how to apply data analytics to real-world finance situations (e.g., risks versus reward trade-offs in constructing investment portfolios) and will touch on FinTech, data visualization and machine learning.
Covers the analysis of fixed income and related derivatives, including how to price fixed cash flows, interest rate risk and hedging, the term structure, repurchase agreements, forwards, futures, swaps, options, corporate bonds, credit default swaps and asset-backed securities. Prerequisite FINC 530.
Helps students assess potential investment opportunities in commodities, hedge funds, private equity, cryptocurrency and real estate with an eye toward value maximization and portfolio diversification. Prerequisite FINC 530.
Provides both a conceptual framework as well as practical guidance for building wealth and implementing effective and successful financial plans for high-net worth families and individuals. Prerequisite FINC 530.
Provides students with skills for successful selling and relationship management in financial service contexts (e.g., banking), including sales processes, overcoming objections, closing, and sales management.