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
"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.”
*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 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. 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. Online.Hear from Our Professors
Curriculum and Course Descriptions
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. PR: ACCT 501
Lecture, Online.
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.
Financial Management is about the decisions firms make in two broad areas: the investment
it makes and how it pays for them. The first involves expenditures for physical capital,
human capital, technology 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 its opportunity cost.
FINC 530 Financial Management provides an advanced discussion of the analytical techniques
used to assess the impact of business decisions on shareholder value. the course covers
these topics:
PR: FINC 501 with a minimum grade of C, STAT 501 with a minimum grade of C, ACCT 515
with a minimum grade of C
Online, Lecture.
This course provides students with a thorough understanding of the operation of the
financial system and the role of financial markets and financial institutions in the
process of flow of funds. Topics to be covered include the determination and structure
of interest rates, the Federal Reserve System and the effects of monetary policies,
interest rates, security valuation, the structure of financial markets and financial
institutions and their role in their economy, and risk management in financial institutions.
Prerequisite FINC 530. Online.
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, FINC 617, ACCT 615.