Master’s in Finance

Unlock the complex principles that drive the world’s financial markets and gain the quantitative skills required for success across the financial industry.

Led by a coordinated team of faculty members with a wealth of experience in the finance industry, the intensive M.S. in Finance (MSF) program in Clark’s Graduate School of Management (GSOM) will prepare you with the competencies necessary to succeed. Step into a wide range of roles in banking, investment management, trading, insurance, corporate finance, and other industries. Along with a strong foundation in quantitative and analytical skills, you’ll hone your ability to use critical thinking to address vital financial issues, laying the groundwork for success in any high-stakes financial environment.

Why Study at Clark?

Join a close-knit learning community that has achieved AACSB accreditation and recognition by The Princeton Review.

Learn from highly dedicated faculty members with extensive real-world experience.

Gain the knowledge and skills needed to sit for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam.

STEM-approved, OPT-certified program helps create a wide range of employment opportunities for international students after graduation.

Program Overview

Over the course of three semesters, you will develop and build on basic quantitative skills and analytical approaches to finance. Our cohort-based approach ensures that all students progress at the same pace, allowing you to feel confident and comfortable in class with your peers. Coursework during your first semester will focus broadly on theory and basic quantitative skills, with an increasing emphasis on practical applications through group-based projects in your second semester. In your final semester, you will draw on tools developed in the classroom and during your summer internship to create interdisciplinary solutions to complex, real-world problems alongside your peers.

The common numerical methods used in financial engineering, such as Monte Carlo simulation and finite difference
How to develop innovative solutions to complex management challenges and make socially responsible business decisions
Fundamental understanding of industry-standard technologies such as Bloomberg Professional, MATLAB, and Bloomberg’s Launchpad
The ability to value stocks using the free cash flow (FCF) model and price bonds using lattice-based term structure models
How to evaluate projects and business ventures using models like economic value added (EVA)

Foundations of Financial Accounting
Advanced Derivatives
Fixed Income Securities
Investment Strategies
Wealth Management

Requirements

10 course units

8 core courses
1 experiential learning course
1 elective
Professional internship

Students should have completed Economic Theory, Statistics, and Calculus before starting the program.

Course Catalog

Putting theory into practice through experiential learning is an essential aspect of the M.S. in Finance program. All students complete an external internship in the summer between their second and third semesters. These hands-on opportunities at leading banks, corporations, asset management firms, and other institutions provide you with rich experiences to draw from when you return to campus to complete your coursework.

Join Graduate School of Management clubs, including an active Finance Association.
Attend guest speaker series and panel discussions at the university level and departmental events with executives from corporations around the world.
Receive customized advising support as part of a small cohort of students.
Participate in career training workshops.
Enroll in the Investment Fund course, which allows students to manage a portion of the University endowment.

GSOM-Skills-You-Learn

Many of our courses include investigative components in which students research and report on the challenges and opportunities facing real companies and portfolios. In addition, faculty members work with student research assistants to pursue independent investigations in their individual areas of focus.

Analyzing and describing alternative forms of investment
Evaluating mutual fund performance
Measuring the effect of insider trading on firm value
Comparing hedge fund replication models
Assessing the effect of financial decisions on shareholder value and interests
Evaluating investment and risk management strategies
Comparing how different types of securities are structured

The quantitative and analytical skills developed at Clark prepare our graduates to hit the ground running at a wide variety of financial institutions, including private and public corporations, banks, and asset management firms. Our interdisciplinary approach fosters the cross-sector skills sought by forward-thinking organizations worldwide.

“I never thought I could be exposed to the real finance world just by sitting in a classroom — until I came to Clark.”
— Xinyue Fan, MSF ‘15

Career Outcomes

Systems Analyst
Fidelity Investments
Assistant Relationship Manager
Standard Chartered Bank
Actuarial Consultant
PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
Financial Analyst
International Capital Alliance

Faculty Research Areas

Zhenyang (David) Tang

Assistant Professor

Analyzing the Effects of Insider Trading

Professor Tang studies empirical corporate finance, market efficiency, and insider trading.

Sitikantha Parida

Assistant Professor

Setting Prices, Realizing Value

Professor Parida focuses his research on empirical asset pricing, mutual funds, and behavioral finance.

Steve Ng

Associate Professor

Using Market Trends to Grow Assets

Professor Ng has held senior positions at many financial firms, and studies wealth management, capital markets, portfolio management, and investment strategies. He is a principal at Woodland Investment Consulting.

Why Study at Clark?

Faculty Focus

Real-world Financial impact

Program Overview

Skills for Success

Sample Courses

Opportunities Abound

Sample Projects

Faculty Research Areas

Analyzing the Effects of Insider Trading

Setting Prices, Realizing Value

Using Market Trends to Grow Assets