Program Overview

Accelerated BSBA/Finance and MS in Fintech Program

The Department of Finance & Legal Studies offers an Accelerated MS degree program that allows students to simultaneously earn their BSBA with an emphasis in finance and their MS in Fintech in as few as ten semesters. The combined program requires a minimum of 138 credit hours.

Program Overview

Students accepted to the Accelerated MS degree program will be allowed to take up to 12 credit hours of 6000-level courses toward both BSBA and MS Fintech programs. These courses will require additional work by the instructor. The remaining 18 credit hours must be at the 6000 level. Students are encouraged to work closely with the Undergraduate and Graduate Business Programs Directors to ensure that required courses are timed appropriately.

Eligibility

Students will need to have fulfilled the core curriculum requirements prior to applying for the Accelerated MS program.

Admission Requirements

Provisional Admission

Applicants are considered for provisional admission if they meet the following criteria:

• Earned 60 hours as an undergraduate
• Completed the core curriculum requirements for the BSBA/Finance emphasis
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 with a B or better
• Have met with both the Undergraduate and Graduate Business Programs Advisor

The Graduate Business Programs Director, in consultation with the Undergraduate Director, will determine whether the student can apply for provisional status. Graduate courses completed by undergraduate students who have been provisionally admitted to Accelerated Master's program will be charged at the undergraduate tuition rate; however, these courses will count toward the master's degree.

Formal Admission

Applicants are considered for formal admission to the graduate school in their final semester in their undergraduate degree program. Thus, students should meet with the Graduate Business Programs Director each semester. Applicants are considered for formal admission if they meet the following criteria:

• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 since being granted provisional status
• Have met with the Graduate Business Programs Director in College of Business

The Graduate Business Programs Director, in consultation with the Undergraduate Director, will determine whether the student can apply for formal admission. Final decisions concerning formal admission are made by the Graduate Dean in consultation with the Graduate Business Programs Director. Students admitted at this stage are conferred graduate status and must continue taking courses with graduate status until the completion of the MS degree.

Awarding of the Degrees

The student must apply for and receive the bachelor's degree in the semester when all the undergraduate requirements are completed. In that semester, the student must also apply and be admitted to the graduate program, to begin in the semester following the awarding of the undergraduate degree. The student will apply to receive the master's degree in the semester that the requirements for the graduate degree will be completed.

If the student fails to enroll for more than one year after receiving the bachelor's degree, the student can still earn the master's degree, but the graduate-level credits earned as an undergraduate cannot be used for the graduate degree.

Program Requirements

Students with provisional admission at the 5th semester (Junior year) will continue the status of undergraduate standing until the end of 7th semester (Senior year) and will complete up to 12 graduate credits (dual credits; AM form).

Junior/Senior Year Courses

Choose 12 credit hours from the following level finance courses that are taught by a member of the Graduate Faculty:

• FIN 6500 (3500) Financial Management 3 credit hours
• FIN 6503 (3503): Computer Applications in Finance 3 credit hours
• FIN 6520 (3520): Security Analysis 3 credit hours
• FIN 6521 (3521): Financial Forensics: The Science of Derivatives 3 credit hours
• FIN 6540 (3540): Financial Institutions and Financial Markets 3 credit hours
• FIN 6570 (3570) Introduction to Fintech 3 credit hours
• FIN 6576 (3576) Blockchain: Applications in Finance 3 credit hours