Program Overview

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Program Overview

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program with a concentration in Finance. This program is designed to prepare working professionals for careers in the financial sector.

Finance Concentration

The Finance concentration helps students learn about a range of financial subjects, including:

• Capital markets
• Corporate valuation
• Tax
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Real estate
• Financial reporting and analysis

Career Outlook in Finance

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers increasingly seek finance professionals with a master’s degree or other advanced certification. The job market for finance professionals is competitive and diverse, with various roles and growth rates.

Finance Job Market

Here are a few examples of roles in the finance field and their projected growth rates from 2021 to 2031:

• Financial Managers: 17% growth rate, with 123,100 projected employment changes
• Financial Analysts: 9% growth rate, with 31,300 projected employment changes
• Personal Financial Advisors: 15% growth rate, with 50,900 projected employment changes

Salary Overview in Finance

Finance salaries can vary depending on the industry, role, and employer, but the field is generally growing and lucrative. Some roles in finance offer significant bonuses in addition to base salaries.

Career Paths in Finance

Graduates who earn an MBA with a finance concentration may excel in various financial service arenas, including:

• Accounting and Auditing
• Financial Analysis
• Taxation
• Investment Banking
• Private Equity

Online Finance Education at UNC Kenan-Flagler

The online MBA program at UNC Kenan-Flagler prepares students for success in finance through a rigorous curriculum, hands-on learning opportunities, personalized career and leadership services, and connections with the UNC Kenan-Flagler alumni network.

Finance Curriculum

The program offers various finance courses, including:

• Core Courses in Finance: Finance, Financial Accounting
• Suggested Electives: Corporate Financial Strategy, Derivatives, Financial Statement Analysis, Global Finance and Emerging Markets, Information for Decision Making, Incentives and Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, Taxes and Business Strategy, Information for Product and Customer Strategy

Featured Faculty

The finance faculty at UNC Kenan-Flagler includes experienced finance industry leaders and award-winning researchers and educators. They offer unique insights in fields ranging from entrepreneurial finance and financial intermediation to asset pricing models.

Master’s in Finance vs. MBA

Professionals considering careers in finance often want to understand the difference between a Master of Finance degree and an MBA. An MBA offers broad-based knowledge in business areas, while a Master of Finance provides more specialized, mathematics-intensive areas of finance.

Finance Certifications and Licensure

Depending on the types of finance positions pursued, earning additional credentials or becoming licensed in a specialty area may be beneficial. Commonly pursued finance designations include:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

Conclusion

The online MBA program with a finance concentration at UNC Kenan-Flagler is designed to prepare working professionals for successful careers in the financial sector. With a rigorous curriculum, hands-on learning opportunities, and personalized career services, graduates can excel in various finance roles and arenas.