Program Overview

Master of Finance Program

The Master of Finance program at Colorado State University is a STEM-designated program that teaches students how to apply quantitative methods to the complex discipline of finance. The program is rigorous and practical, featuring a comprehensive study of real-world corporate and investment risk measurement and management.

Program Details

• Credits in program: 30
• Bloomberg terminal licenses: 16
• Time to complete program: 1 year, or up to 2 years with flexibility
• The program emphasizes technical skills combined with options for scientific coursework, making it a STEM-designated program.

Career Outcomes

• Professionals with a Master of Finance have the best job prospects by mid-career salary out of all master’s degrees in the U.S.
• Job outcomes include financial manager, financial analyst, and financial advisor careers, with average annual starting salaries above $80,000 and a median salary of more than $125,000 by mid-career.
• Common career outcomes include positions in commercial or investment banking, financial management, financial planning and advising, portfolio management, corporate finance and risk management, financial analysis, and more.

STEM Designation Benefits

• International Master of Finance students can apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) that allows them to work for 12 months in the United States after completing the degree program.
• The STEM designation of the Master of Finance program makes students eligible for an additional 24-month OPT extension, providing up to 36 months more time to work and network in the U.S.

Finance Technology Lab

• Hands-on experience with industry tools in the world-class finance lab is essential to practical learning.
• The finance lab introduces quantitative methods and resources in financial modeling and decision-making, demonstrating the latest tools.
• Students learn VBA, R, and Stata and analyze real-time data using 16 Bloomberg terminals.

Dual Degree in Finance & Business Sustainability

• The dual degree of the Master of Finance and the top-ranked Impact MBA at CSU’s College of Business teaches sustainable business and corporate finance.
• Students learn about the latest trends and reporting to prepare Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosures and how to innovate based on an organization’s triple bottom line goals of people, planet, and profit.
• By earning both degrees in just two years on the CSU Fort Collins campus, students save time and tuition by offsetting 15 total credit hours and benefit from a summer corporate fellowship to gain real-world experience.

Courses for the Real World

• View Full Curriculum
• FIN 605 Enterprise Valuation: Corporate valuation methodologies including dividend discount model, relative valuation using market multiples, free cash flows, and options analysis.
• FIN 630 Financial Modeling: Practical applications of financial modeling and computer programming to analyze financial data.
• FIN 655 Investments: Investment analysis and decision-making emphasizing equity securities and portfolio management.
• FIN 665 Financial Engineering: Using futures, options, swaps, and securitized transactions in financial management.
• FIN 675 International Finance: Analysis of the foreign exchange market and international financial markets.
• FIN 610 Debt Securities Analysis: Valuation of corporate, government, and mortgage-backed debt securities and strategies for management of debt security portfolios.

Additional Resources

• LinkedIn Learning: An online resource with more than 18,000 courses in business concepts, financial theory, and investment strategies, valued between $240 to $360 annually, free for College of Business graduate students.
• Career Support: The college offers various graduate assistantship opportunities and career support to help students achieve their professional goals.