Finance (MS)

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Offered by the Kogod School of Business , the Finance (MS) program provides students an opportunity to obtain focused training in finance that will prepare them for professionally-oriented careers in finance.

Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must have earned an undergraduate bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a satisfactory grade point average and a satisfactory score on the GMAT or the GRE. Applicants who meet certain criteria may apply for a GMAT/GRE waiver; please visit http://www.american.edu/kogod/admissions/ for more information. Applicants whose first language is not English must have a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must also have earned satisfactory grades in introductory economics, basic statistics, and accounting courses before formally entering the program. Applicants who have not completed these prerequisite courses or who require further preparation prior to beginning the degree program may complete them at American University or at other schools.

All prerequisites must be satisfied, either at the undergraduate or graduate levels, prior to enrollment in the MS in Finance program.

6 undergraduate credit hours of micro and macroeconomics or 3 graduate credit hours in economics
3 credit hours of statistics
6 undergraduate credit hours of financial accounting or 3 graduate credit hours in accounting

Degree Requirements

33 credit hours of approved graduate work including 12 credit hours of core and 21 credit hours of elective coursework
- Students may not count more than 3 credits of FIN-576 Student-Managed Investment Fund (1-3) towards their graduate degree

Course Requirements

Foundation (0 credit hours)

Note: FIN-060 may be waived without substitution for students who have completed at least 6 credit hours of finance coursework with grade of B or higher.

FIN-060 Introduction to Finance (0)

Core (12 credit hours)

Electives (21 credit hours)

Complete 21 credit hours from the following, with up to 6 credit hours from graduate-level accounting, economics, statistics or other courses approved by the program director:

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. Advanced undergraduates admitted to a combined degree program that includes a master’s degree from Kogod are eligible to take graduate-level courses and may apply up to 9 graduate credit hours earned as an undergraduate toward the requirements for both degrees. See Combined Bachelor’s and Kogod School of Business Master’s Programs for more information.