M.S. in Finance Curriculum

The curriculum of the M.S.F. program is designed to transform students’ understanding of business and the global economy, equipping them with the skills and relationships needed to succeed in the financial services marketplace. Students will take a total of 32 credit hours, of which 22 credit hours are finance courses in this one-year, predominantly lock-step program. Each 14-week term is divided into two seven-week modules, A and B, with each module course being two credit hours (or four hours, if spread out over her modules). To meet student needs, classes are scheduled in the morning, afternoon and evening, Monday through Friday. Students go through the program as a cohort group.



Curriculum

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN FINANCE
Curriculum (As of Fall 2023 entry)
Total Credit Hours: 32

See

Term 1 – Fall Credit Hours: 16

Fall Module A Courses
Finance Theory and Practice
Portfolio Theory and Asset Pricing
Managerial Statistics
Managing Your Career (0 credit)
Optional Core* – ACCT 6201 or ACCT 6210 *See below for FINA 6430

Fall Module B Courses 
Valuation and Analysis
Derivatives
Financial Modeling
Optional Core* – ACCT 6202 or ACCT 6212 *See below for FINA 6430

Term 2 – Spring Credit Hours (16 credits)

Spring Module A Courses (4 total)
Fixed Income Securities
Quantitative Trading Strategies

Elective* Choose two from the following:
Financial Accounting I
Managerial Accounting I
Financial Statement Analysis
Topics in Energy Finance

Spring Module B Courses (4 total)
Corporate Financial Policies
International Finance
Financial Markets and Monetary Policy

Elective* Choose two from the following:
Financial Accounting II
Taxes and Business Strategy
Special Topics in Energy Economics
Financial Statement Analysis

*FINA 6430 Asset and Wealth Management Practicum is offered by application. It is a full semester (both modules A and B) and would take the place of 2 elective courses.

Credit Hours Summary for M.S.F. Program

  • 4 credit hours of required accounting courses
  • Students need to take at least 2 accounting courses
  • 2 credit hours of Statistics - MAST 6201 is a required course worth 2 credits
  • 20 credit hours of required finance courses
  • 4 or 6 credit hours of electives depending on number of finance courses
  • 32 credit hours total for Cox M.S.F. degree

Online Boot Camp

Maybe you have a passion for finance, but need to shore up your skills before taking on the rigors of the MSF. The SMU Cox online summer Boot Camp IS designed to prepare you. By the time school starts, you'll you’ll have a working knowledge of compound interest, discounted cash flow and financial statements. The Cox MSF Boot Camp includes: 

  •  Online Self-Study Guide. Authored by Cox faculty, this self-paced workbook offers a solid primer on basic financial concepts.
  • MyFinanceLab Homework Exercises. Cox faculty monitor your progress as you complete at-home assignments. The goal: Hit the ground running in your first on-campus finance class.