| |
Apr 27, 2024
|
|
|
|
|
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog
Finance, Master of Science
|
|
 Return to: Degree Programs and Graduate Certificates
Program description
The Master of Science in Finance program (MSF) is offered in the Department of Accounting and Finance within the School of Business Administration. The MSF is designed for students who are interested in careers in investments, corporate finance, risk management, credit analysis, and other related fields. The degree will assist finance professionals in the dynamic corporate environment. Professionals in the field are required to be effective communicators, maintain a high level of expertise, and uphold ethical responsibilities, while providing financial information, analysis of the economic environment and input in decision-making activities.
The proposed program will be helpful in fulfilling many of the objectives outlined in the mission statement and the strategic plan. In particular, the new program will:
- Help students to learn and apply core concepts and tools in the finance discipline to develop integrated and innovative strategies to address current and emerging business problems
- Provide a gateway to careers in investments, corporate finance, risk management, credit analysis, and other related fields
- Enhance students’ analytical, communication and decision-making skills
- Offer a graduate-level program developing superior technical knowledge and application skills beyond the baccalaureate finance program
- Prepare graduate students who will be able to satisfy the demand for quality finance professionals by businesses in the region as well as nationally
- Increase research and scholarship which will benefit both the SBA and the university.
- Develop and cement relationships with businesses in the area.
- Engage with alumni employed in the areas of finance
- Offer a program to Michigan residents who may not be in a position to attend the few competing programs in the state
Admission terms and application deadlines
Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.
Domestic Students
- July 15 for fall semester
- November 15 for winter semester
- March 1 for summer semester
International Students
- May 1 for fall (September) admission
- September 1 for winter (January) admission
- January 1 for summer (May) admission
To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:
-
- Applicants must meet the general admission requirements for graduate study at Oakland University
2. Additional department application requirement
| |
- Curriculum Vitae or Resumé
- Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. The GMAT or GRE scores must be five years or less at the time of the applicant’s intended enrollment at Oakland University.
- Applicants applying to one of the graduate programs may request a waiver of the GMAT or GRE requirement if they meet one of the following criteria.
- Earned a master’s degree or higher with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0
- Has an acceptable score on the GRE, LSAT, or MCAT entrance exam
- Earned a bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from an AACSB-accredited business school
- Earned a bachelor’s degree in any major with an overall GPA of at least 3.2 from a regionally accredited program
- Completed a business-related certification such as CPA, CFA, CFP or FRM
- Has at least 3 years of relevant professional work experience and an undergraduate overall GPA of at least 2.75
- Has completed at least 3 years of service in the US armed services
- To request a waiver, applicants must submit a form to Graduate Admissions as part of the application packet. The request for waiver is subject to the approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee.
|
Admission review and assessment
Admission to graduate school at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Oakland University Graduate School, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.
Related links
|
Degree requirements
The Master of Science in Finance program is awarded upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 30 credits in an approved program of study. The curriculum for the program is as follows:
A. Foundation Courses (15 Credits)
A foundation course may be waived if an equivalent course was previously completed with a grade of “C” or above. The MSF student who is waived from foundation requirements must substitute graduate business electives to complete their 30-credit program. The MSF Director must approve these electives.
B. Electives: (minimum of 4 courses)
C. Capstone Course
- FIN 6370 - Financial Strategies (3 credits)
All students are required to take the capstone course. This course should be taken during the last semester.
Additional program information
- In compliance with university policy, no undergraduate courses will be applied toward graduate degree requirements.
- Students must meet the prerequisites for all MSF courses.
Satisfactory academic progress
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.
Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details. Good academic standing
All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.
Good academic standing is a requirement for:
- Holding a Graduate Assistantship
- Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
- Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
- Going on a leave of absence
- Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University
Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.
Department requirements: In accordance with the university requirements for graduate students, a grade-point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students, therefore, should maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Students may be dismissed if they do not maintain a GPA of 3.0 or appropriate progress toward the degree as determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Any course resulting in a grade below 2.0 must be repeated.
Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.
Related program information
Plan of study
All accepted applicants, in consultation with the program coordinator, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Oakland University Graduate School.
Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)
Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.
|
Return to: Degree Programs and Graduate Certificates
|
|