MS in Finance

Realize a return on investment with a Master of Science in Finance from the Costello College of Business at George Mason University. 

Prepare for a career in commercial banking, investment banking, corporate finance, regulatory finance, or portfolio management. 

With Costello's STEM-designated Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program, become skilled at navigating diverse regulatory environments locally and globally. Use the latest quantitative and analytical methods and techniques to analyze complex financial issues. Gain the knowledge and skills necessary for financial planning, portfolio management, and financial risk mitigation including:  

• How to communicate analysis results, recommendations, and solutions to problems to finance professionals, clients, and top executives.   
• How to value and budget complex large scale (i.e., valued in billions of dollars), long-term projects and involve multiple entities.   
• How to manage large portfolios for mutual funds or pension funds.   
• How to value and issue financial securities.  

Develop diverse business skills, broader insights, and confidence while expanding your professional network by connecting with your classmates and our international business alumni network of nearly 40,000 alumni. Benefit from a dedicated career services team that offers you personalized career coaching, employment and networking opportunities, and planning services for life. 

A “HyFlex” delivery that makes it easy to manage your life’s competing demands

The program’s courses are offered in a “HyFlex” (hybrid+flexible) model: you can choose to participate face-to-face in a classroom or live, synchronously online. No matter what you choose, you’ll interact with your professors in real time. 

More Program Highlights:

Curriculum

The STEM-Designated Master of Science in Finance program requires 33 credits: 30 credits of core courses and three credits for a Capstone course. Students can complete this program in either one year or two years.  The program follows the 8-week module format and courses are offered in the evening online or in-person to accommodate working professionals.

Our curriculum is structured around the principles of finance knowledge including corporate finance, investments, derivatives, and banking. You will learn essential topics such as corporate payout, capital structure, capital budgeting, and restructuring policies, venture capital asset allocations, and portfolio performance evaluation. Additional coursework will educate you on topics such as managing bank balance sheets to achieve liquidity and managing the risk of assets and liabilities using futures, options, and other derivatives.

Our curriculum is also focused on advanced quantitative and programming skills. You will gain proficiency in Python, the widely used computational software program in the finance industry. You will also become proficient in working with big data, using database analytics and management programs.

Coursework will allow you to become knowledgeable about internationalization in financial markets, understand relevant, diverse regulatory environments, and utilize a variety of financial instruments to solve current and emerging issues in the global economy. An emphasis on ethics is embedded in the coursework, ensuring that our students are exposed to ethical professional standards which govern finance professionals.