Master of Science in Financial Analysis - STEM Program
San Francisco, USA
DURATION
18 up to 22 Months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* round 2; March 16: round 3; May 15: round 4; June 15: round 5; July 15: round 6
Key Summary
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
The MSFA program at the University of San Francisco provides a unique combination of academic rigor and practical expertise.
There is no city in the world like San Francisco. Transform your career in the SF Bay Area with the USF Master of Science in Financial Analysis.
Highlights
- Taught by USF Finance faculty and CFA-credentialed practitioners who are experts in their area.
- USF’s Master of Science in Financial Analysis program is a CFA Institute University Affiliate.
- The program enhances real-world uses of several spreadsheet applications.
- STEM-Designated (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
- Accredited by the AACSB, the highest standard of achievement held only by 5 percent of business schools worldwide.
Investment management has evolved from an art to science in the last three decades. This evolution has placed strict demands on practitioners to master the complex analytical and quantitative methods increasingly used in managing the investment process.
In response to the demands that today’s sophisticated financial markets place on financial professionals, the University of San Francisco offers a STEM-certified Master of Science in Financial Analysis (MSFA) degree that provides rigorous specialist training in recent advances in quantitative financial analysis and economics.
The MSFA curriculum is structured around the areas of knowledge and skills deemed necessary for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation by the CFA Institute. The MSFA program has been a CFA Institute University Affiliate since 2006, and our curriculum covers the majority of the CFA exam body of knowledge. Students may choose to take the CFA exams while in the MSFA program but are not required to do so.
The MSFA program at USF provides a coordinated, sequential approach to the tools and knowledge covered by the CFA Body of Knowledge. The MSFA curriculum is focused on bringing together finance theory and practice. Instructors in the program are a unique blend of USF professors and working CFA charter holders from local Bay Area firms. A thesis is not required for this program.
The USF MSFA program places a strong emphasis on ethical professional behavior in the financial industry–a characteristic that is integrated throughout the course of study.
Students graduate from the USF MSFA program with advanced quantitative training in economics and finance. Our graduates have the ability to understand and apply the most current tools used by investment management professionals today.
Admissions
Curriculum
Major Requirements (35 units)
The Program is offered in two formats: an 18-month full-time program and a part-time hybrid live/online program that meets once a month over 2 years.
The 18-month program is 35 units and requires all of the courses below:
Required
- MSFA 710 - Microeconomics for Finance
- MSFA 712 - Financial Markets
- MSFA 714 - Corporate Finance
- MSFA 716 - Macroeconomics for Finance
- MSFA 720 - Equity Valuation
- MSFA 722 - Fixed Income Valuation I
- MSFA 724 - Derivatives I
- MSFA 726 - Adv. Fin. Statement Analysis
- MSFA 728 - Ethics & Finance I
- MSFA 730 - Behavioral Finance
- MSFA 732 - Derivatives II
- MSFA 734 - International Finance
- MSFA 736 - Econometrics
- MSFA 740 - Capital Market Theory
- MSFA 742 - Alternative Investments
- MSFA 744 - Financial Econometrics
- MSFA 746 - Portfolio Management
Complete one from the following:
- MSFA 723 - Applied Investment Analysis
- MSFA 725 - Applied Equity Valuation
- MSFA 798 - MSFA Internship
- MBA 6216 - Student Managed Fund I
- MBA 6217 - Student Managed Fund II
Program Outcome
Learning Outcomes
In this program you will:
- Use an interdisciplinary approach to the valuation of financial assets and the development of investment management strategies
- Master the fundamental economic techniques for valuing companies and the financial assets they issue
- Understand the shortcomings of traditional accounting practice in the valuation process
- Apply quantitative methods and economic theory to the analysis and management of financial asset portfolios
- Develop a broad understanding of the micro, macro, and international trends that influence the values of financial assets and the evolution of financial markets
- Come away from the program with a thorough understanding of industry practice and standards as embodied in the skills and knowledge required by the CFA program
Accreditations
Career Opportunities
Career Outcomes
Your Professional Network is Just Steps Away — and Reaches Around the World.
As a USF student, you’ll have a strong support community of successful MSFA alumni.
Many of our former students are working just a few steps away from us in downtown San Francisco, at firms like BlackRock, Visa, and Charles Schwab.
Many of our international students return to their home countries, so you’ll gain access to a truly global network of fellow alumni.
Employers
Here is a selection of companies and startups who have hired recent USF MS Financial Analysis graduates in the years 2013-2017.
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Alumni job titles
*A selection of the most common positions for recent graduates.
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