The MS in finance (on-campus) is not accepting new applicants at this time.
The Master of Science in finance program is a three-semester, STEM-designated program. Students have the opportunity to enroll in a combined degree program with the MS in business analytics program, and current University of Iowa undergraduate students may apply to a combined undergraduate degree/MS graduate degree program. For more information, see Combined Programs in this section of the catalog.
Learning Outcomes
Core Competency
- Students acquire and exhibit knowledge about fundamental financial concepts.
Business Applications
- Students acquire and exhibit knowledge about applying financial concepts in business and financial markets.
Communication
- Students effectively communicate finance solutions to business problems.
Team Work
- Students demonstrate the ability to be effective team members in a complex and diverse world.
The Master of Science program in finance requires a minimum of 45 s.h. of graduate credit. A Graduate College major program grade-point average (GPA) and a UI cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 is required in all coursework.
The MS in finance requires the following coursework.
Core Courses
Students should consult their academic advisor about the possibility of waiving a core course if they have a major GPA of at least 3.30 in the subject area (consult advisor) or have passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA, Level 1) Examination.
Course List
Course # |
Title |
Hours |
FIN:8130 | Business Communication (taken spring and fall semesters for 1 s.h. each) | 2 |
FIN:9150 | Financial Modeling and Firm Valuation | 2 |
FIN:9200 | Portfolio Management | 3 |
FIN:9210 | Derivatives | 3 |
FIN:9220 | Fixed Income Securities | 3 |
FIN:9300 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
FIN:9400 | Professional Development and Business Acumen (taken fall and spring semesters for 1 s.h. each) | 2 |
BAIS:9100 | Data and Decisions | 3 |
MBA:8140 | Corporate Financial Reporting | 3 |
MBA:8170 | International Economic Environment of the Firm | 3 |
MBA:8180 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
Electives
Elective credit varies for students. Students complete the remainder of the required 45 s.h. with elective courses and should consult their advisor.
Course List
Course # |
Title |
Hours |
| |
FIN:9225 | Applied Fixed Income Analysis - Hart Fund | 3 |
FIN:9250 & FIN:9260 | Applied Securities Analysis - Henry Fund I and Applied Securities Analysis - Henry Fund II | 6 |
FIN:9390 | Applied Financial Analysis: Industry Project | 3 |
FIN:9391 | Thesis in Finance - Master of Science in Finance | arr. |
| |
FIN:4030 | Securities Industry Essentials Exam Prep | 1 |
FIN:9001 | Directed Readings in Finance - Master of Science in Finance | arr. |
FIN:9140 | Enterprise Risk Management | 3 |
FIN:9160 | Quantitative Finance and Deep Learning | 3 |
FIN:9230 | Real Estate Finance and Investments | 3 |
FIN:9240 | International Finance | 3 |
FIN:9290 | Alternative Investments and Portfolio Strategies | 2-3 |
FIN:9310 | Corporate Financial Strategy | 3 |
FIN:9330 | Investment Banking | 3 |
FIN:9350 | Wealth Management | 3 |
ACCT:9040 | Financial Statement Analysis and Forecasting | 3 |
ACCT:9050 | Taxes and Business Strategy | 3 |
ACCT:9120 | Design and Use of Cost Management Systems | 3 |
ACCT:9130 | Financial Reporting: Theory and Practice | 3 |
BAIS:6040 | Data Programming in Python | 3 |
BAIS:6050 | Data Management | 3 |
BAIS:6060 | Data Analysis With R | 3 |
BAIS:6070 | Data Science | 3 |
BAIS:6140 | Visual Analytics | 3 |
BAIS:9110 | Advanced Analytics | 3 |
BAIS:9210 | Data Modeling and Automation | 3 |
CS:4400 | Database Systems | 3 |
CS:5110 | Introduction to Informatics | 3 |
ECON:4800 | Econometric Analysis: Advanced Causal Inference With Data | 3 |
ECON:5800 | Econometrics | 3 |
ISE:6760 | Pattern Recognition for Financial Data | 3 |
ISE:6780 | Financial Engineering and Optimization | 3 |
MATH:4250 | Introduction to Financial Mathematics | 3 |
STAT:4100 | Statistical Inference I | 3 |
STAT:4101 | Statistical Inference II | 3 |
| |
MS/JD
The combined Master of Science in finance/Juris Doctor program allows students to pursue two degrees simultaneously, earning both more quickly than they would if the degrees were pursued separately. The Department of Finance collaborates with the College of Law to offer the combined program.
Separate application to each degree program is required. Applicants must be admitted to both programs before they may be admitted to the combined program. For more information, see the Juris Doctor, JD (College of Law) in the catalog.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations on the Graduate College website.
Applicants must:
- have earned a bachelor's degree from a U.S. college or university, or have earned an equivalent degree from another country;
- submit unofficial transcripts with their application and official transcripts for admission;
- have earned a minimum grade-point average of at least 3.00 or the international equivalent;
- submit a current résumé that includes information about employment (if applicable), education, extracurricular activities, and community involvement; and
- submit a statement of purpose with a maximum length of 500 words.
Application deadlines are as follows.
- Priority deadline: Dec. 15
- International student deadline: March 15
- Domestic student deadline: June 15
The MS in finance program has articulation agreements with Central College, Coe College, Cornell College, Grinnell College, and the University of Northern Iowa that permit conditional graduate admission pending all application requirements are met upon completion of the undergraduate degree.
Visit the MS in finance Admissions website for full admission details.
The Tippie Graduate Career Services team offers multiple resources to help students in their career development journey. Visit Graduate Career Services on the Tippie College of Business website for details.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Finance, MS
This sample plan is currently being reviewed and will be added at a later date.