This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2024-2025 VCU Bulletin. Courses that expose students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning may be added and notification of additional program approvals may be received prior to finalization. General education program content is also subject to change. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.
Program accreditation
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Program goal
The goal of the Master of Science in Business with a concentration in finance program is to train students to take on the quantitatively challenging and highly competitive business environment of the financial industry. Students learn skills to effectively analyze, develop and communicate solutions that take into consideration ethical implications.
Student learning outcomes
- Graduates will be able to conceptualize and apply quantitative measurement methods, to analyze business problems and to propose solutions.
- Graduates will be able to analyze a business problem in terms of both quantitative and qualitative aspects, including:
- A precise statement of the problem and how it relates to the goals of the firm
- A consideration of the ethical, policy and/or practicality limitations on any proposed solution strategy
- A statement and consideration of proposed solutions strategies and their implementation within the limitations
- A plan for implementation and monitoring of the proposed solution
- Graduates will be able to analyze the ethical dimensions of a business situation and relate those dimensions to general ethical standards as well as to professional ethical standards.
- Graduates will be able to express the analytic, quantitative and ethical dimensions of business problems and proposed solutions in a clear and well-organized manner.
VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs
The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.
It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.
Degree candidacy requirements
A graduate student admitted to a program or concentration requiring a final research project, work of art, thesis or dissertation, must qualify for continuing master’s or doctoral status according to the degree candidacy requirements of the student’s graduate program. Admission to degree candidacy, if applicable, is a formal statement by the graduate student’s faculty regarding the student’s academic achievements and the student’s readiness to proceed to the final research phase of the degree program.
Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following degree candidacy policy as published in the VCU Graduate Bulletin for complete information and instructions.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on degree candidacy requirements.
Graduation requirements
As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.
Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.
Other information
School of Business policies and procedures for graduate students are available on the school’s website.
Admission requirements
| Degree: | Semester(s) of entry: | Deadline dates: | Test requirements: |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. | Fall | Jul 1 | GMAT or GRE* |
| Spring | Nov 1 | ||
| Summer | Mar 1 |
In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, applicants must submit an up-to-date resume.
*Test requirements may be waived for candidates with an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution with a minimum GPA of 3.25. Waiver request information can be found on the Graduate Studies in Business webpage.
Degree requirements
The finance concentration prepares students for financial decision-making positions in corporate, investment, financial and governmental institutions. Courses offered in finance include advanced financial management, investments and security analysis, funds management in financial institutions, international finance, and derivatives.
In addition to the VCU Graduate School graduation requirements:
- All students must have completed a course in calculus prior to attempting graduate business courses. This prerequisite can be met after admission to the program.
- Students must complete up to four classes (zero to 12 credit hours) of foundation course work. At the time of application, all undergraduate and graduate transcripts will be reviewed to determine if the following courses may be waived. Waiver of a foundation course may be awarded when a student demonstrates equivalent knowledge, such as completing the required undergraduate equivalent course with a minimum grade of C.
Prerequisite undergraduate and/or foundation courses
Prerequisite and/or foundation courses may be waived for students who present satisfactory equivalent preparation at either the undergraduate or graduate level. This determination is made by the faculty adviser at the time of admission.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite | ||
| Calculus | ||
| SCMA 212 | Differential Calculus and Optimization for Business | 3 |
| Foundation courses | ||
| ACCT 507 | Fundamentals of Accounting | 3 |
| FIRE 520 | Financial Concepts of Management | 3 |
| SCMA 524 | Statistical Fundamentals for Business Management | 3 |
Curriculum requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required core courses | ||
| FIRE 610 | Financial Modeling and Analysis | 3 |
| FIRE 621 | Cases in Financial Management | 3 |
| FIRE 622 | Financial Intermediation and Analysis of Fixed-income Securities | 3 |
| FIRE 623 | Financial Management | 3 |
| FIRE 635 | Investments and Security Analysis | 3 |
| Approved electives | ||
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Managerial Accounting Concepts | ||
| Exchange Traded Funds | ||
| Financial Analytics | ||
| Topics in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | ||
| Risk Management | ||
| Cases in Real Estate | ||
| Derivatives | ||
| Short-term Financial Management | ||
| Real Estate Finance and Investments | ||
| Topics in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | ||
| Field Project in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate 1 | ||
or FIRE 697 | Guided Study in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | |
| Free electives | ||
| Select one of the following: 2,3 | 3 | |
ACCT (any 600-level) | ||
ECON (any 600-level) | ||
FIRE (any 600-level) | ||
| Data Reengineering | ||
| Business Process Reengineering | ||
| Database Management | ||
| Entrepreneurship | ||
| Marketing Research | ||
| Statistical Analysis and Modeling | ||
| Developing and Implementing Forecasting Methods for Business | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
A student may substitute a free elective for one of the FIRE electives with the approval of the director of the concentration in finance.
Students may choose any free elective approved by the director of the M.S. program in finance. Students are encouraged to select accounting, economics, math, or statistics courses. These courses are pre-approved electives and therefore do not require further approval.
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 30.
Students who complete the requirements for this concentration will receive a Master of Science in Business.
Accelerated opportunities
The department offers opportunities for qualified undergraduate students to earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. See the individual program page for concentrations in the Undergraduate Bulletin for details.
Contact
Austen Gouldman
gouldmana@vcu.edu
(804) 828-4622
Additional contact
Graduate Studies in Business
gsib@vcu.edu
(804) 828-4622
Program website: business.vcu.edu/academics/finance/ms-in-business-concentration-in-finance/