Master of Science in Finance and Analytics

The Master of Science in Finance and Analytics (MSFA) is designed to produce graduates who have the skills to:

• Interpret and analyze financial information with cutting-edge tools, and develop financial models to assist decision-making
• Understand ethical standards in business and recognize and evaluate issues of ethics and integrity facing finance
• Develop and strengthen skills in leadership and collaboration

The MSFA program equips the students with the analytical skills and practical experience to prepare themselves for corporate finance, banking, consulting, and government careers. The program helps students develop the in-depth knowledge needed to excel in a management or C-suite role in the financial sector, or a finance leadership role in any organization. With finance elective courses, the student can focus on corporate finance, investment management, or capital markets. Students will learn the intricacies of corporate finance, investments, and analytical tools as they build a rock-solid foundation of finance acumen.

Program requirements are completed with classes that will also include students from the MBA and other M.S. programs. The same faculty teach the MS program as the MBA program and has the same Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) accreditation. The online version of the program would maintain identical program learning objectives and content as the on-campus program.

Admissions

For admission requirements, please refer to Chapter 2. Admission correspondence also may be sent via email to msadmissions@scu.edu.

• On-campus Admissions intake once a year (Fall Quarter; September start)
• Online Admissions intake twice a year (Fall and Spring Quarter; September or March start)

Applicants also must have completed the following areas before enrollment:

• One (1) course in college-level calculus
• One (1) course in college-level statistics

Additionally, candidates must complete the following areas before enrollment.  Completion of these courses may be from online sources designated by the program:

• One (1) course in linear algebra
• One (1) course in R programming
• One (1) course in Python programming

Evening MSFA Schedules

During the fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters, 4-unit classes generally meet twice per week for ten weeks for 95 minutes per session. The 2-unit courses generally meet twice per week for five weeks covering the first or second half of a quarter. Some elective courses are scheduled for weekend sessions throughout the term. In all quarters, the final exam periods are two hours.

Online MSFA Schedule

The Online MSFA Program will be largely asynchronous in learning materials such as readings, lecture videos, individual assignments, discussions, quizzes, and exams. However, courses may also involve a variety of group projects, group discussions, or office hours, requiring students to schedule some synchronous conversations with their groupmates and/or professors. A few elective courses require students to attend live, synchronous learning sessions. Students are notified at registration if the course requires synchronous sessions.

Residency

The Online MSFA program requires a 3-day on-campus residency at the start, which includes an FNCE 2400 and MSIS 2402 Bootcamp. See Chapter 6 for more information regarding online programs.

Finance Forward

In the Online MSFA program, students will learn more than just a new set of leading-edge finance and analytics skills. Our “Finance Forward” program theme ensures students develop the clarity to select the correct tool for the task and the confidence to deploy it expertly. In each course, students will be presented with a complex business challenge that they will work to overcome using a new analytical approach or method. At each course’s end, students will record a reflection that will be compiled into an ePortfolio to be presented at the end of the program. In doing so, they’ll develop a holistic sense of how these tools fit together and the broad strategic sensibility to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond.

Program Outline

The MSFA curriculum consists of 36 units across six core courses (20 units), one experiential learning course (4 units), and 12 additional units of electives.  

Students should refer to Chapter 5 regarding additional academic information policies. For course descriptions and prerequisites for core and electives, please refer to Chapter 8.

Curriculum Clusters

1. Core Courses (6 courses)

It gives students an understanding of the context in which finance operates. Students acquire basic finance and analytics knowledge to make intelligent business decisions. Students must complete all of the following courses:

• FNCE 2400 - Financial Forecasting & Analysis (4 units)
• MSIS 2402 - Math for Business and Analytics with R (4 units)
• MSIS 2403 - Database Management Systems (2 units)
• MSIS 2407 / IDIS 3802 - Data Analytics with Python (4 units)
• FNCE 2409 - Econometrics with R (2 units)
• FNCE 2405 - Investments (4 units)

2. Experiential Learning (choose one of the following projects) 

There are two ways that MSFA students may fulfill the experiential learning program requirement for the program: Practicum or Capstone. Both experiential learning projects are worth four units in total. Practicums are completed in two quarters, whereas Capstone is completed in one.

Both will require students to use real data and to apply their classroom learnings to real problems. In addition, it offers a unique opportunity to connect directly to leading companies and potential employers. Standout organizations serve as practicum partners for the program, including Google, Amazon, Adobe, VMware, Cisco, Intuit, Credit Suisse, Oracle, Nuveen, Franklin Templeton Investments, and many more. See Chapter 5 for more information.

On-Campus MSFA

• MSIS 2440 - Industry Practicum I (2 units)
• MSIS 2442 - Industry Practicum II (2 units)
• MSIS 2446 - Capstone (4 units)

Online MSFA

• IDIS 3598-P - Practicum I (2 units)
• IDIS 3598-PP - Practicum II (2 units)
• IDIS 3598-CC- Capstone (4 units)

3. Specialization/Electives (choice of 12 units)

Offers a variety of electives to help students develop capabilities in a specific area. Students must complete 12 units total of the following courses.

• FNCE 2404 - Introduction to Time Series Forecasting (2 units)
• FNCE 2408 - Analytics for Finance (Panel Data) (2 units)
• FNCE 2423 - Intro to FinTech: Innovations and Disruptions to Traditional Finance (2 units)
• FNCE 2428 - Alternative Investments: Partnerships and Venture Capital (2 units)
• FNCE 2431 - Machine Learning with Finance (4 units)
• FNCE 2460 - Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructuring (4 units)
• FNCE 2484 - Financial Engineering (4 units)
• FNCE 2482 - Business Valuation (4 units)
• MKTG 3597 - Marketing Analytics (4 units)

Below are additional analytical courses available for MSFA students to take:

• MSIS 2413 - Database Management Systems - Design, Development & Administration (2 units)
• MSIS 2427 - Big Data Modeling and Analytics (4 units)
• MSIS 2428 - Applied Cloud Computing (4 units)
• MSIS 2429 - Dashboards (2 units)
• MSIS 2439 - Data Visualization (4 units)^[a]

International students must enroll in an internship course if they would like to participate in a CPT.  See Chapter 5 for more information.

• IDIS 3797 - Internship (1 unit)
• IDIS 3798 - Internship II (1 unit)
• IDIS 3798 - Internship III (1 unit)

GBP Anywhere Program

The GBP Anywhere Program allows MBA and MS students to take on-campus or online electives from other Graduate Business Programs. The GBP Anywhere Program will offer greater flexibility and course availability for all Online and Evening students.  Online MS Finance & Analytics students may take up to 16 units of elective credit in the Evening MBA program and vice versa as long as the student has met the prerequisites. Tuition fees are based on the student’s original program.

Evening students taking courses in any Online programs must complete an online student success seminar before they begin their first online course.  Students will have access to the online student success seminar approximately 4 - 6 weeks before the course begins.  Online courses are asynchronous, structured with weekly modules, and students log in at their convenience each week to complete their coursework.  Some groupwork may require synchronous conversations. For all courses, Module 0 provides an overview of each course (including the syllabus) and opens the Friday before the first day of instruction. Students may access the entire course beginning on the first day of class.  Online courses must be accessed through the Online Camino tile on the My SCU single-sign-on portal.  If you encounter technical difficulties, call 833-822-2276 or email msprograms@scu.edu.

Online students taking in-person courses must access all course materials through the Camino tile (not Online Camino) on the My SCU single-sign-on portal. If you encounter technical difficulties, email camino@scu.edu and onlinegradbusiness@scu.edu.

International students can take one online course as long as they  are enrolled in a minimum 8 units of on-campus classes. Additionally please note that international students may not be solely enrolled in an online course in their graduating term. They must be enrolled in at least one on campus course as well. In Summer quarter however they may take only an online course. Please contact ISS if there are any updates, questions or concerns regarding online courses and visa repercussions.

Below are additional finance courses available through the Evening MBA program curriculum. Online students should be aware that the courses stated below are synchronous and will require students to attend class on campus:

• FNCE 2431 - Intro to Fixed Income (2 units)
• FNCE 2457 - International Finance (4 units)
• FNCE 2459 - Financial Markets & Institutions (2 units)
• FNCE 2461 - Applied Portfolio Management (2 units)
• FNCE 2462 - Applied Portfolio Management II  (2 units)
• FNCE 2464 - Real Estate Finance (4 units)
• FNCE 2480 - Emerging Company Finance (2 units)
• FNCE 2481 - Emerging Company Fiance II (2 units)
• FNCE 2486 - Behavioral Corporate Finance (2 units)
• FNCE 2489 - Mathematical Finance (4 units)
• FNCE 2492 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing

In addition, all MSFA students are allotted to take one graduate-level course outside of their program, provided that they have met the prerequisites, given that space is available and the Faculty Director of the Program has approved it. Graduate-level courses must be selected only from within the Leavey School of Business, and this opportunity is allowed only once during the student's academic program. Enrollment is not guaranteed.