Master in Finance Degree Overview

Overview
With the revolutionized development in technology, the number of growth opportunities in finance has increased dramatically. Master in Finance degree is very important to understand the very pulse of the business and financial institutions, their business model, the future of their companies as well as for recommending changes in the way their strategies work. It provides a unique opportunity to the students to grasp the trends in quantitative analysis with full academic rigor. Some of the special benefits endowed by the course are solidification and expansion of the current financial concepts, understanding the importance of the analytical tools in the financial decision making processes. The program also makes the student capable in understanding the statistical evidence from financial research in a very economical and intuitive manner. It also helps the students to develop quantitative skills, presentation skills, and ability to model financial problems in an efficient and informative manner. Some of the avenues in which a Master in Finance Degree can be really useful include Insurance, Commercial Banking, Energy Trading, Commodities and Risk Management. The Master in Finance program is intended to prepare students for a wide range of careers both inside and outside the financial industry, including financial engineering and risk management, quantitative asset management, macroeconomic and financial forecasting, quantitative trading, and applied research. Students are provided with access to leading financial and analytical technology in our state-of-the-art Market Training Lab, which provides practical skills necessary to be successful in today’s finance industry.

Masters in Finance Degree (MSF) vs. Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
Requirements:Unlike the MBA programs, the MSF does not demand 4-5 years of work experience for the students. They are tailor-made mostly for students who have just finished their undergraduate studies in finance and are looking for a Master’s Degree.

Course: As its name suggests, MSF focuses only on finance unlike a MBA degree. It does not deal with the general business education. It includes subjects like Investments, Corporate Finance and Financial Accounting and Analysis; Personal Assessment and Development. Thus, it is able to delve into the deeper levels of understanding finance than a mere MBA. The inter-disciplinary aspects of Finance are drawn in, like the Financial Econometrics, Financial Mathematics, Modern Finance, Corporate Finance, Behavioral Finance and Computational Finance.

Duration: The MSF is shorter in duration than compared to MBA as it takes one year to complete. It strictly deals with the understanding of finance and the respective financial markets by the students. The MBA curriculum, on the other hand, is more diverse and generalized as the students can study Human and Organizational Performance as well as Operation Marketing in the curriculum.

Selection Process
The following details are needed while applying for a MSF degree:
• A completed online application form.
• A one-page CV/resume.
• Names and details of two referees
• GMAT/GRE test scores
• Proof of English Language ability
• A transcript of grades from each university attended.

Along with it, the student should have the ability to work in multicultural teams and have an international outlook.

Career Prospects after MSF
MSF graduates are mostly recruited for many of the same positions that MBAs get, as well as a few analytical jobs that they don’t. It is important for finance professionals to know that the world of finance which is more than just investment banking. A number of opportunities are appearing in the field of insurance, commercial banking, commodities and energy trading and risk management. In addition to it, the MSF programs are also getting more popular due to the in-depth learning and training provided by institutes. MSF graduates are of course qualified to try out and experiment in everything ranging from sales, corporate finance, trading and risk management to and private wealth management.

After pursuing their MScF, the students can also opt for a PhD in Finance which is a much more rigorous course, demanding more in-depth study and specialization. With a PHD they can focus on the research aspects of the subject, ultimately carving out a career in academics, an option that is not available for a MBA graduate.