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Masters Degree in Finance
The masters degree in finance offers advanced training that builds on a foundation of business and management skills. Graduate students in finance must complete, or have previously completed, course work that satisfies the finance prerequisite courses listed in the Graduate Bulletin. For a complete list of the program's courses, click here.
A six-course core is required of all finance students: Corporate Governance (FIN 5320), Empirical Finance (FIN 5400), Investment Management and Analysis (FIN 5310), Seminar in Financial Theory (FIN 5520), Advanced Macroeconomics Analysis (ECON 5010), and Applied Econometrics (ECON 5340). Students may substitute Banking Management (FIN 4510) or Monetary Theory (ECON 4450) for Advanced Macroeconomics Analysis (ECON 5010).
The student selects the remaining courses depending on his or her career plan from electives in economics, business, statistics, accounting, and finance. The student may elect to take 26 hours of course work and write a Plan A thesis, or take 30 hours of course work and write a shorter paper based on work done in Finance 5320 or 5400, the Plan B option. A total of at least 21 credit hours of course work at the 5000 level is required for UW's masters in finance. Additionally, at least 21 hours must be 5000 or 4000 level course work in finance and economics.
Sample Program - MS in Finance
| Year 1 | |
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
| ECON 5340 Applied Econometrics | FIN 5400 Empirical Finance |
| ECON 5010 Macroeconomic Analysis I | FIN 5310 Investment Management |
| FIN 5320 Corporate Governance | FIN 5520 Financial Theory Seminar |
| Year 2 | |
| Fall Semester | |
| Grad Elective | |
| Grad Elective | |
| Grad Elective |
A fifth-year program is available for students who begin the program in their junior or early senior year. This program will allow him or her to complete the MS Finance degree in one additional academic year (two semesters).
The masters in finance is flexible, providing several course options. One can select courses from a variety of fields and achieve broader exposure, or limit course selections to a smaller number of fields and achieve a higher degree of competence in particular specialties.
During the third semester (or the summer session for those completing the degree in one year) the finance masters student selects a major professor for direction with the Plan B or Plan A masters thesis. A committee, selected by the student and the major professor, directs a research project. A favorable report from the committee completes the degree requirements. Most students complete all requirements within one to two years.
For more information about our masters degree in finance please email econfinance@uwyo.edu.
