master of finance careersThe Master of Finance Degree prepares graduates for Master of Finance Careers in investment management, financial analysis and corporate finance. The program takes from one to two years to complete. The program includes courses in corporate finance, investment analysis and managerial accounting. There may also be fundamental courses in accounting, economics and quantitative methods if those courses have not already been completed. There are also advanced courses that include; real options, mergers and acquisitions, portfolio management, and financial modeling. The program may also offer elective classes in business ethics and strategy.

When looking for a Master of Finance degree program check to see if they are an accredited program. Some of the best Master of Finance degree programs are offered by Princeton University, University of California in Berkeley and the University of Texas at Austin and any of these will prepare you for a range of Master of Finance careers. Princeton is one of the oldest colleges in the United States and offers specialties in financial technologies, quantitative asset management, macroeconomic forecasting and financial engineering. The University of California at Berkeley has been in existence since 1868. Their program requires a 10 week internship and completion of an applied finance project. Northeastern University offers one of the best online Master of Finance Programs.

Popular Master of Finance Careers

The Master of Finance Degree will prepare you for many different Master of Finance careers such as: lending officer, investment banker, financial analyst, mutual fund manager, financial risk manager, and financial planner. A lending officer assists clients in applying for loans. They determine a borrower’s creditworthiness and will determine the terms of the loan. The salary range for a lending officer can vary from $55,000 to over $100,000. A lending officer may receive a salary or commission or a combination of both salary and commission. An investment banker raises debt capital and equity for companies. Investment bankers may work long hours, but can earn up to a mid six figure income. A financial analyst makes industry, sector and business recommendations after researching microeconomic and macroeconomic conditions as well as company fundamentals. They are often the one to tell the company’s management if it should buy or sell stocks. The median salary for a Financial Analyst is just under $50,000. Mutual fund managers are also a popular choice among Master of Finance careers.  Mutual fund managers oversee the investing for a group of funds. They have specific investing aims depending on the approach of the mutual fund. The average salary for a mutual fund manager is from $70,000 to well over $100,000. A financial risk manager analyses daily business functions, identifies strategic risks and identifies policies and procedures that will minimize risk to the business. They will manage and monitor risk across the entire business. Compensation for a financial risk manager can range from $100,000 to over $250,000. A financial planner helps with financial planning for individuals and sometimes businesses. The financial planner helps an individual with cash management, retirement planning, estate planning and other financial matters. The average salary for a financial planner is $73,000. As you can see, a Master of Finance degree can open the door to many different Master of Finance careers.

Resources

Master of Finance (Wikipedia)