In the global business environment, organizational leadership requires in-depth knowledge of finance. Knowledge of financial management is a key skill for executives and senior managers. Executives and top managers require financial education to guide companies and institutions to success. Without the practical tools in financial analysis and management, it is impossible for a professional to succeed in leadership.

The demand for knowledge of controller functions has never been greater. Graduate students studying toward a degree in finance in Illinois, have access to internships and employment at world class financial institutions and commodities trading center.

Lewis University

College of Business

Lewis University currently serves around 6,800 students and offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, 22 graduate programs, and accelerated programs for working adults. As the ninth largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis is being honored for the sixth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.

Master of Business Administration, Finance concentration

The Master of Business Administration program at Lewis University provides a global business education. Lewis University MBA students are introduced to the social, economic, and political factors impacting strategic decision-making in the global business environment. MBA students select from six concentration areas: accounting, finance, economics, marketing, information systems, and management.

Students enrolled in the Lewis University MBA program can choose from several convenient learning options. The program is conducted in five eight-week accelerated sessions, at six credit hours per semester, annually. There are two sessions fall semester, two sessions spring semester, and one session summer semester. For working adults, the school offers evening courses once a week.

Rolling admissions make Lewis University an excellent choice for anyone interested in mid-year entrance. MBA courses are offered on-campus at our Romeoville, Oak Brook, Shorewood, Tinley Park, and Albuquerque, as well as blended and online classes.

Master of Science in Finance (MSF)

The Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program at Lewis University prepares students for a career in finance. The MSF program offers graduates about the range of specialized and technical knowledge applications required to work as financial analysts, investment brokers, or wealth advisers. The MSF designation gives students the tools they need to conduct investment and asset valuation analysis and portfolio management.

Knowledge acquired in simulations allows students to learn the ins and outs of leveraging data and making strategic financial decisions. The MSF curriculum also covers topics in related subject matter, primarily economics and accounting. Insights into economic policy and its impact on the finance sector give MSF graduates the knowledge they need to govern financial control of organizations and institutions. Students engage in evidence based practice research and real-time investment simulations.

When students graduate from Lewis University, they are prepared to sit for the CFA® Level I Exam. The CFA® gold standard certification is comprised of three tests to be taken during a two year exam schedule.

Accreditation

  • The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
  • The North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission (NCA HLC)

Contact

Lewis University
One University Parkway
Romeoville, IL 60446-2200
Phone:(800) 897-9000
Email: admissions@lewisu.edu
Websites:

Illinois State University

College of Business

Recognized as one of the “Best Business Schools” by the Princeton Review, the Illinois State University, Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program offers students an elite business education. The fully accredited MBA program is a high caliber graduate degree program, offering students three flexible modes of academic training.

Master of Business Administration, Finance Concentration

The Illinois State MBA is designed for working professionals. In close proximity to major companies in the region, the Illinois State MBA is perfect for those interested in advancing their careers. A shorter version of the Illinois State MBA, the Corporate Master of Business Administration is a cohort-based, weekend curriculum of 26-28 months.

The School’s Corporate MBA program courses take place at the Normal, Illinois campus. One of the best MBA options for institutional leaders, mid- to upper-level corporate managers, and business entrepreneurs on the market, the Corporate MBA suits the needs of established professionals looking to add value to their career portfolio.

Named after its world-class city campus location, the Chicago MBA program provides students with the training they need to develop the knowledge and skills to become business leaders. The degree program is a 19-month curriculum held at the downtown Chicago campus.

Accreditation

  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • The North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission (NCA HLC)

Contact
College of Business
Illinois State University Campus
Box 5500 Normal
Il 61790-5500
Phone:(309) 438-2251
Email: sjchang@ilstu.edu
Web: http://illinoisstate.edu/graduate/details.php?f=mba_masters.xml&p=%2Fgrad_programs%2Fcob%2F

North Central College

Graduate College

In 1861, Plainfield College was opened in Plainfield, Illinois, then in 1864 the name was changed to North-Western College. In 1870 the college moved to Napierville, IL and continued as North-Western College until the name was changed again to North Central College in 1926. The college has received numerous accolades, including being ranked as one of the top 20 “Regional Universities (Midwest)” in each edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best College Rankings” since 2007. North Central emphasizes student engagement, strong teaching, a vibrant community, and successful outcomes.

Master of Business of Administration Program, Finance Area of Focus

The North Central Master of Business Administration program offers students a Finance Area of Focus. The MBA in Finance at North Central College is designed to provide students with essentials to business theory and practice, as well as the fundamentals to a graduate education in finance.

The program offers students the opportunity to specialize in a concentration of their choice, including finance. The designated area of focus prepares graduate students for expertise in their field. The MBA program consists of a total of 10 to 16 courses (30 to 48 credit hours).

Accreditation

  • The North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission (NCA HLC)

Contact
MBA Program
North Central College
30 North Brainard Street
Naperville, IL 60540
Phone:(630) 637-5100
Email: psbarger@noctrl.edu
Web: https://northcentralcollege.edu/admission/mba

North Park University

School of Business and Nonprofit Management

North Park University was founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church. More than 3,000 students from around the United States and the globe attend NPU, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. North Park proudly describes itself as a Liberal Arts University that is intentionally urban, distinctively Christian, and purposefully multicultural. The School of Business and Nonprofit Management offers degree and certificate programs designed to prepare students for success in careers in both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Finance Graduate Certificate

The Finance Graduate Certificate at North Park University trains corporate financial strategy, structure, and policy to beginning and experienced professionals. The Finance Graduate Certificate provides the right insights into analysis, forecast, investment advisory, and portfolio management to promote on the job.

Students in the certificate program also learn accounting principles and practices and organizational strategy contributing to operations financial planning and investment decision. Risk management in finance is a critical element in financial oversight. The Finance Graduate Certificate at North Park University prepares students for governance of control, fiduciary responsibility, legal requirements related to operations finance and investment activities.

The certificate course schedule can be customized in a blended, face-to-face or distance learning format. Time to completion of the Finance Graduate Certificate is 12 to 24 months. The certificate is a popular supplement for MBA holders. All certificate courses are transferable to accredited MBA and MS Finance programs.

Accreditation

  • The International Assembly for Business Education (IABE)
  • The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Board (NCA HLC)

Contact
Finance Graduate Certificate
North Park University
3225 West Foster Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-4895
Phone:(773) 244-6200
Email: admissions@northpark.edu
Web: http://www.northpark.edu/Academics/School-of-Business-and-Nonprofit-Management/Graduate-Programs/Certificate-Programs/Finance

Northwestern University

Kellogg School of Management

Northwestern has 12 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees. NU has one of the largest research endowments in the nation, making it a top-tier research university. The Kellogg School of Management trains leaders in the business world, encouraging them to “think bravely.” Academics focus on collaboration, leadership, and globalization.

Finance PhD Program

The Doctor of Philosophy in Finance at Northwestern University is a terminal degree program designed to support graduate student training and research. The results to a Finance PhD from Northwestern University may involve a role as an executive finance professional, or a tenured faculty position teaching finance.

Entrance to the PhD designation in Finance mandates that students provide evidence of a background in both theoretical and empirical finance. Knowledge of economics, mathematics, and statistics also applies to consideration. A student’s potential as a researcher in demonstrated ability to make a contribution to the understanding of financial markets and institutions while at University during their graduate experience is essential.

The PhD includes taught courses, followed by a graduate research project leading to publication of a dissertation manuscript. Courses within the PhD in Finance program at Northwestern University cover the entire spectrum finance sector activities (i.e. banking, capital structure, corporate control and governance, dividend policy, empirical and theoretical asset pricing volatility, macro and micro economics, real estate, and security market trading and regulation). Due to the fact that the emphasis of the PhD in Finance program is on research, students are guided in their acquisition of advanced techniques applied in theoretical and empirical research in the subject.

Accreditation

  • The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Board (NCA HLC)

Contact

Northwestern University
Office of Doctoral Studies
2001 Sheridan Road, Room 221
Evanston, IL 60208-2001
Phone: (847) 491-2832
Email: kellogg-phd@kellogg.northwestern.edu
Web: http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/finance/doctoral/

Roosevelt University

Walter E. Heller College of Business

Well-recognized in the Chicago area as a lead MBA in Finance program, Roosevelt University’s Walter E. Heller College of Business offers one of the most innovative MBA education experiences available to students pursuing a career in business. A veritable incubator of business knowledge sharing and co-working group interactions, the MBA program at Roosevelt University is nothing short of global excellence in business training.

The College also offers working adults the University’s Saturdays in Schaumburg program. Students can opt to complete the MBA in Finance degree on Saturdays.

Master of Business Administration, Finance

The Master of Business Administration degree offered through Roosevelt University’s Walter E. Heller College of Business is designed for students preparing for an executive or managerial role in finance. The Finance emphasis to the College’s MBA degree program offers a number of specializations in the field of Business including Finance.

The degree program covers a range of business administration courses followed by a concentration. For those electing the concentration in Finance, the curriculum focuses on problem-solving and decision-making within the areas of financial management and investment advisory. Students can also take courses in Accounting, Accounting Forensics and Economics as part of their training in Finance.

Accreditation

  • The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA HLC)
  • The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)

Contact

MBA Finance
Roosevelt University
The Wabash Building
425 S. Wabash Avenue, room 1211
Chicago, IL 60605
Phone:(847) 619-4850
Email: bwalker@roosevelt.edu
Web: http://roosevelt.edu/Business/Programs/MBA.aspx

Illinois graduate programs in finance instruct on the rules to financial governance and practice applied in the contemporary business environment. Bachelor-level training in accounting, economics, finance, math or statistics is recommended in preparation for a graduate program in finance.

Related Resource: What Can I Do With a Master’s in Finance?