Master's of Finance Degree Programs in Maryland

Today’s accredited finance degree programs in Maryland offer students an exceptionally valuable degree since companies today must focus intensely upon finances and budgeting. With many companies still recovering after several difficult financial years, the opportunity to help companies enter a new financial future with knowledge and a finance degree offers students in Maryland many avenues for employment after graduation. The proximity of Maryland to Washington D.C. also ensures students can take advantage of programs with strong ties to the government and major businesses that operate in and around D.C. A finance degree will allow a student to seek a variety of jobs within Maryland or anywhere in the country.

Hood College

Economics and Business Administration

There are around 2,400 students attending Hood College, which is located in Frederick and is around 50 miles to the west of Baltimore. The school was established in 1893 by a group called the Reformed Church of the United States and was originally a women’s college. In the first year of its operation, the school had 83 women enrolled who took classes from eight faculty members. The school remained an all-women’s school until the early 1970s when men were first admitted. Once the college started admitting men and women, it went under some significant expansion with work done to enhance dormitories and add additional facilities like a fitness and aquatic center.

Business Administration, M.B.A. Finance

The MBA program at Hood College is designed as a broad program that will prepare students for any challenges they meet in the business world. Students may seek out a variety of positions in management, as well as in leadership roles within the businesses they join. Students learn how to become socially conscious businesspeople who are aware of the importance of ethics in business. The classes for this degree are offered in the evening so that students who are already in the workforce can remain in a career while obtaining their MBA. Students who already have a degree in business administration may be able to obtain their degree after only 36 credit hours. Students take classes that feature topics on team-building, critical-thinking, and leadership. For students who didn’t take undergraduate business courses or who don’t already have a business degree, the program requires 18 credits of foundation courses so that students have an appropriate base for further learning.

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs

Contact

Hood College
401 Rosemont Ave.
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 663.3131
Email: ajose@hood.edu
Website: https://www.hood.edu/academics/academic-catalogs/current-catalog/graduate-catalog/graduate-programs/business-administration,-m-b-a-.html

Johns Hopkins University

Carey Business School

Founded in the 1870s by a philanthropist, Johns Hopkins University has long been known as one of the premiere research universities in the United States. In fact, the school was one of the pioneers of such institutions and has gained a reputation worldwide for its strong dedication to educational research. In the areas of science, medical and engineering the school has ranked near the top of all schools in the United States for several years. The school even boasts 37 winners of the Nobel Prize and the school’s groundbreaking research has been the basis for countless studies and reports around the world.

Flexible MBA in Financial Businesses

Students who are also members of the workforce will thrive in Johns Hopkins’ Flexible MBA program where part-time study is available. Sources are given in the evening and on Saturday and students can also concentrate in one of eight different concentrations including financial businesses. Students benefit from a program designed to offer real-life business skills that may be applied in business today and will usually complete the program in three years of continuous study. However, to accommodate busy professionals, students may also take up to six years to earn the degree. Some of the business foundation courses students take cover topics like negotiation, statistical analysis, leadership ethics, and business law. Accredited finance degree programs in Maryland often have several foundation courses as part of the curriculum. To complete an MBA with a concentration in Financial Business, students must complete at least 12 credits in that subject area before being awarded their MBA degree.

Master of Science in Finance

The master’s degree in Finance at Johns Hopkins is designed to accommodate the financial leaders of today and all the modern issues that impact a fast-paced economy. Fiscal responsibility is one of the most important features in business today and businesspeople who offer expertise in this area are extremely valuable to today’s businesses. Johns Hopkins describes their MS in Finance as a rigorous program that offers instruction on important financial concepts to accommodate a career in financial regulation, analysis, or management. Upon graduation, students will be able to understand asset allocation, understand cutting-edge finance techniques, and implement budgets that result in maximum profit and shareholder payout. The program also offers vital instruction in creative areas and students learn that they must solve many financial issues with creativity and critical thinking skills to compete at high levels in today’s business world. Students may attend the program as a full-time or part-time student, and each program requires students complete 36 credits of instruction in Finance and Business courses.

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Contact

Johns Hopkins University
100 International Dr.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: (410) 234-9200
Email: carey.info@jhu.edu
Website: http://carey.jhu.edu/academics/master-of-business-administration/

Loyola University Maryland

Sellinger School of Business

Established in 1852, Loyola University Maryland was established by the Jesuits and was the first college to bear the name “Loyola” in the United States. The campus offers students classes in beautiful buildings of the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture, but is a small university with around 6,000 students attending. The university has a respected sports program and the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams rank highly each year. For several years, the university focused upon undergraduate programs, but in the late 1940s, the school established a graduate division. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the university became coeducational and started admitting both men and women.

Master of Science in Finance (MSF)

Loyola’s program focuses upon offering working professionals an option for attending school and earning a degree while remaining employed in the workforce. Classes are offered on a part-time basis and are also offered during the evening. Students may take courses in either the Timonium or Columbia classroom location. Entry into the program is possible in any one of three semesters. Students may also apply for merit scholarships and some students who already have experience in finance courses may also be able to waive certain course requirements. The university suggests that finance is a fundamental part of the world’s economy, but that it’s also complex and requires proper education to navigate. The university suggests that graduates will be leaders who can speak the “language of finance” and will be able to communicate efficiently and intelligently on many important subjects within finance. Some of the courses students will take include Financial Applications and Strategy and Investment Analysis.

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Contact

Sellinger School of Business
4501 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
Phone: (410) 617-5067
Email: msf@loyola.edu
Website: http://www.loyola.edu/sellinger/academics/graduate/msf.aspx

University of Baltimore

Merrick School of Business

Established in 1925, the University of Baltimore is part of the state’s system of universities. The school was once styled as an upper division university but eventually transitioned into a traditional university. The university was originally founded by local business leaders who wanted to offer working class citizens the chance to have an education. The 1970s saw dramatic change at the school when several mergers occurred and the university became officially accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition to undergraduate and graduate programs, the University of Baltimore also offers programs for professional degrees in areas like Communications Design and Public Administration.

Master of Science in Business-Finance

The University of Baltimore suggests that surviving in the world of finance requires a graduate degree because finance is so complicated and expansive in today’s business world. The university calls its program “leading-edge” and offers instruction in a variety of essential financial areas like financial theory and practical business. The university suggests that a master’s degree in finance is a perfect way to continue an education that began in accounting. Students who complete the master’s program in finance will be able to sit for the official CPA exam since the program allows students to satisfy the 150 credit hour requirement. Admission to the program requires the traditional elements of an application including GMAT scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. The Master of Science in Business-Finance is different from an MBA in that elective courses are in finance, which allows for a more specialized education within that field and an in-depth educational opportunity.

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Contact

University of Baltimore
1420 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 837.6565
Email: merrickschool@ubalt.edu
Website: http://www.ubalt.edu/merrick/graduate-programs/master-of-science/business-finance-ms/

University of Baltimore/Towson University

College of Business & Economics

Established in 1866, Towson University was built in a city of the same name and became part of the university system in the state of Maryland. The school was originally a training school for teachers and transformed in its later years into a standard bachelor’s degree granting institution. The school is large with almost 22,000 students enrolled and also provides the state with more teachers than any other university in Maryland. The university also ranked highly in the list of public universities in the northern United States in a recent list from “U.S. News & World Report.”

UB/Towson MBA Finance Specialization

Towson describes its MBA as a “cutting-edge” degree that provides an advanced curriculum that features all the complexities of today’s business environment. The MBA takes advantage of the internet by providing classes online, as well as at the University of Baltimore and Towson University. The university requires students complete a variety of foundation courses before enrollment such as Accounting Essentials and Essentials of Finance. However, these courses may be waived in cases where students have already taken similar courses in undergraduate school. Some of the required classes of the program include classes like Creativity and the Entrepreneurial Mindset and Performance Management and Accounting Controls. Students are allowed to choose a variety of electives which are best chosen from the courses on finance. The school also offers an interesting way for students to test the waters of getting an MBA. There are a variety of flexible programs and certificates that provide as solid base for continuing on with an MBA.

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Contact

UB/Towson University
Office of Graduate Admission
1420 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 837-64565
Email: mba@towson.ubalt.edu
Website: http://mba.ubalt.towson.edu/

University of Maryland

Robert H. Smith School of Business

Established in 1856, the University of Maryland was designed as the flagship of the public university system in Maryland. The school has a respected reputation for its programs and is dubbed a “Public Ivy” because of the quality of its education. The school is quite large with over 37,000 students enrolled who have access to more than 100 different majors in over a hundred programs. Students benefit from strong connections to the nation’s capital and unique research and internship opportunities that arise out of the close geography between the University of Maryland and Washington D.C. The university also recently ran a strong funding campaign that fed millions of dollars into the school.

Master of Finance

Modern finance is an ever-changing field and was greatly impacted by the economic change and turmoil of the past decade. The program at the University of Maryland is designed to take advantage of changes and updates to the way modern finance works. The school describes its program as “leading-edge” and suggests students will be prepared to succeed in a complex business world. The school also offers faculty who have already worked for significantly sized companies and a variety of institutions. Faculty have been published in many of the nation’s top academic journals and have also had features in major publications like the “Wall Street Journal” and the “New York Times.” The program is designed as a flexible one and features a selection of standard core courses. Students also have the opportunity to choose electives of their choice to personalize their degree with their own interests and end up with a master’s in a specific area of finance.

Finance in the MBA Program

According to the “Financial Times,” the MBA program at the University of Maryland was ranked 24th out of all the MBA programs in the nation in its recently published list in 2013. Although students aren’t required to have prior finance and business experience when they apply to the program, the rigors of study required by the degree’s curriculum are helped by a student’s real-world experience. Students may only enter the program in the fall semester and may make a determination on acceptance by taking into consideration the professional experience of the student. The school even sends representatives around to MBA fairs and forums around the country so that students who aren’t local can speak with a direct representative about the program. The program is designed to take about two years when a student is enrolled full time. Sometimes students can waive basic classes required for the degree, but students must still complete 54 credit hours total to earn their MBA.

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Contact

University of Maryland
Robert H. Smith School of Business
Van Munching Hall
7621 Mowatt Lane
College Park, MD 20742
Phone: (301) 405-9565
Email: masters@rhsmith.umd.edu
Website: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/programs/ms-programs/finance

University of Maryland University College

Business and Management

The University of Maryland at University College is designed as a distance-learning institution and has over 90,000 students enrolled. Anyone who can satisfy the basic requirements of the application process can attend at the undergraduate level in any one of over 120 different academic programs. The university is a member of the state’s official university system. The school traces its roots to an evening program that was designed for adults in the 1920s. By the 1940s, the school was developed into a more significant establishment. The school is also known for offering instruction to students at a variety of military bases around the world in places like Europe and Asia.

Master of Science in Accounting and Financial Management

The university suggests that students who student accounting and financial management are poised to become very valuable members of the workforce who are in high demand from employers. Students who have the specialized skills necessary to work with the financial issues present in most of today’s major companies will find a very short job hunt after graduation. Students who come to the program with an accounting degree may be able to reduce the total coursework required to complete the program. Overall, the program requires 36 credits to complete and is composed of five accounting classes, a half-dozen financial management courses, and a capstone class for the program. Once a student completes his or her master’s degree he or she may gain eligibility for the CPA exam to become a licensed accountant, depending on the state in which the student wishes to work. Classes students take include Financial Accounting, Auditing, and Federal Income Taxation.

Master of Science in Financial Management and Information Systems

The university describes this degree as one for “mid-career” professionals who are looking to enhance their professional opportunities with a graduate degree. Financial managers today must know much more than they did in the past, and this graduate degree offers students the updated information they need in today’s financial departments. The program requires students complete 36 credit hours which consist of five information systems classes, six financial management courses, and a capstone class for the program. The program has a few prerequisites to it and students must complete certain classes before enrolling in others. Some of the financial classes required of the program include Financial Decision Making for Managers and Financial Management in Organizations. Information Technology courses required for graduation include classes like Systems Analysis and Design and Foundations of Information Security and Assurance. Students can also pursue a second degree by adding just a few classes to the program’s curriculum.

Master of International Management in International Financial Management

Students who wish to gain a global perspective on the world of finance will find this degree exceptionally valuable. Most businesses today must operate with a global mindset, and employees who have experience in what goes on outside the United States will be valuable acquisitions for modern companies. Students gain an understanding of the international competition businesses face today and learn how to develop strategies and solutions for common problems. The primary goal of such employees in today’s businesses is to ensure a business can compete on the global scale. Students will gain a global perspective in how business operations work and the common processes used outside of the United States. The program requires students complete 36 credit hours which includes 12 credits of standard core classes as well as 21 credits designed as specialization courses. In addition, students must complete a 3-credit capstone class to complete the degree requirements

Master of Science in Management in Financial Management

The university provides several specializations for students interested in a graduate degree in management. The program is designed to ensure students and future business leaders know how management impacts an organization. Not only do students receive instruction on leading-edge management techniques, but the influence of technology on today’s businesses is also discussed. Some of the topics covered by this degree include financial management of current operations, investment valuation, and multinational financial management. The program works to teach students how to develop their skills in management while also cultivating knowledge in standard financial arenas. Some of the jobs students may seek from accredited finance degree programs in Maryland include work as financial managers, capital investment analysts, or financial liaisons. Core classes required of the degree include Organizational Theory, Intercultural Communication and Leadership, and Financial Decision Making for Managers. Students are expected to know how to perform a variety of financial responsibilities at the average business like overseeing strategic planning, as well as budgeting and allocating resources.

Accreditations

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Contact

University of Maryland University College
3501 University Blvd. East
Adelphi, MD 20783
Phone: (800) 888-UMUC
Email: admissions@umuc.edu
Website: http://www.umuc.edu/academic-programs/business-and-management.cfm

Nearly all businesses today keep a tighter rein on their finances than they did just a few years ago. The health of business today is often dependent upon smart financial decisions, so job seekers who apply with a finance degree on their resume will be exceptionally valuable to businesses that want to ensure a solid and profitable future. Fortunately, students on the East Coast can choose from several accredited finance degree programs in Maryland from a variety of respected universities.