Finance and Accounting Degrees at the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota appears in our ranking of the 25 Great Master of Financial Engineering Programs.
Students looking to pursue a degree in finance or accounting from the University of Minnesota (UMN) have several options from which to choose at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Based in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Carlson School of Management is a leader in business research and education. The school’s approach connects students to dynamic international education programs, unique experiential learning opportunities, and to a vibrant network of businesses throughout Minnesota and beyond.
At the graduate level, students can choose from a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) or a Master of Finance (MS-Finance), among other business-related degrees. At the undergraduate level, students may pursue a four-year, 30-credit bachelor’s degree in accounting or 30-credit degree in finance. The bachelor’s degree in finance helps students develop their understanding of the techniques and principles of effective financial decision-making. It also provides them with the knowledge and skills they need to assist individuals, the government, or businesses in answering questions regarding making investments, raising funds, measuring financial risk, evaluating projects, improving the value of the company, and understanding capital markets.
The MAcc program provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to gain a competitive edge in the field. Lively classroom debates, dynamic instructors, and a specialized curriculum helps to prepare students to respond to the rapidly changing demands of business in order to become leaders in their professions. In addition to graduate-level accounting courses, students will choose a broad range of elective courses through the Master of Business Taxation (MBT) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs.
The M.S. in Finance provides a strong foundation for students who wish to build a career in finance. The curriculum combines practical application with expert instruction in finance theory to prepare students for the field, and graduates enter the job market ready to take on a number of different roles. Students will take classes in areas such as risk management, investment and commercial banking, security analysis and portfolio management, corporate finance, and more. In addition, students work with current software and databases to sharpen the quantitative skills that are in high demand in the industry.
In addition to programs offered through the Carlson School of Management, students may also choose to pursue a Master of Financial Mathematics (MFM) from the School of Mathematics at the College of Science & Engineering. This professional degree helps students aiming for a career in quantitative finance and incorporates the disciplines of computer science, economics, finance, statistics, and mathematics. The program’s training, career development activities, and curriculum prepare students to work in a range of financial institutions such as commodities, universities, the government, insurance companies, hedge funds, and investment and commercial banks.
About the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota (UMN, the U of M, Minnesota, or simply the U) is a public research university located in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The campuses are approximately three miles apart, with the Saint Paul campus actually located in Falcon Heights. UMN is the largest and oldest campus within the University of Minnesota System and boasts the sixth-largest main campus student body in the country, educating nearly 52,000 students in 2017-18. UMN is also the flagship institution of the University of Minnesota System and is organized into 19 separate schools and colleges. UMN also operates sister campuses in Rochester, Morris, Duluth, and Crookston and is referred to as a Public Ivy university, meaning that the collegiate experience is comparable with the Ivy League. The UMN researchers, alumni, and faculty have collectively won three Pulitzer Prizes and 29 Nobel Prizes. Notable UMN alumni include Bob Dylan, a recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, and two vice presidents of the U.S., Walter Mondale, and Hubert Humphrey.
University of Minnesota Accreditation Details
All campuses of the University of Minnesota are accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Accreditation is the process of advancing and assuring the quality of higher education institutions’ programs, departments, and campuses through reviews by outside agencies. In addition to assuring the public and students that an institution is offering high-quality academic programs, it also serves to allow the transfer of credits between schools and the request of federal financial aid for attending students. In addition to institutional accreditation by the HLC, UMN also offers a number of programs that have earned specialized accreditation, which is often associated with a specific discipline or with a national professional organization. Several of the programs offered within the Carlson School of Management are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
University of Minnesota Application Requirements
Undergraduate students seeking a degree from the University of Minnesota (UMN) must complete an application for admission, pay a $55 nonrefundable application fee, submit official high school transcripts, and arrange for their SAT or ACT scores, including writing test results, to be sent to UMN directly from the testing agency. In order to be admitted into a graduate program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, and they must have earned an undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Some programs may require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores as well as letters of recommendation from professional and/or academic sources. Aspiring graduate students must complete an application and pay a $75 nonrefundable application fee.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduates who are residents of Minnesota will pay $14,760 in tuition and fees per year. Nonresidents will pay $30,438 in tuition and fees per year. These figures do not include expenses such as transportation, room and board, books and supplies, loan fees, or other personal and miscellaneous expenses. In addition to the standard undergraduate tuition rates, undergraduates pursuing a degree from the Carlson School of Management will be charged an additional $2,000 per year in tuition expenses. Resident graduate students will pay $8,364 for six to 14 credits, with each additional credit costing $1,394. Residents will pay $1,394 if they take classes on a part-time basis. Nonresidents will pay $12,942 for a full-time course load, with each additional credit costing $2,157. Part-time nonresidents will pay $2,157 for their degree. The University of Minnesota offers several types of financial aid for both undergraduates and graduate students, including scholarships, loans, grants, private sources, military benefits, work-study programs, and graduate assistantships.
