Master of Science in Finance Online
Business may run on numbers, but it relies on people who can build and analyze sophisticated models to translate financial figures into bold insights and innovative strategies. The finance professionals who have a firm grasp of the technical skills and practices of finance have the singular ability to clearly deliver contemporary solutions in all facets of management and finance.
The Online Master of Science in Finance (MSF) from William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business has a 30% shorter time to completion than the average MSF program and will give you a deep dive into finance more quickly and thoroughly than a typical MBA. The Online MSF program prepares future CFOs with the quantitative and leadership skills necessary to identify value creation opportunities and assess risk, navigate global challenges, foster change and create value in an ethical manner.
*Online MS in Finance students are invited to join other W&M online students at one of the immersive residency weekends at our Williamsburg campus. Students who attend a residency will earn one additional credit. Read more about the residency weekend experience.
Online Master’s in Finance Program Details
- 16 Months to Completion
- 32 Credits
- 8 Courses
- 7.5 Weeks Per Course
- 100% online
- Optional weekend residency*
- No GMAT/GRE required
- 3 starts per year: August, January and May
Invest in Your Future With the Online Master of Science in Finance Program
From a career as a financial manager to the C-suite, you’ll benefit from a strong outlook for financial careers.
17%
$131,710
#14
#2
$185,783
Where Theory Meets Reality
Get the Hands-on Learning You Need to Succeed
Build essential knowledge you need for a successful finance career with immersive learning experiences that demonstrate practical applications of course materials. Immersive experiences include:
- Case analysis
- Strategic-decision making exercises based on the uncertainty of financial models
- Extensive simulation exercises for authentic experiences in forecasting, modeling, exercising strategic skills and making decisions
Through these experiences, you will build confidence to step into leadership positions and gain knowledge and skills that apply to your work now and in the future. Graduate from this program as a well-rounded financial professional.
What skills will you acquire in the online master's in finance program?
- Analyzing financial statements
- Forecasting complete sets of financial statements
- Preparing three-statement models
- Pricing securities in modern financial markets
- Creating value for shareholders
- Understanding how firms interact with financial markets
- Building and interpreting valuation models in Excel
- Portfolio management and investment management in various asset classes
- Using financial software tools
- Analyzing individual and organizational behavior
- Comprehending the homebuying process
- Programming complex mortgages
- Generating income from each quadrant of real estate
Course Highlight
Corporate Valuation and Credit Analysis
In this course, you will become familiar with the tools and techniques for valuing corporate investment projects and assets in a wide range of settings. Get hands-on experience in building and interpreting valuation models in Excel, the same models commonly used by corporate financial managers, investment managers and investment bankers.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Analyze the ability of a firm to generate cash flow for investors
- Apply comparables analysis to estimate the value of a company
- Evaluate the uses and limitations of comparables analysis
- Apply various discounted cash flow approaches to estimate the value of a company
- Evaluate the uses and limitations of various discounted cash flow approaches
- Analyze the credit quality of a firm
Become a Confident Leader in Finance
Meet the challenge to elevate your performance and accelerate your career. The Online Master of Science in Finance strives to develop confident leaders in finance. When you graduate from this program, you will be able to successfully employ skills leaders need, including:
- Technical and analytical skills—Use Excel and other industry-specific software to construct, analyze and interpret sophisticated financial models
- Scenario analysis—Model the consequences of different outcomes to inform decisions on whether to take/mitigate certain risks and to optimize performance
- Financial strategy—Shape overall strategy by overseeing the financial health of organizations, key performance indicators and instilling a financial mindset that identifies uncertainties, challenges, and growth opportunities
- Communication skills—Communicate complex financial data and insights effectively by creating presentations and financial reports
Course Highlight
Advanced Corporate Finance
In this course, you will study the major decision-making areas of managerial finance. The course reviews the theory and empirical evidence related to investment and financing policies of the firm and develops decision-making ability in these areas.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Recognize the “art and science” of optimal strategic decision-making, especially in financial policy
- Identify financial problems and opportunities within a variety of settings
- Develop the capacity to structure a management decision problem and evaluate competing solutions
- Prepare written reports about the analysis and solution of management decision problems concisely
Grow as a Business and People Leader
With the trend of “quiet quitting” in the national discourse around work, employee satisfaction continues to be a prevalent topic for managers, leaders and businesses.
In a video from Associate Professor David Long, learn the importance of creating a more engaged team, extrinsic and intrinsic motivators, the five elements of job satisfaction and how to build a culture of engagement.
Top Industries Hiring for CFOs5
Online Master's in Finance Courses Overview
Our Online Master’s in Finance program is centered on four pillars—principled value creation; financial modeling, analysis and decision-making; global financial strategy; and effective communication of complex financial information and strategies. These are the conceptual and technical skills every finance professional must possess and fully master in order to find near and long-term success in corporate finance, investment management, real estate finance, commercial banking, consulting and more. These are the skills our Online MS in Finance curriculum prepares you to master.
Our 32-credit curriculum can be broken down into the following two types of courses:
- 6 core courses, worth a total of 24 credits
- 4 elective courses, worth a total of 16 credits
Complete your degree in 16 months with 8 total courses—6 core classes and 2 electives of your choosing for a deep dive into finance more quickly and thoroughly than a general MBA program.
Core Online MS in Finance Courses (24 credits)
BUAD 5027 Financial Statement Analysis and Modeling (4 credits)
Information from financial statements is used in many situations including setting targets for manager's bonus plans, determining loan covenants, setting prices for IPO's, setting prices for mergers or acquisitions, deciding whether to loan a company money, and deciding whether to purchase the stock of a company. When using financial statement information, people routinely make adjustments to net income to estimate what they believe is the true economic income of the firm (e.g., "core earnings" or "economic value-added"). In this class, students will learn how to evaluate the information provided in financial statements and draw your own conclusions about whether it accurately reflects the financial position of the firm.
BUAD 5127 Principles of Finance (4 credits)
BUAD 5417Advanced Corporate Finance (4 credits)
Building on previous courses, this course incorporates richer institutional details and deepens understanding of how firms interact with the financial markets. Topics to be included are: financing investments with capital market imperfections, corporate control, governance and risk management.
BUAD 5317 Corporate Valuation and Credit Analysis (4 credits)
BUAD 5527 Investments (4 credits)
BUAD 5617 Applied Investment Management (4 credits)
Elective Online MS in Finance Courses (16 credits)
BUAD 6007 Behavioral Finance (4 credits)
BUAD 6207 Real Estate Finance (4 credits)
BUAD 6307 Real Estate Investments (4 credits)
BUAD 6107 Money, Banking and Financial Markets (4 credits)
The intertwined goals of this course are to (1) develop a strategic-level understanding of the economics of the financial sector as a whole, including interest rate and exchange rate determination, money creation by central banks, the operations of banks and the payments system, and (2) develop in depth knowledge of how some of the largest individual money/financial markets function, what financial services and products these markets offer, and how these products might be of value to the corporations and investors. The key financial markets analyzed in this course are the money markets, including both the commercial and shadow banking systems, the foreign exchange markets and role of banks as broker-dealers, public and private bond placement, the mortgage markets, and interest rate swaps. Among the financial institutions we examine are the two most important central banks, U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, large commercial banks, money market mutual fund companies, and foreign exchange market makers.
Discover Our Online Master's Program Experience
Who’s Earning the Online MS in Finance?
Get a snapshot of the people most likely to be in your cohort6:
42%
11
32%
35
Keep Asking Questions
What skills will I acquire in the master of science in finance online program?
You’ll become fluent in:
- Analyzing financial statements
- Forecasting complete sets of financial statements
- Preparing three-statement models
- Pricing securities in modern financial markets
- Creating value for shareholders
- Understanding how firms interact with financial markets
- Building and interpreting valuation models in Excel
- Portfolio management and investment management in various asset classes
- Using financial software tools
- Analyzing individual and organizational behavior
- Comprehending the home buying process
- Programming complex mortgages
- Generating income from each quadrant of real estate
What can I do with a master’s in finance?
- Finance officer
- Forensic accountant
- Financial analyst
- Financial manager
- Portfolio manager
- Wealth manager
- Investment banking analyst
- Finance and insurance manager
- Actuary
- Corporate controller
- Vice president of finance
- Chief financial officer
What salary can I earn with a master’s in finance?
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- Retrieved January 19, 2023, from www.bls.gov/ooh/management/financial-managers.htm#tab-6
- Retrieved January 19, 2023, from www.bls.gov/ooh/management/financial-managers.htm
- Retrieved January 19, 2023, from money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/financial-manager
- Retrieved January 19, 2023, from glassdoor.com/Salaries/chief-financial-officer-salary-SRCH_KO0,23.htm
- Retrieved January 13, 2023, from zippia.com/chief-finance-officer-jobs/demographics
- Based on data from enrolled 2021-2022 cohorts.