Finance, M.S.

Visit the UVU MSF page for more information on the program and access to advising.

Program Description

The Master of Science in Finance program prepares students for careers in finance, including investment and portfolio management, financial planning, wealth management, and corporate finance. Our curriculum can help students interested in financial planning and wealth management to progress towards the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(TM) (CFP®) certification. For those interested in investment and portfolio management, our curriculum helps students progress towards the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) certification, especially in preparing for the Level 1 exam. Students with foundational courses in finance can further expand their existing knowledge by selecting relevant elective courses in new areas of study. With extensive connections to professionals across the nation, we seek to provide the most practical and applied graduate education in finance possible.

Matriculation Requirements

The university uses a selective admissions process for admitting students to graduate programs. Meeting minimum admissions criteria does not guarantee admission to the graduate program or to the University as a graduate student.

The minimum admissions criteria include the following:

1. Acceptance of an application to the Master of Science in Finance program, including payment of the application fee by the established deadline.

2. Official transcripts from all universities attended properly submitted.

3. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university, a nationally accredited program, or the international equivalent.

4. A 3.0 or higher cumulative undergraduate GPA or a 3.0 or higher GPA calculated on the last 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate coursework.

5. For international students whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of 80 iBT (550 pBT) or higher, or an IELTS band score of 6.5 or higher within the past two years.

6. For international students, all US government requirements for international students must be met.

Program Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Total Credit Hours		30
Discipline Core Requirements:		15 Credits
FIN 6130	Financial Statement Analysis and Modeling	3
FIN 6170	Investment Analysis and Portfolio Analysis	3
FIN 6340	Analytics and Advanced Statistics	3
FIN 6820	Research Methods	3
FIN 6840	Behavioral Finance Seminar	3
Elective Requirements		15 Credits
Select 15 semester credit hours from the following courses		15
Students preparing to sit for the CFP(R) exam will need to complete the following elective courses:
FIN 6060	Financial Planning for Professionals (3)
FIN 6210	Retirement Planning (3)
FIN 6260	Estate Planning (3)
FIN 6300	Income Tax Planning (3)
FIN 6800	Wealth Management and Financial Planning Capstone (3)
Students preparing to sit for the CFA(R) exam (Level 1) are strongly encouraged to take the following elective courses:
FIN 6510	CFA I Investment Products (3)
FIN 6520	CFA I Financial Markets (3)
FIN 6810	CFA Exam Preparation (3)
Additional elective courses:
FIN 6160	International Financial Management (3)
FIN 6350	Retirement Income Planning (3) (Can substitute for Retirement Planning for the CFP® certification)
FIN 6370	Wealth Management (3)
FIN 6380	Advanced Estate Planning and Asset Protection (3)
FIN 6390	Financial Technology (3)
FIN 6400	Managing Client Relationships (3)
FIN 6450	Planning for Financial Planning Business Owners (3)
FIN 6700	CFP Exam Preparation (3) Strongly recommended to prepare for the CFP® exam
FIN 6790R	Special Topics in Finance (3)
FIN 6890R	Internship (undefined)
FIN 6900R	Independent Study (3)
Other graduate level courses as approved by the MFPA Program Director or Advisor

Graduation Requirements

1. Complete a minimum of 30 semester credit hours at the graduate level.
2. Earn a grade of C or higher for all courses used to satisfy the graduation requirement.
3. Achieve a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
4. Complete a minimum of 21 of the graduate program credit hours at Utah Valley University.

5. Graduate credits accepted from another regionally accredited institution or equivalent shall have been completed within four years of the graduate student’s matriculation into the graduate program and cannot be older than six years at the time of graduation with a master’s degree or graduate certificate from the University.

Graduation Plan

This graduation plan is a sample plan and is intended to be a guide. Your specific plan may differ based on your Math and English placement and/or transfer credits applied. You are encouraged to meet with an advisor and set up an individualized graduation plan in Wolverine Track.

This Plan of Study is recommended for full-time students.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Semester 1		Credit Hours
FIN 6130	Financial Statement Analysis and Modeling	3
FIN 6840	Behavioral Finance Seminar	3
Select two elective courses		6
	Credit Hours	12
Semester 2
FIN 6170	Investment Analysis and Portfolio Analysis	3
FIN 6340	Analytics and Advanced Statistics	3
Select two elective courses		6
	Credit Hours	12
Semester 3
FIN 6820	Research Methods	3
Select one elective course		3
	Credit Hours	6
	Total Credit Hours	30

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Apply financial and behavioral theories to investment analysis, portfolio construction, and other financial decisions.
2. Evaluate challenges and opportunities that financial professionals, individuals, and firms face using financial ratios and other analytics.
3. Develop research skills through appropriate methods and analytics for individual and institutional investors.
4. Communicate effectively as competent and ethical financial professionals.