STEM Designation
The MSF is a graduate degree program with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) designation. Due to the demand of graduates with expertise in STEM fields, the Department of Homeland Security permits international students graduating from STEM programs to apply for a 24 month extension of their initial year of Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more detailed information, please visit the ISSO webpage.
Curriculum
11-14 Courses
31-35.5 Credits
Program Length:
Required Introductory Course (1 credit)
Must be taken in first semester of program.
| FIN-601 | Introduction to Statistics, Accounting, & Finance Intensive | 1 |
Prerequisite Courses (4.5 credits)
May be waived.
| MBA-615 | Economics | 1.5 |
| MBA-641 | Financial Information for Business Management | 1.5 |
| MBA-651 | Financial Management for Business Decisions | 1.5 |
Finance Core Courses (15 credits)
| FIN-800 | Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| FIN-808 | General Theory in Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FIN-810 | Investment Analysis | 3 |
| FIN-814 | Options and Futures | 3 |
| FIN-818 | Financial Econometrics | 3 |
Capstone Course (3 credits)
Should be taken as late in the program as possible.
Concentration and Applicable Elective Courses (12 credits)
Choose four (4) elective courses from the approved MSF electives list.
Students may declare a concentration in Corporate Finance, Financial Services and Banking, FinTech, Investments or Risk Management. If a concentration in Corporate Finance or Investments is declared, three electives must be in one concentration area.
If a concentration in Financial Services and Banking is declared students must complete FIN-816 and two approved Financial Services and Banking electives. If a concentration in FinTech is declared students must complete ISOM-730, FIN-830, one approved FIN elective and one approved ISOM elective. If a concentration in Risk Management is declared students must complete FIN-816, FIN-882 and one approved FIN elective. The schedule of when courses within a concentration are offered vary by semester.
Students who declare a concentration must submit an SBS Graduate Program Concentration Request Form. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor before they declare a concentration
The concentration appears on the transcript, not the diploma.
Approved Finance Electives
Note: Students wishing to take SBS-920 for an elective in the MSF Program must consult with the MSF Advisor for guidance on how to be considered for this option.
Concentrations
Corporate Finance Concentration
Choose three courses from the following list: (9 Credits)
Financial Services and Banking Concentration
Required Course (3 credits)
| FIN-816 | Risk Management in Banking and Finance | 3 |
Finance Electives: (2 Courses, 6 Credits)
FinTech Concentration
Required Courses (6 credits)
Finance Elective Course (1 Course, 3 credits)
Take one from the following list of electives:
ISOM Elective (1 course, 3 credits)
Take one from the following list of electives:
| ISOM-801 | Solving Business Problems Using Advanced Excel | 3 |
| ISOM-821 | Data Management and Modeling | 3 |
| ISOM-825 | Enterprise Data Management | 3 |
| ISOM-827 | Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence | 3 |
| ISOM-835 | Predictive Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-840 | Security and Privacy | 3 |
| ISOM-845 | Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, and Storytelling | 3 |
Investments Concentration
Choose three courses from the following list: (9 credits)
Risk Management Concentration
Required Courses (6 credits)
| FIN-816 | Risk Management in Banking and Finance | 3 |
| FIN-882 | Applied Risk Management | 3 |
Elective Course: (1 course, 3 credits)
Finance Learning Goals and Objectives
| Learning Goals |
Learning Objectives |
| Demonstrate ability to apply analytical reasoning skills to Finance problems (Analytical Reasoning) |
1. Identify the problem and related issues.
2. Identify key assumptions.
3. Generate salient alternatives.
4. Examine the evidence and source of evidence.
5. Identify conclusions, implications, and consequences. |
| Demonstrate application of finance knowledge even in new and unfamiliar circumstances through conceptual understanding (Knowledge Integration) |
1. Acknowledge that the project covers different key functional areas in finance.
2. Display understanding across different key functional areas in finance.
3. Identify the methodologies appropriate to solve the problem.
4. Apply and coordinate the methodologies to get the best solution for the problem.
5. Display understanding of the implications of the solution for each functional area.
6. Demonstrate overall ability to integrate knowledge from the different functional areas. |
| Apply ethical principles to financial decision making (Ethics) |
1. Identify conflicts of interests and pressures that could lead to unethical conduct.
2. Understand what kinds of questions are helpful to ask oneself when confronting an ethical dilemma.
3. Demonstrate the ability to identify and take into account the interests of different stakeholders.
4. Understand how business strategies that facilitate “doing good” can be made consistent with profitability.
5. Understand that what is legal may not always be ethical and that what is ethical may sometimes not be legal.
6. Appreciate that ethical norms vary across different countries and cultures. |
| Demonstrate effective oral communication about financial information (Oral Communication) |
1. Organize the presentation effectively.
2. Deliver the presentation with attention to volume, clarity, grammatical correctness and precision.
3. Develop the topic.
4. Communicate with the audience.
5. Use communication aids effectively.
6. Summarize the presentation. |
| Demonstrate effective written communication about financial information (Written Communication): |
1. Develop a topic with supporting details.
2. Organize written communication effectively and logically.
3. Use correct word choice and effective sentence structure.
4. Employ normal conventions of spelling and grammar.
5. Provide examples and supporting evidence.
6. Communicate accurate quantitative information. |
Waiver Policy
To waive an MSF prerequisite course, a student must successfully complete equivalent coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MSF matriculation, with a grade of “B” or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable).
To substitute an approved elective for an MSF Core Course, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MSF matriculation, with a “B” or better, and provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable). All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student’s acceptance into the MSF program.
All MSF students must complete a minimum of 31 graduate credits in the Sawyer Business School.
Transfer Policy
Any candidate seeking transfer credits, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited graduate program in business, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. These credits may be considered for transfer if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree.
Transfer credits must have earned a grade of “B” or better and be taken within seven (7) years prior to entering the Suffolk MSF program. However, at the discretion of the MSF program director, MSF required core courses may not be transferred if the subject material has changed significantly since completion. A maximum of three (3) credits may be considered for transfer.
Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete
Occasionally, Suffolk MSF students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. You may be able to transfer in three (3) credits of elective coursework from an AACSB-accredited MSF Program close to your new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by Suffolk's Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs and have a grade of "B" or better.