The Schulich School of Business at York has launched a new Master of Finance (MF) Program in response to increasing competition in the marketplace and a need for more focused knowledge and accreditation that will give graduates an edge in navigating the increasing complexities of the financial sector.
“It is a perfect time to retrain or retool, and to obtain postgraduate qualification in a much more competitive marketplace. Master in finance programs have always been popular in Europe,” says York finance Professor Pauline Shum (left), director of Schulich’s new MF Program. “Some students who aspire to be finance specialists – investment bankers, portfolio managers, venture capitalists and financial consultants – find that a general management degree like the MBA does not give them enough exposure to this expanding field or enough in-depth analysis.”
The MF Program at Schulich is an intensive 12-month full-time program that prepares students to meet the rigorous demands of a career in finance. The inaugural session of the newly established degree program will start in August and run until July of the following year.
Focusing exclusively on finance, Schulich’s MF Program features a unique combination of classwork, courses, research and seminars. Students will be exposed to cutting-edge research in finance through the Research Seminar Series, and will gain an appreciation of current real-world issues and different career choices through a Professional Seminar Series. It is designed to provide students with a program that is practical as well as intellectually challenging.
“Our program is unique in that it incorporates important aspects of finance such as securities law, corporate governance and ethics into the curriculum, which are also particularly timely in today’s business environment,” says Shum, director of the PhD Program in Administration at Schulich from 2001 to 2005.
Courses cover a wide range of topics, including analysis of structured products, fixed income securities, private equity and venture capital, and institutional wealth management.
“Students want a curriculum that is both rigorous and practical and one that can be completed in a timely fashion. The Schulich Master of Finance Program delivers this,” says Shum. “Graduate education business is an excellent investment in one’s human capital. Students need not have an undergraduate degree in business to apply for the program. For example, economics students will benefit from the increased job opportunities with this very marketable degree.”
The program will prepare graduates for careers in investment banking and asset management, as well as positions in private equity firms, central banks, hedge funds, consulting firms and government agencies. The MF Program will also serve as a foundation for students wishing to pursue a PhD in finance.
For more information, visit the Master of Finance Web site.