Online MBA With Finance Specialization

MBA@Syracuse, the online MBA program offered by Syracuse’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, prepares students with the skills to advance in today’s global business environment.

Why Specialize Your Master’s Degree in Finance?

Syracuse’s online MBA Finance specialization prepares students to take on leadership roles within the finance industry. Students gain expertise in areas such as:

  • investments
  • corporate finance
  • risk management
  • quantitative finance
  • real estate
  • international finance

Alumni of the online MBA program have advanced at well-known financial and accounting organizations, such as Ares Management, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, KPMG and Oppenheimer Funds.

Online Finance Curriculum

All MBA students will take 36 credits of core coursework, which includes Managerial Finance. To fulfill the Finance specialization, students choose three of the following elective courses:

  • Financial Analytics
  • Introduction to Derivatives
  • Corporate Financial Policy and Strategy
  • Investment Analysis

MBA@Syracuse also offers a specialization in Accounting. Both backgrounds can prepare professionals for financial leadership roles—such as CFO or director of finance/accounting—but the Accounting MBA specialization focuses more on taxes and financial instruments, and the Finance MBA specialization emphasizes aspects of corporate finance and investments.

The online business master’s degree program with a Finance specialization can be completed in as few as 24 months.

Finance Learning Outcomes

After completing the finance specialization courses, students will gain:

  • an in-depth understanding of corporate finance, including company/project valuation, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, real options, and corporate governance;
  • exposure to a variety of key investments and strategies, such as equity analysis, fixed-income securities, derivative instruments and portfolio management;
  • the ability to use statistical packages and quantitative tools and techniques; and
  • enhanced financial modeling skills in applications such as Excel.

Get Started Today

Ready to advance into financial leadership roles in your organization? Request information today to see how MBA@Syracuse can help you accomplish your professional goals.

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Admissions

The Whitman School seeks motivated applicants who want to excel in financial management careers. GMAT scores are not required to apply. See upcoming application deadlines.

Recognition for Whitman’s Top-Ranked Online MBA

Recognized for alumni outcomes and career preparation, Whitman and the online MBA program are top ranked by leading publications.

#1

Private School for Veterans Ranked by The Military Times in 20201

Top 20

Best Online MBAs Ranked by The Princeton Review in 20202

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Featured Whitman Faculty

Faculty at the Whitman School of Management are academic scholars who bring a wealth of practical experience into the classroom. Meet some of the faculty who teach courses in the Finance specialization.

Milena Petrova

Associate Professor of Finance

Professor Petrova teaches courses in real estate principles, real estate finance and investment, and corporate finance at the Whitman School. She has consulted for investment professionals, particularly advising on mergers and acquisitions, and has worked in management consulting at Booz Allen Hamilton and project finance at Finnvera.

Ravi Shukla

Associate Professor of Finance

Professor Shukla’s research interests are in the areas of investments, asset pricing and methodological issues. His current research focuses on the effect of violation of the assumptions of financial theory on the performance of portfolios. Professor Shukla holds a Ph.D. in finance from State University of New York at Buffalo.

See what Professor Shukla has to say about the Finance specialization.

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Online and In-Person Learning

With MBA@Syracuse, students gain leadership and management skills through live online classes, interactive coursework and in-person learning. In class, students discuss topics and trends in the finance industry, which they explore through multimedia assignments each week.

MBA students also attend three in-person residencies, which are multiday events similar to business conferences. Students apply their skills and network with classmates and faculty in major cities around the world.

Several past residencies have focused on finance topics, such as a recent residency in Peru exploring microfinance and global investing as well as a New York residency focusing on capital markets.

Career Services

Syracuse’s Career Services team is dedicated to helping students develop the skills and credentials to reach their goals before and after graduation. Our team of experts provides career coaching, resume review and interview preparation to equip students with the tools to succeed.

“I chose MBA@Syracuse because I thought it would be a great opportunity for personal growth as well as a great way to bolster my experience and help me transition into finance from accounting, giving me a broader background.”

Mike Zimmer, MBA@Syracuse Graduate
Senior Financial Analyst at Constellation Brands Inc.

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Careers in Finance

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for financial managers and similar occupations is expected to increase 16 percent between 2018 and 2028.3 Finance MBA students develop a comprehensive understanding of financial markets, global economics, business strategy and cutting-edge quantitative methods.

Below are some examples of positions that finance graduates may hold:

Financial managers

Financial managers maintain the financial health of an organization by developing strategies for the company’s long-term financial goals.

Controllers

Controllers manage the preparation of financial reports (such as income statements and balance sheets) that summarize and forecast an organization’s financial position.

Treasurers and finance officers

Treasurers and finance officers oversee budgets to meet financial goals. Duties may include executing strategies to raise capital or planning for mergers and acquisitions.

Risk managers

Risk managers control financial risk by working to offset the probability of a financial loss or limit a company’s exposure to financial uncertainty.

Chief financial officers

Chief financial officers devise financial strategies and help coordinate operational activities to ensure that an organization meets its goals.

Take the Next Step

Ready to improve your financial skills and make a difference for your organization? Request information about the online MBA with a Finance specialization today.

1The Military Times, Best for Vets: Colleges 2020 4-Year Schools (Retrieved July 2020) Return to footnote reference
2The Princeton Review, Top 25 Online MBAs 2020 (Retrieved July 2020) Return to footnote reference
3U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Financial Managers Outlook (Retrieved July 2020) Return to footnote reference