From Wall Street to the World Bank, financial knowledge is key in today’s increasingly interconnected and expanding world. Given its well-rounded offerings in business, economics, accounting and management, a Master’s degree in Finance serves as a bridge between today’s students and tomorrow’s world leaders. If you’re looking to challenge yourself with rigorous coursework and apply your skill set to real-world problems, a Master’s degree in Finance might be for you.
Furthermore, getting a Master’s in Finance has never been more convenient. In order to accommodate the budgetary needs, busy schedules and diverse commitments of today’s prospective students, many schools have begun to offer their Master’s in Finance programs online. The following ranking of the Top 21 Online Master’s in Finance programs equally considers academic rigor, affordability, student support, program resources and unique curriculum features its assessment.
20. California Lutheran University
Home to the first online Financial Programming MBA in the nation, California Lutheran University boasts a long history of student success. From learning to integrate both financial and product market strategy to both measuring and analyzing asset and portfolio risk, students enrolled in one of Cal Lutheran’s online Master’s in Finance programs are mainly trained in business leadership. These skills are enhanced by the school’s diverse experiential learning offerings, in which students can undertake internships at local companies, pursue rich study abroad opportunities, and even gain valuable work experience at the university’s Westlake Center. Electing to take courses in five or eight-week terms, students at Cal Lutheran cite their tight-knit community and abundant networking opportunities as their favorite components of the program.
Tuition: $16,710/year
19. Concordia University-Wisconsin
For a very affordable price, students enrolled at Concordia University’s MBA in finance program can choose from 13 different concentrations, taking key courses such as Real Estate Investment, Risk Management and Insurance, Fraud Management, Financial Institutions Management and Human Resources Management. The school’s ultimate, self-proclaimed focus is “business from a Christian perspective,” and works on developing students’ skill set to make confident, informed, logical financial decisions in the modern economy. This is aided by Concordia’s commitment to individual development, as students have the opportunity to complete a capstone project in their specific field of interest at the end of the program.
Tuition: $9,300/year
17. City University of Seattle
From non-profits to large multinational companies, students who enroll in City University of Seattle’s 48-credit online MBA are sure to excel in a wide range of financial sectors. Taking key courses such as Capital Formation and Corporate Management, Banking and the Movement of Capital, Equity Markets and Debt Instrument Management and Financial Management of Public and Not-for-Profit Organizations, students become experts in both practical and theoretical knowledge, learning to understand economic patterns, execute business strategies, and practice leadership skills.
Offering an internship program for students who wish to gain hands-on experience before graduate, City-Seattle, which also has a highly esteemed joint partnership with the Beijing University of Technology, prepares students for leadership positions around the globe.
Tuition: $15,s192/year
16. Metropolitan College of New York
Although this one-year MBA in financial services is indeed offered online, students are nonetheless given the opportunity to experience hands-on, field-based learning, and are exposed to a wide variety of real-world economic scenarios. Showcasing a low student to faculty ratio of only 5:1, this program focuses on business modeling, managerial skill development, geographical markets, and both product and customer services as its key curricula.
Tuition: $17,530/year
15. Golden Gate University
With origins as early as 1993, Golden Gate University’s distance learning program is one of the nation’s oldest. After concentrating on finance (corporate or general) or investment management, students develop a wide variety of practical skills, such as how to analyze financial statements, evaluate risk and return, formulate management strategies, and understand corporations’ financial decisions. This focus on practical professional skills, along with the excellent student to professor ratio and consistent faculty support, were noted by students as some of their favorite components of the program.
Tuition: $15,660/year
10. University of Maryland University College
After choosing between the Master of Science in Accounting and Financial Management and the Financial Management and Information System, Master’s students at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) take core courses focused on recent global market turmoil and elective courses according to their specific interests. As a means to further develop students’ practical financial management skills, faculty members, many of whom are actively affiliated with financial institutions or multinational corporations, serve as student mentors and offer unique experiential learning opportunities.
Furthermore, the UMUC program is especially ideal for veterans, as The Council of College and Military Educators recognized the school for its dedication to education for service members in 2011. (NOTE: Some class offerings require on-site attendance at the University of Maryland University College Campus in Upper Marlboro, MD).
Tuition: $8,244/year (In State), $11,862/year (Out of State)
6. Florida Institute of Technology
Though students enrolled in Florida Institute of Technology’s online MBA in Finance program can specialize in a wide range of disciplines, from Financial Markets and Institutions and Investment Management to Portfolio Analysis and Financial Management Policy, FIT has a deeply rooted commitment to individualized, hands-on education.
Boasting a unique “case method approach”, FIT mandates its online MBA students to take a two-term “Essentials of Business Development” class, in which students, under faculty supervision, fully develop an actual business plan designed for real world application. FIT’s commitment to individualized learning is further reflected in its requirement that students complete a Strategic Management capstone project.
Tuition: $14,724/year
4. Colorado State University Global
One of the strongest aspects of Colorado State University Global Masters in Finance program is its dedication to customizing its program to individual student goals, be they in information technology, financial management or business intelligence. Ranked by U.S News & World as one of the top 100 Graduate Business Programs in the nation, the online degree allows students to enjoy many of the same benefits as their on-campus counterparts, such as access to the library and career center, technical support services, and 24/7 live tutoring.
Focusing on topics from financial risk to auditing and accounting, this degree facilitates technology use as a key factor in financial decision-making.
Tuition: $9,000
3. Southern New Hampshire University
Though slightly more expensive than its counterparts, Southern New Hampshire University’s Masters of Science in Finance program is nationally recognized. With its distance learning program beginning in 1996, SNHU is one of the oldest online university programs and boasts both experienced faculty and prestigious post-graduate opportunities in financial management, corporate finance, and investment banking.
After taking core classes in Managerial Accounting, Managerial Economics, Fiscal and Monetary Policies and Practices, Financial Management and Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making, students can complete the degree in as little as 15 months, and are then prepared to take the CFA level 1 exam. When considering all of these assets, it makes sense that the New Hampshire Business Review 2014 gave SNHU the Winner "Best of Business" Award for Best MBA Program and Best Online Degree Program.
Tuition: $23,222/year
2. Pennsylvania State University
Ranked as the fifth Best Online Graduate Business Program by U.S News & World Report, this program provides students with a broad range of skills, from financial modeling and capital structure to multinational financial management and derivative securities. While the program is a better fit for those with pre-existing financial experience, the program is nonetheless flexible and serves as a bridge into a wide range of financial professions. In fact, according to a recent survey published in the Wall Street Journal, recruiters classified Penn State graduates as being the most well-prepared for the professional world.
NOTE: During their fourth term, students are required to attend a one-week residency program on Penn State’s Great Valley campus.
Tuition: $18,766/year
1. Northeastern University
Designed for students with prior experience in finance, this rigorous program offers the opportunity to specialize in corporate finance or investments. By integrating CFA materials into the curriculum, this program is especially adept in preparing students for the professional world, as it focuses not only on the cultivation of theoretical knowledge but the development of organizational, management and leadership skills. Even with it's extensive and broad offering of core courses like Financial Theory and Policy, Analysis of Financial Institutions and Markets, Financial Strategy, Investment Analysis, Portfolio Management, International Finance Management and Financial Risk Management, students can earn their Master’s degree in as little as 16 months.
Ranked #4 in the Up-and-Coming Schools report by U.S News & World Report, Northeastern also provides its Master’s in Finance students the unique opportunity to become better equity researchers and portfolio managers through participating in the 360 Huntington Fund, a student-managed mutual fund for the University’s endowment. Though its tuition is higher than the average online Master’s in Finance programs, Northeastern’s unique and comprehensive program is unmatched.
Tuition: $30,642/year