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What to Expect With a Finance MBA

Professionals with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in finance are equipped with the skills and knowledge for a wide range of roles in the financial industry and beyond. The options for careers with a finance MBA are many and varied, including:

  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Financial controller or director
  • Accounting and/or finance manager
  • Real estate or insurance finance manager
  • Commercial or investment banker
  • Credit manager and specialist
  • Financial analyst
  • Corporate controller
  • Portfolio manager

In addition to finance jobs, an MBA in finance prepares students for people and operations management roles all the way through the C-suite.

La Salle University Online MBA in Finance

La Salle University offers a fully online MBA – Finance Specialization program for professionals who wish to pursue an advanced degree while continuing to work. The online format is flexible, offering multiple start dates throughout the year. The program comprises 33-42 credit hours of coursework, which students can complete in as few as 14-16 months.

According to Jim Thompson, a recent graduate of La Salle’s MBA in Finance program, the asynchronous online format of the program was key for managing a demanding job, family and school. “It was great,” he said. “I was on the road 75 nights a year or more when I started. The online format was the only option for me.”

Chris McGovern expresses a similar sentiment. Speaking of La Salle’s online model, he said, “I thought it was the best way for me to balance work and school. The MBA in Finance program is absolutely perfect in terms of manageability.” McGovern also looks forward to what the degree can do for him as his career advances. “I absolutely believe that I can leverage the degree in the future,” he said. “I would highly recommend the program to anybody looking for a flexible MBA.”

Core Courses and Program Basics

Participants in the online MBA – Finance Specialization program from La Salle must complete the following core courses:

  • Creating Customers Through Effective Marketing Management
  • Managerial Accounting for Decision Making
  • Financial Performance: Control and Measurement
  • Business Analytics for Informed and Effective Decision Making

Depending on undergraduate degree and major, one of these courses may be waived. Students may also need to take the following foundation courses, depending on their prior academic experience:

  • Financial Accounting
  • Financial Markets
  • Business Economics for Managers

Finance Specialization Courses

Students in La Salle’s online program choose three of four specialization course options that explore finance topics in depth, as described here:

  • Financial Analytics delves into the intersection of finance topics and data analytics, being the core of modern financial analysis and decision-making. Students will explore applied data analysis, gaining competency with predictive analytics, modeling, simulation and other tools and methods used to solve real-world business problems in the financial and risk management realm.
  • Financial Instruments and Markets examines modern financial markets. This specifically includes commercial banks, finance companies, securities firms, investment banks, mutual funds and hedge funds. The course also covers various financial instruments, derivatives and off-balance sheet activities.
  • Portfolio Management focuses on current practices as well as recent theoretical developments. Students will study the characteristics of individual securities and portfolios, criteria and models for alternative portfolio composition, criteria for evaluation and measurement of performance, and the impact of government regulation.
  • Global Financial Management covers current developments in global financial markets and instruments from the perspective of firm management.

Executive Courses and the Capstone

In addition to foundation studies (if necessary), core coursework and specialized courses, La Salle’s online MBA in Finance students take five additional courses focused on developing the skills needed for strategic leadership positions:

  • Developing Your Leadership Skills
  • Information Technology for Decision Making
  • Financial Statement Analysis
  • Frameworks for Socially Responsible Decision Making
  • Competitive Strategy (the integrative capstone course)

With the combination of core business studies, specialized finance studies and advanced coursework in leadership, decision-making and strategy, La Salle University’s online MBA – Finance Specialization prepares graduates to excel in upper-management finance roles across an array of industries and applications.

Learn more about La Salle University’s online MBA – Finance Specialization program.

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