670+
Avg. GMAT
NA
Work Experience
$83K
Avg. Cost of Study
9-18
Months Duration
$74.5K
Avg. Salary
With an MS in Finance from SMU Cox, you’ll be ready to push ahead in a finance career whether or not you have a undergraduate business degree. This STEM-designated program — a hot ticket for employers — covers everything from financial accounting and statistics to international markets and monetary policy.
Get real-world experience in our simulated trading center, complete with Bloomberg terminals, and make professional connections that will last a lifetime. At Cox, you’ll study with professors who don’t just teach — they’re driving the Dallas business boom.
91
QS Ranking
A Cox School MSF goes beyond the financial basics. Through this unique curriculum, you’ll gain an edge in the marketplace by developing knowledge and skills in four areas of competency:
Along with rigorous classroom learning that includes MBA-level courses, you’ll also gain real-world skills through hands-on experiences. And if you’re planning to sit for the CFA Level 1, our CFA review course will prepare you.
$54,382
Avg. Cost of Tuition
+
$29,269
Avg. Living Cost
Avg. Cost of Study
A graduate management education is one of the most important investments you’ll ever make, and it’s likely to produce one of your biggest ROIs — you won’t just boost your career and earning potential, but you’ll reap personal gains, too. If you need additional funding, you’ll find that a variety of loan and private scholarship opportunities are available.
Estimated Annual Tuition & Fees:
Estimated Living Expenses*:
*This estimated total is based on a 9-month school year for the 2023-24 academic year. The cost may be more or less depending on the student’s lifestyle, whether the student lives on-campus or off-campus and whether any family members accompany the student. |
Most Sought-after Jobs
Investment Banking Analyst
Private Equity Associate
Hedge Fund Analyst
Corporate Finance Analyst
Financial Analyst
Portfolio Manager
Risk Analyst
Investment Research Analyst
The career services seminar has sessions throughout the MSF program, beginning with an orientation to career development in finance. It contains a wide range of activities from resume writing to interview skills to positioning for CFA, CFP and licensing certifications. MSF students, have access to an active board of job postings from investment banks, financial institutions and multinational companies. SMU hosts an annual career fair, held every spring, which brings to campus many employers eager to meet graduating students from all of our programs.
Recent Hiring Companies
MSF students were recently hired by the following companies:
Application Requirements for ALL Applicants
Application Requirements for International Students
| 2024 – 2025 Deadlines | |
| Round | Application Due (11:59pm CST day of deadline) |
| 1* | October 10, 2023 |
| 2* | January 9, 2024 |
| 3* | March 5, 2024 |
| 4 | April 30, 2024 |
| 5 | May 28, 2024 |
| Rolling Admissions based on availability after May 28, 2024 | |
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A graduate management education is one of the most important investments you’ll ever make, and it’s likely to produce one of your biggest ROIs — you won’t just boost your career and earning potential, but you’ll reap personal gains, too. If you need additional funding, you’ll find that a variety of loan and private scholarship opportunities are available.
Merit-Based Scholarship Opportunities
The Cox MSF program has a limited number of merit-based scholarships available. All candidates are automatically considered for these scholarships, and are not required to submit a separate application. These scholarships are based on academic performance and GMAT/GRE scores. Typical scholarship amounts are $5,000 per student.
Term 1 – Fall Credit Hours (16 credits)
Fall Module A Courses
MAST 6201 Managerial Statistics
FINA 6205 Finance Theory and Practice
FINA 6216 Portfolio Theory and Asset Pricing
MNGT 6004 Managing Your Career (0 credit)
Elective
Fall Module B Courses
FINA 6211 Valuation and Analysis (2)
FINA 6219 Derivatives (2)
FINA 6238 Financial Modeling (2)
Elective
Term 2 – Spring Credit Hours (16 credits)
Spring Module A Courses (4 total)
FINA 6218 Fixed Income Securities (2)
FINA 6226 Quantitative Trading Strategies (2)
Elective
Elective
Spring Module B Courses (4 total)
FINA 6212 Corporate Financial Policies (2)
FINA 6214 International Finance (2)
FINA 6222 Financial Markets and Monetary Policy (2)
Elective
Credit Hours Summary for M.S.F. Program
The admissions committee considers a variety of factors when making admissions decisions, including:
Academic performance (GPA, test scores)
Work experience
Essays
Letters of recommendation
Overall fit with the program
The MSF program uses a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, case studies, group projects, and guest speakers. The program is designed to be interactive and engaging, and students are encouraged to participate actively in class.
The job placement rate for SMU(Cox) MSF graduates is very high. Recent graduates have been hired by top companies in a variety of industries, including:
Investment banking
Commercial banking
Private equity
Venture capital
Hedge funds
Financial technology
Real estate
The MSF program is designed for individuals who want to advance their careers in finance. This includes:
Recent college graduates with a non-business background who want to enter the finance industry.
Experienced professionals who want to update their skills and knowledge or transition to a new area of finance.
Entrepreneurs who want to gain a deeper understanding of finance to manage their businesses more effectively.
Students who are already enrolled in a program leading to a Master’s degree or an equivalent international advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline are not eligible for admission to Stanford’s MS program in Mechanical Engineering.
We strongly advise all our clients to have a proper excel sheet or a timetables mapped out.
Once you are done with GMAT the entire application process usually take 4-6 weeks
Step 1
GMAT / GRE Score
2-3 months.
If you are not sure about what score to target then look at the average score of the schools you want and shoot above the average.
Step 2
Profile Evaluation
1-2 weeks.
Get your profile evaluated from a professional consultant and figure out what schools you can target based on your profile
Step 3
Application Prep
3-4 weeks at least.
Start writing at least 1 month in advance of their 1st deadline. First application usually takes the longest.
Step 4
Interview Prep
1 week
School will notify you and give you roughly 1 week to schedule your interview. Ideally, start your prep ASAP and Do some mock interviews.
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