"I believe that students with four-year degrees in business, with a major in finance, can be fully prepared for a career in investment banking or securities by obtaining the degree of Master of Science in Finance in a one-year program."
William R. HoughMBA 1948
Master of Science in Finance (MSF)
The Master of Science in Finance (MSF) was started in 2001 and serves:
- University of Florida Master of Science in Finance Combined Degree students.
- Recent graduates of private or public universities, with limited or no work experience, seeking to enhance their undergraduate degree with a concentrated graduate degree.
- People with work experience that view the narrow focus on finance as an attractive alternative to a traditional MBA program.
- Students who want access to PhD courses.
- Joint degree students from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.
View SlidesMSF Instructors Added in 2010
Mr. Daniel O'Rourke (University of Florida MBA): Advance Topics in Derivative Securities
Mr. O'Rourke worked in various capacities in the options area at Goldman Sachs from 1989 to 2005 and then from 2005 to 2009 at Swiss Re where he served as Managing Director of an equity derivative internal hedge fund.
Dr. James Parrino, (University of Virginia PhD): Corporate Financial Modeling Part I & II, Mergers & Acquisitions, Venture Capital
Dr. Parrino taught in the finance area at Babson College. He serves as Managing Director at CLB-Partners, a merger advisory firm for middle market companies. He is also a founding partner at Telesis Partnership, a firm specializing in executive education programs for financial institutions since 1989.
Dr. Farid AitSahlia (Stanford PhD): Computational Methods for Derivatives Pricing, Financial Risk Management
Prior to teaching in this program, Dr. AitSahlia taught in the Industrial Engineering department at the University of Florida and worked at Financial Engines in Palo Alto, California.
Program Enhancements
- The Financial Markets Laboratory has nine Bloomberg terminals for student use, with Thompson Datastream, Reuters and a wide spectrum of real business applications. The Lab also features large flat screen monitors to provide broadcasts of CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and other financial news networks. Finally, a prominent stock ticker and electronic stock boards keeps students abreast of market changes with real-time information.
- Capital IQ accounts included for each MSF student offer, "the highest quality information on both public and private capital markets along with powerful applications for desktop research, screening, real-time market data, backtesting, portfolio management, financial modeling, quantitative analysis, and more. Our product suite empowers the world's leading financial professionals to identify investment opportunities, draw unique insights, and increase returns."
- TraderEx, a Trading and Market Simulation used in Securities Trading class, is, "an interactive computer simulation designed to provide participants with hands-on experience in making tactical trading decisions, and implementing them in different market environments. Continuous order driven and quote driven markets are simulated, along with call auctions and hybrid combinations."
- The Finance Professional Speaker Series brings finance professionals through the fall and spring to discuss their area of expertise. Speakers demonstrate how professionals approach specific problems, give insight into particular industries, discuss major trends in the various markets and industries in which they operate, and talk about career strategies.
