William R. Hough Master of Science in Finance 2021-22

Executive Summary id="executive-summary"

About the Master of Science in Finance program

The Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program started in 2001 and has evolved to primarily a combination degree program for students from various University of Florida undergraduate degree programs wanting to complete both their undergraduate degree and a Master of Science in Finance degree within four years.

UF undergraduate students apply during their second year on campus and begin MSF courses in their third year. Students take graduate-level finance courses alongside MBA and other finance students, in lieu of some undergraduate degree courses. Students intern the summer after their third year with the firm they plan to return to full time after graduation. Most MSF students come from undergraduate finance, industrial and systems engineering, economics and mathematics programs.

The MSF program also serves students who want access to Ph.D. courses or a joint degree from the UF Levin College of Law.

From the Director's Desk

I hope that you are doing well.

The Master of Science in Finance program is undergoing a major curriculum upgrade. Newly hired Assistant Professor Alejandro Lopez-Lira will teach a required course in Financial Modeling where students will learn programing skills and apply the skills to solving finance problems. MSF students have historically had very strong Excel-based corporate financial modeling skills. With Professor Lopez-Lira’s course, MSF students will move to the next generation of financial modeling skills.

New elective courses build on the base of programing skills. Professor Nimalendran’s exciting new course – Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence – was well received by students this spring. Newly hired Clinical Assistant Professor Yanbin Wu’s new course – Entrepreneurship Finance – also features programing applications. Finally, Professor Baolian Wang will offer an elective course in behavioral finance. You can see below how these courses fit into our curriculum.

The finance department’s commitment to staffing new MSF program courses with new blood helps ensure that the MSF program continues to offer students an exceptional education for many years to come.

Sincerely,

David Brown
Director, Master of Science in Finance program

David Brown, Director, Master of Science in Finance program

MSF Program Curriculum

MSF students take 32 credit hours (16 2-credit courses) of graduate level courses. Fourteen credit hours are required courses and 18 credit hours are electives.

Required Courses

  • Investment Banking and Corporate Financial Modelling Part I
  • Investment Banking and Corporate Financial Modelling Part 2
  • Fixed Income Security Valuation
  • Interest Rate Risk Management
  • Asset Allocation and Investment Strategies
  • Financial Modelling*
  • Asset Allocation Project Course

Electives

  • Special Topics in Investment Finance (taught in Capital Markets Lab)
  • Equity Portfolio Strategies**
  • Value Investing**
  • Study in Valuation
  • Venture Finance
  • Special Topics in Value Investing
  • Capitalism**
  • Capitalism and Regulation
  • Structuring and Solving Business Problems**
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Financial Statement Analysis
  • Entrepreneurship Finance*
  • Venture Finance
  • Behavioral Finance*
  • Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence*
  • Emerging Markets Finance
  • Introduction to Real Estate
  • Investment Property Analysis
  • Secondary Mortgage Markets

* New courses mentioned in Dr. Brown’s letter
** Specialized courses funded by the James Richardson Endowment and MSF support fund.

MSF stands among nation’s elite

No. 6
U.S. program
QS 2022 Master's in Finance rankings

Class Overview

The MSF program continues to grow the quality and diversity of its students.

Class ofSizeAverage SATAverage GPADiversity
20212914203.7331%
20223714493.8932%
20235514523.9041%
20245014423.8852%

GSIF id="gif"

Investing in the future

The Gator Student Investment Fund (GSIF) gives students a hands-on asset management experience. Students work with real capital and deploy it in value-oriented domestic equities while actively managing portfolio risk.

Outgoing and incoming MSF students at the annual board meeting

Academics id="academics"

Prepared for excellence

The MSF program’s academics ensure students receive the best preparation available. From their first day in the program until graduation, students learn through rigorous curriculum to ensure they’re prepared for the ever-changing world of finance.

MSF students attend a values panel

Sophomore summer experiences

Sophomore summer experiences allow firms to retain talent for the following summer and ultimately full time, or they provide opportunities for students to have a challenging and educational experience without an intention by the firm or student to return for at least a couple years.

Will Harrell and Nick Appello from Capco

Capco Asset Management in Tampa is one of the many companies that provide these opportunities for sophomores in the MSF program. Grant Stanish interned at Capco and raved about the experience, even though he was part of the first class of MSF students to intern at Capco. He was tasked with big projects such as modeling training, a margin’s analysis/Shiller PE analysis, and initiation of coverage report for the media industry.

“Capco Asset Management is likely the best sophomore summer internship program through the MSF program,” Stanish said. “There are a lot of really good programs, but I think personally think Capco is the best.”

Incoming MSF Class of 2024

Rising MSF juniors are spending their summer working in sophomore summer opportunities with these companies.

  • Alex. Brown, Miami
  • Aries Capital, Chicago
  • Bank of America, NYC
  • Barings, Charlotte
  • Bayshore, Tampa
  • Black Knight Inc, Jacksonville
  • Boxwood Partners, Richmond
  • Canopy 360, Ocala
  • Capco Asset Management, Tampa (2)
  • Crowley Maritime, Jacksonville
  • Firmo Construction, Sarasota
  • Fogel Capital Management, Stuart
  • Hawkeye Capital, Miami
  • Houlihan Lokey, NYC
  • Intuitive, Atlanta
  • Hawkeye Capital, Miami
  • Jefferies, NYC
  • JPMorgan, Miami
  • Knesset, Jerusalem
  • Kinderhook, NYC
  • Landmark Properties, Atlanta
  • Lightning Partners, Orlando (2)
  • Lorient Capital, Miami
  • Mangrove Equity Partners, Tampa
  • NextEra Energy, Juno Beach (2)
  • NeXtGen Biologics, Gainesville (2)
  • Nomora Securities, NYC
  • Northrop Grumman, Melbourne
  • ProduBanco, Ecuador
  • RBC, NYC
  • RXR Realty, NYC
  • Securrency, Charlotte
  • SiteRX, NYC
  • The Agency at UF, Gainesville

Engagement id="engagement"

Made for impact

Students in the MSF program are able to learn from leaders in the finance industry. Alumni from the most recognizable firms in the country frequent the Warrington campus, spending time with MSF students and ensuring they are ready for life after graduation.

J. S. O'Rourke, IV, Bruce Foerster, Jacob Bogage and Devin Leonard
$25,000+

  • Joseph K. & Jamibeth Todd
$10,000 - $24,999

  • Robert J. & Deana M. Cousin
  • Robert O. Fabrize
  • Saul Goodman
  • Thomas A. III & Zandra P. Horkan
  • Ben A. & Sheila S. Plotkin
  • Jeffrey S. Rawson
$5,000 - $9,999

  • W. Bryan* & Erin G. Adams
  • Daniel L. & Lindsay R. Beiley
  • Russell W. Carpenter
  • Sean & Amy Casterline
  • Marta Z. Cotton
  • Steven B.* & Kimberly B. DeRose
  • Steven M. & Natalie E. Raney
  • Laurence R. Smith & Margaret Saba-Smith
  • Charles W. & Sylvia E. Uhrig
$2,000 - $4,999

  • Anonymous
  • Robert C.* & Kelly M. Arditi
  • Roy R. & Gayle S. Dickson
  • Desi A. DiPierro*
  • James G. Moorman
  • Matthew J. Steffes
$500 - $1,999

  • Anonymous (2)
  • Robert G. & Catherine C. Abood
  • Andrew Amend*
  • Bradley J. Andersen*
  • Dominique N. Angione*
  • Randy & Sheryl E. Appleyard
  • Brennan A.* & Emily E. Bubp
  • Andrew N. Cappello Jr.*
  • Thomas J.* & Michelle L. Carlson
  • Avi S. Dahan*
  • Carleena Fiorenza*
  • Francisco J. Fornell*
  • Brett R. Gasaway*
  • Tansel S. Ismail*
  • Dillon L. Knox*
  • Chandler R. Luger*
  • Dennis M. McCarthy*
  • Aindrea Davis-Mesa*
  • Kevin A. Mesmer*
  • Daniel E. Milstein*
  • Brent M. Penter*
  • Kendall S. Ruskin*
  • Mark J. Ruskin*
  • Nicholas J. Sorenson*
  • Brenden Vickers*
  • Olivia J. Walton*
  • Andrew S.* & Melissa M. Winner
  • Haiyan Wu* & Zhiwen Tang
$1 - $499

  • Michael A. Ennis*
  • Chuck & Kris Gaspari
  • Ronald S. Heinkel II*
  • Jeffrey S. Masse*
  • Christopher M. North*
  • David A. Pinsky*
  • Alfredo A. Ramos*
  • Jesse I. Rosenblum*
  • Arley J. Ruskin*
  • Daniel S.* & Laura G. Sanborn
  • Adam M.* & Emily D. Schiff
  • Mitchell J. Zitsbank*

*MSF Alumni

Corporate Support

  • Bloomberg L.P.

Impact id="impact"

Setting the bar

The impact of the MSF program is shown through the strong student outcomes. Students begin rigorous preparation from their first day on campus to stand out during their internships and earn a full-time position at graduation.

MSF class gathers for a group photo at graduation
100% of placement-seeking seniors accepted full-time analyst positions before graduation
100% of MSF Class of 2022 accepted summer 2021 internships

Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to our outstanding students who received these scholarships last year.

Jeffrey M. Levine Banking Scholarship:

Jonathan Kang
Jonathan Kang
Makayla Ho
Makayla Ho

Betty W. Penter Memorial Scholarship:

Johnathan McCary
Johnathan McCary
Haryshwa Murugappan
Haryshwa Murugappan

William R. Hough Scholarship:

Alexa Entringer
Alexa Entringer
Vinayak Kawatra
Vinayak Kawatra
Daniel Sweeney
Daniel Sweeney

MSF students stand out at competitions

A team of three Master of Science in Finance students won the eighth annual stock pitch competition hosted by the UGA Terry College of Business on February 25. Two other MSF teams finished in the top 12 of the event, which was also attended by teams from the University of Indiana, University of Texas, University of Georgia and University of Virginia, among others.

MSF teams also won first place at a stock pitch competition hosted by Adams Street Partners in partnership with the Founders Fund student organization. MSF teams earned another first place finish at the University of Virginia Stock Pitch Competition.

An MSF team also finished second at the largest U.S. competition hosted at the University of Michigan.

Contact Us id="contact-us"

Kelly Herring

Kelly Herring
Director, William R. Hough Program in Finance
Master of Science in Finance Program
352.392.9249
Fax: 352.392.0301
Email Mrs. Herring