Finance Graduate Certificates

Corporate Finance

Finance is one of the foundational disciplines in business. The financial services industry creates demand for finance professionals; this sector includes banks, insurance companies, brokerage and investment companies, and others that sell finance-based services. In addition, every business needs its own in-house professionals to manage the many financial decisions that must be made on an ongoing basis, such as capital budget allocations, developing strategies to raise and manage equity, long-term debt, and working capital, and investing the cash the business raises.

The graduate certificate in corporate finance is aimed primarily at the latter market, including courses in Corporate Finance and Advanced Capital Budgeting.

Corporate finance certificate curriculum
  Course number  Course title Credit hours
Prerequisites
ACCT 7000 Foundations in Accounting
2
FIN 7000 Foundations in Finance 1
Core FIN 7014* Financial Management
3
FIN 7062 Advanced Capital Budgeting 2
Electives FIN 7035
Financial Information & Valuation 3
FIN 7042 Options and Futures 3
FIN 7054 Risk Management 3
FIN 7063 Mergers & Acquisitions 2
FIN 7072 Behavioral Finance
2

*Lindner MBA students who are required to take FIN 7014 as part of the MBA core may not count it towards the certificate. They will be required to take an elective instead. Undergraduate finance majors will be able to waive FIN 7014; they will also be expected to take an elective instead.

The electives listed above represent the typical set from which most students will choose. Students may be able to choose other electives to match specific career goals, with the approval of the Program Director.

Finance

No matter what industry you work in and no matter what size your company is, you need a fundamental understanding of the key principles of finance to truly know your business. The Finance certificate is designed to give individuals without a financial background a high-level overview and full working knowledge of the primary financial tenets such as capital budgeting, valuation and financial management.

The finance certificate includes two prerequisites (three credit hours), two core courses (six semester credits), and two elective courses (six semester credits), depending on program affiliation and prior background.

Finance certificate curriculum
  Course number Course title Credit hours
Prerequisites ACCT 7000 Foundations in Accounting 2
FIN 7000 Foundations in Finance 1
Core FIN 7014* Financial Management 3
FIN 7041 Investments 2
Electives FIN 7035 Financial Information & Valuation 3
FIN 7037 Fixed Income 3
FIN 7042 Options and Futures 3
FIN 7055 International Finance 3
FIN 7072 Behavioral Finance 2
FIN 7063 Mergers & Acquisitions 2

*Lindner MBA students who are required to take FIN 7014 as part of the MBA core may not count it towards the certificate. They will be required to take an elective instead. Undergraduate finance majors will be able to waive FIN 7014; they will also be expected to take an elective instead.

The electives listed above represent the typical set from which most students will choose. Students may be able to choose other electives to match specific career goals, with the approval of the Program Director.

Investment Management

Finance is one of the foundational disciplines in business. The financial services industry creates demand for finance professionals; this sector includes banks, insurance companies, brokerage and investment companies, and others that sell finance-based services. In addition, every business needs its own in-house professionals to manage the many financial decisions that must be made on an ongoing basis, such as capital budget allocations, developing strategies to raise and manage equity, long-term debt, and working capital, and investing the cash the business raises.

The graduate certificate in investment management is aimed primarily, though not exclusively, at the financial services industry, including such courses as Investments and Portfolio Management.

The investment management certificate is made up of two prerequisites (three credit hours), two core courses (six credit hours), and at least two electives (six semester credits), depending on program affiliation and prior coursework.

Investment management certificate curriculum
  Course number Course title Credit hours
Prerequisites ACCT 7000 Foundations in Accounting 2
FIN 7000 Foundations in Finance 1
Core FIN 7041 Investments 2
FIN 7045 Portfolio Management 3
Electives FIN 7035 Financial Information and Valuation 3
FIN 7037 Fixed Income 3
FIN 7042 Options and Futures 3
FIN 7046 Alternative Investments 2
FIN 7052 Securities & Trading Markets 2
FIN 7072 Behavioral Finance
2
FIN 7054 Risk Management 3

The electives listed above represent the typical set from which most students will choose. Students may be able to choose other electives with the approval of the Program Director.

To learn more about these certificates, please contact:

Headshot of Michael Neugent

Michael Neugent

Assistant Professor-Educator and Director, MS Finance Program, Department of Finance, Real Estate, and Insurance and Risk Management

2314 Carl H. Lindner Hall

513-556-7085

Headshot of Bill Gregory

Bill Gregory

Assistant Director of Graduate Recruitment

513-556-5415