Master of Science in Finance

Why Lindner for Finance?

Designed for the world's future financial leaders, Lindner's Master of Science in Finance program provides students the training in both the theory and application of financial concepts needed to succeed in the industry. Our nationally-ranked program is among the top 10 best value programs in the country, allowing you to get the most out of your investment, while also putting your career at the forefront.

Program highlights

Our program is flexible. You can complete the MS Finance program in as little as two semesters of full-time study, or five semesters as a part-time student.

Specialize your degree by taking specific courses to gain distinction in one of our four focus areas: Corporate Finance, Investments, Risk Management, and Real Estate.

The courses in the MS Finance curriculum prepare students for the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP), and Financial Risk Manager (FRM) examinations.

The MS in Finance program at Lindner prides itself on its diverse student population. The program qualifies as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) designated program, allowing international students to extend their training in the U.S. by 24 months after graduation.

Focus areas

The Lindner MS Finance program allows you to select an area of specialization, enabling you to build on the breadth and depth of the curriculum offered. Our strong core curriculum, coupled with the specialization options, provides the flexibility to design a program that enables you to achieve your career objectives. The MS Finance program currently supports the following focus areas:

  • Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP)
  • Corporate finance
  • Investments
  • Real estate
  • Risk management

Capstone

The program requires all students to complete a capstone experience. Students will complete their capstone requirement by competing in the ACG Cup competition or completing a research project with an industry partner. In addition, all students will describe their capstone experience in an essay.

ACG Cup

Organized by the Cincinnati Chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth, for the last ten years the University of Cincinnati has participated in the ACG Cup case competition. MS Finance students who participated in the 2017-2018 Cincinnati ACG Cup case competition and finished within the top four teams satisfied the first element of their capstone requirement. Students also need to complete their capstone essay for their capstone requirement to be fulfilled.

Research project

Students work with Finance faculty and an industry partner on a research project. The project will be presented to participants in the first week of spring semester, with project presentations being concluded by the first week of April. As with the ACG Cup, participants will need to complete their capstone essay for their capstone requirement to be fulfilled.

What you'll learn

This program blends theoretical and applied knowledge, preparing you to grasp theory and develop skills to apply financial concepts in real-world situations.

Partnership with GARP

The Lindner MS Finance program is an academic partner for the Global Association for Risk Professionals (GARP), which helps connect students and faculty to training and professional development opportunities, such as:

GARP logo with is GARP in navy text with two parenthesis to the left with a light blue dot in the middle and underneath it says FRM Academic Partner
  • The ability to nominate up to six students and one faculty member for Financial Risk Manager (FRM) Part 1 exam scholarships.
  • Student eligibility for GARP research grants (up to $3,000 each per semester).
  • Annual complimentary copy of relevant study guides for MS Finance students.
  • Networking opportunities among GARP’s 257K global members.

Founded in 1996, GARP is a membership association for risk managers. GARP offers foundational and certificate programs in risk management, the best known of which is the FRM certification.

Program length

The program may be completed as either a full-time student or as a part-time student and can be completed in as little as nine months. This program is STEM designated and international students qualify for the STEM OPT extension.

Contact Us

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