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CURRICULUM The Mays MSF is a 10-month (August-May), 36-credit-hour program offering a unique and diverse curriculum designed to prepare individuals for corporate finance, investment banking and investment management. The program emphasizes finance courses, but also includes general business coursework in corporate governance, business ethics and business strategy. Entering students must have completed the following prerequisite, introductory level undergraduate courses with a grade of B or better: Completed before undergraduate graduation: statistics, calculus and computer programming Completed before entering program (two out of the following three): accounting, finance and microeconomics COURSE SEQUENCE SUMMER (August) FALL SPRING SUMMER (optional) Pre-internship 10-12 weeks (select domestic students who meet deadline) Financial Analysis Practicum Module I 4 credit hours (3-week module beginning in August) Core Finance, Accounting and Economics Courses 15 credit hours Financial Analysis Practicum Module II 1 credit hour Career Services Finance Concentration Electives 15 credit hours Financial Analysis Practicum Module III 1 credit hour Graduation (all domestic students) Internship for select international students Graduation (select international students only) Program Orientation Career Services Orientation ELECTIVES To customize their curriculum, students can select electives in the spring to concentrate on either investment management or corporate finance. With adviser approval, students can take any Texas A&M graduate level course. Some of the electives are: Advanced Investing Funding New Ventures Financial Statement Analysis Fixed Income Analysis Foundations of Macroeconomic Theory Derivative Securities Analysis of Real Estate Investment Decisions Real Property Analysis Applied Investment Analysis Technical Analysis Trading Risk Management
PREPARING FOR A CAREER IN Individuals beginning careers in finance typically start out as financial analysts. The competition for these positions is intense, because they promise long-term career growth and earnings potential. Having a strong grasp of technical knowledge of finance is essential to compete for these positions. The MSF program is predicated on the belief that technical competence must be augmented by both confidence and coachability. Developing these three traits in tandem is at the heart of everything we do for our students. CAREER SERVICES SUPPORT The MSF program team partners with the Graduate Business Career Services (GBCS) office to recruit the top employers in the finance industry to participate in a range of activities, from mock interviews to recruiting for full-time positions. GBCS professionals work closely with students to help them obtain jobs in the finance industry and develop effective lifelong career management skills. Students will collaborate with GBCS staff to prepare an individual career management plan, combining individualized career goals with personal knowledge, skills and experience. The GBCS team provides a number of additional services: Development of networking strategies and skills Résumé writing assistance Online career resources Negotiation coaching Interview skills with mock interviews Career management workshops CAREER PATHS FOR GRADUATES Although most graduates will begin their careers as financial analysts, all graduates of the program will have the knowledge and potential to ultimately achieve a variety of senior positions in finance, such as: Chief Financial Officer Financial Manager Hedge Fund Manager Venture Capitalist Investment Manager Investment Banker Portfolio Manager Asset Manager Underwriter Commodities Trader NEAR-TERM AND LONG-TERM SALARY POTENTIAL Average starting salaries for MSF graduates range from $55,000 to $75,000. Total first year compensation for new hires starting out in investment banking jobs is in the $100,000 range. However, the best long-term finance careers start early, and the three- to five-year compensation growth offsets higher starting salary potential in STEM related fields. The real salary differentiation from other fields occurs longer term. The annual compensation potential for an investment banking managing director with seven to 10 years of experience is more than $1 million.
DEDICATED FACULTY AND STAFF OUR STUDENT-CENTRIC APPROACH The Mays MS in Finance program team is committed to providing students with the practical finance skills, industry insights and real world experiences they need to begin a successful career in finance. Toward that end, the program surrounds students with a range of dedicated resources from seasoned executive professors and finance industry guest speakers to advisory board members and former students. Kevin Moore, CFA, CMT BS Electrical Engineering, MBA Director, MS in Finance Program Executive Professor As someone who has always loved innovation, solving complex problems and working around the best and brightest people, finance has been a great career field for me. I am committed to making the Mays MSF the best gateway possible for students seeking to enter this rewarding and exciting field. MSF TEAM Kevin Moore Director Lois Carter Associate Director Angela Degelman Graduate Programs Coordinator The MS in Finance team has a combined 75 years of professional experience ranging from investment banking on Wall Street to graduate finance education at Texas A&M. We have a proven track record of mentoring students. MSF STUDENT: Kevin Foreman BS Applied Math, Texas A&M University Having a STEM degree, I wanted to further my education related to my business and entrepreneurial interests. I am now able to combine my analytical skillset with a prestigious finance education to prepare myself for the corporate finance world. DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI Britt Harris Texas A&M, BS Finance 80 Chief Investment Officer, Teachers Retirement System of Texas Executive Professor PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PARTNERSHIPS Mays Business School has partnered with two organizations that are key to finance students. The CFA Institute grants the globally recognized Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Through this partnership, we can award scholarships for the CFA exams. Second and unique to Texas A&M is our partnership with the Market Technicians Association. Texas A&M finance students are eligible for scholarships for the Chartered Market Technician exams. These certifications are a great way for students to differentiate themselves in the job market. What matters most to employers is how a recruit performs after he or she is hired. Texas A&M is among the nation s top universities on this most important metric. Employers who hire Aggies out of the A&M Finance Program receive almost certain recruiting success in return... smart, ethical, hard working, great with people and humble. Then they come back for more.
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