Online MBA Spotlight: Finance

Earning an MBA in Finance may not sound as exciting as an MBA in, say, Luxury Brand Management or Artificial Intelligence, but did you know that Finance, particularly Corporate Finance, is listed as one of the nation’s highest paying MBA specializations by U.S. News & World Report? Thanks to high salaries and high demand, just about every elite business school offers Finance programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. At many other B-Schools, the program is even offered 100% online, and the options are growing. Examples of schools that offer Online Finance MBA programs include:

• Benedictine University, Daniel L. Goodwin College of Business, Lisle, Illinois
• New England College of Business, Boston, Massachusetts
• Southeastern Oklahoma State University, John Massey School of Business, Durant, Oklahoma
• St. Bonaventure University, School of Business, Allegany, New York
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School

About Finance MBA Programs

Here's what you can expect from a top Finance MBA program. First, while the duration of programs vary among schools, most programs consist of 36 to 60 credits that can be completed in one to three years of full-time study. Note that some schools offer accelerated programs that can be completed in just months. This, of course, is based on the type of degree you currently hold and the number of credits you can realistically handle at once.

Next, you can expect to take a wide variety of required and elective courses with titles such as:

• Accelerated Corporate Finance
• Behavioral Finance
• Business Strategy and Corporate Law
• Capital Markets
• Corporate Financial Operations
• Corporate Valuation
• Creating Value Through Corporate Restructuring
• Energy Finance
• Entrepreneurial Finance
• Finance of Buyouts and Acquisitions
• Financial Derivatives
• Fixed Income Securities
• Hedge Funds
• Impact Investing
• Infrastructure Investing
• International Banking
• International Financial Markets
• Investment Management
• Macroeconomics and Global Economy
• Managing and Innovating Financial Services
• Private Equity
• Real Estate Investments
• Shareholder Activism
• Strategic Equity Financing
• Sustainable Cities and Resilient Infrastructure
• Urban Fiscal Policy
• Venture Capital and Finance Innovation

And that’s not all. Because we live in a global society, most programs also require completion of courses that address business and finance in countries around the world. Examples include Finance in Europe, Finance in the Middle East and North Africa, and Doing Business in Africa. Students can also expect to engage in study abroad experiences that might take them as far away as Brazil or China, and they will take a number of field courses that will allow them to travel to and experience the inner workings of major financial institutions and other businesses, both locally and across the country.

Lastly, students will complete their MBA in Finance with a final project (or two) that demonstrates a solid understanding of business and finance concepts. Just a few examples, provided by Capstoneprojectideas.com, include “Empowering women through microfinance,” “Effect of free cash flow of profitability of firms,” “Impact of privatization of banks on profitability,” “Stock return and capital investment,” and “Impact of privatization on telecom.”

Employment and Salary Outlook for Finance MBAs

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the projected change in employment for Finance MBAs (Financial Managers) for the 2016-2026 decade is an impressive 19%. The BLS says this is much faster than the average for all occupations, which currently stands at just 7%. And about those salaries, in 2017 the median annual wage for Financial Managers was $125,080. The highest 10% earned more than $208,000, and those working in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, and Management of Companies and Enterprises averaged $147,040 and $141,890, respectively.

High earning Personal Financial Advisors, Financial Analysts, and Financial Examiners, averaged $208,000, $165,582, and $153,850, respectively, with projected job growth for 2016-2026 at 15%, 11%, and 10%, respectively. Job growth is faster to much faster than average across the board.

Once you have your degree, there’s no doubt that you will be in high demand no matter where you live. However, for even greater opportunities, consider heading to one of the hottest states or metro areas for Finance MBAs.

States with the Highest Concentration of Jobs and Location Quotients for Finance MBAs

• District of Columbia - $160,550
• Connecticut - $159,970
• Massachusetts - $142,370
• Illinois - $134,370
• Iowa - $113,030

Metro Areas with the Highest Salaries for Finance MBAs

• New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ - $212,170
• San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA - $193,450
• Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT - $187,580
• Newark, NJ-PA - $177,960
• Philadelphia, PA - $174,700
• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA - $174,190
• Trenton, NJ - $173,250
• Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY - $168,690
• Camden, NJ - $167,370
• Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO - $166,450

Considering an Online MBA? Use our interactive map to find information on schools and colleges offering Online MBA programs in your state and across the U.S.

Sources

"Financial Analysts." Division of Occupational Employment Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13 Apr. 2018. Web. 24 June 2018.

"Financial Examiners." Division of Occupational Employment Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13 Apr. 2018. Web. 24 June 2018.

"Financial Managers." Division of Occupational Employment Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Mar. 2018. Web. 24 June 2018.

"List of the Best Capstone Project Topics for MBA Finance." Capstoneprojectideas.com. Capstone Project Ideas.com, 2018. Web. 24 June 2018.

"MBA Finance." Finance Department. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 2018. Web. 24 June 2018.

"MBA Finance." Harvard Business School. Harvard Business School, 2018. Web. 24 June 2018.

"Online MBA in Finance Degree." U.S. News & World Report Education. U.S. News & World Report L.P., 19 Dec. 2016. Web. 24 June 2018.

"Personal Financial Advisors." Division of Occupational Employment Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13 Apr. 2018. Web. 24 June 2018.

Powell, Farran. "Enhance Earnings with an MBA Specialization." U.S. News & World Report Education. U.S. News & World Report L.P., 2016. Web. 24 June 2018.