University General Course Catalog 2025-2026 (DRAFT) 
    
    Dec 22, 2024  
University General Course Catalog 2025-2026 (DRAFT)

Finance, M.S.


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The Master of Science in Finance program is designed to provide the foundations students will need to adapt and excel in the rapidly changing environment of the finance profession. The Finance faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno are dedicated to presenting students with solid fundamentals, along with cutting edge topics and techniques in investments, portfolio management, working capital management, and real estate investment.

The Master of Science in Finance program develops strong technical and analytical skills in the area of finance, considerably beyond the introductory level courses presented to undergraduates, and helps students acquire the core conceptual knowledge about the applications of those skills in solving financial business problems and furthering the body of knowledge through ongoing research. The program emphasizes the skills needed to succeed in the business community, including teamwork, leadership and the ability to communicate effectively.

The Master of Science in Finance program, which primarily targets those students with Finance, Economics, Accounting, Engineering, and quantitative backgrounds who wish to pursue or advance their careers in Finance, is sufficiently flexible to accommodate students with a bachelor's degree in any field.

Program Learning Outcomes


Students will be able to:

  • use evidence-based reasoning to understand, manage, and address complex financial decisions.
  • facilitate problem solving in a complex and dynamic environments.
  • apply qualitative and quantitative information into the decision making process.

Contact Information


Hongchao Zeng, Ph.D., Graduate Program Director
Department of Finance
(775) 682-9195
hzeng@unr.edu

Graduate Handbook

Admission Requirements


The Finance faculty requires each new graduate to satisfy the following program pre-enrollment requirements:

Microcomputer proficiency: Students should be knowledgeable of microcomputer operating systems, word processing, spreadsheet and electronic communication applications (i.e. e-mail, electronic databases and the internet) prior to enrollment in the program.

Proficiency in English: If an international student’s verbal score on the GMAT, TOEFL, or other evaluation measure is below an acceptable level, a student may be required to enroll in English language development classes either prior to enrollment in the program or during the first semester of his/her academic program.

I. Program Requirements


The program consists of two choices: Plan A (non-thesis) with 33 credits and Plan B (thesis) with 30 credits.

II. Total Units


Plan A - 33 credits; Plan B - 30 credits

Note(s):


* Curriculum requirements in the catalog supersede the Graduate handbook.

Undergraduate Prerequisites


A bachelor’s degree in business or finance is not required for admission. Students are expected to have completed the following courses within five years of admission to the program:

  1. Basic Calculus (equivalent to MATH 176  ); students should be able to understand derivatives, integration, and related mathematical concepts.
  2. Statistics of Decision Making (equivalent to BADM 700 ; students should understand the basic notions of sampling theory, nonparametric sample comparison, regression analysis, and hypothesis testing.
  3. Financial Reporting and Accounting (equivalent to BADM 710 ); students should understand the structure and formation of accounting statements and should be able to discern financial information from these statements.

Student who have not completed the aforementioned or equivalent courses, must complete equivalent courses (i.e., BADM 700 , BADM 710  , and MATH 176 , ) at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

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