Master of Science in Finance
Prepare for your career in finance in the heart of Chicago.
The Master of Science in Finance Program at UIC Business Liautaud Graduate School is a STEM designated program*, just steps from the Chicago Loop – the city’s financial district. As an MSF student, you will gain a solid foundation in the principles of modern finance and specialize your coursework in a sought after field. You will also have the opportunity to perform coursework in our Market Training Lab, a virtual trading center featuring state-of-the art industry software including Bloomberg terminals *(CIP Code 27.0305).
Learn More Heading link
Pride Points Heading link
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Top 40 MSF in U.S. — QS World University Rankings
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STEM designated program
GMAT/GRE Waivers Heading link
For fall 2024 and spring 2025, domestic applicants and international applicants to the MS in Finance program are waived of the GMAT/GRE requirement. If you plan on submitting GMAT or GRE scores, please upload your score report in your application portal. If you plan on taking the GMAT or GRE at a later date, please indicate the test date and send your official scores to UIC.
Please note that competitive GMAT/GRE scores may help your chances of admission and being awarded merit aid.
Course Introduction From Yuliya Demyanyk, Professor of Finance and Real Estate Heading link
Curriculum Heading link
The MSF Program provides a strong foundation in the principles and practice of modern finance. The program introduces the latest concepts and issues affecting today’s financial professionals.
STEM-designation: The program is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) designated for its focus on advanced quantitative skills.
Fast-paced and flexible: Thirty-two credit hour degree program that can be completed in one year of full-time study or more than one year of part-time study. Students may be assigned additional prerequisite coursework depending upon their academic background.*
Areas of Specialization:
The program offers tracks including:
- Corporate Finance
- Asset Management
- Commodities, Derivatives and Financial Exchanges
- Banking & Capital Markets
Market Training Lab: Virtual trading center featuring industry software products, and academic research data.
Financial Certification Preparation: Preparation for professional exams.
More Information
- *For a full list of requirements, including prerequisites, visit the UIC Catalog.
- For a full list of offered courses, visit the Course Catalog.
- For information about tuition and fees, visit the Tuition Page.
In Their Own Words Heading link
The MSF program is meticulously designed to be the perfect blend of concepts in finance and their applicability to the real world. The benefits of this program include the range of electives that allow you to tailor the program according to the career path you aspire. Faculty members have worked in the finance industry for years, and I have developed my professional skills by learning from them. Overall, my experience at UIC has been memorable and I have built valuable and long-lasting connections.
| MSF ’21
Career Outcomes Heading link
96% of recent graduates (Class of 2023) had been employed within six months of graduation, earning an average starting salary of $74,000.
Explore Degree Requirements
Program Faculty Heading link
Warren Arnold
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Özgür Arslan-Ayaydin
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Ehsan Azarmsa
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Terry Badger
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Dominique Badoer
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Gib Bassett
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Andy Bateman
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Andriy Bodnaruk
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Hsiu-Lang Chen
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Jun Chen
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Featured Courses Heading link
FIN 594 Financial Communication
Effective communication is a critical skill for a well-rounded financial professional. This course will provide a foundation in written, verbal and visual communication. Instruction will be from a practitioner’s perspective with a focus on honing skills that students will use in their everyday work life.
Those skills go beyond simply being able to write a report about current macroeconomic conditions or put together a slide deck for a roadshow. Learning to write means learning to organize, to analyze, to summarize and to persuade. It means resisting the urge to just dump data or to fall into opaque jargon. The elements behind effective writing directly translate to effective speaking, not to mention self-confidence and credibility in the workplace.
As with other aspects of the industry, financial communication is subject to significant regulatory oversight, particularly when the communication is directed toward the public. Instruction will reflect this reality, with students learning how to create content that meets required compliance standards
For more information, contact Terry Badger.
FIN 594 Behavioral Finance
Standard finance theory assumes that market participants are rational, an assumption that leaves basic facts of the stock market unexplained. By assuming that some investors aren’t fully rational, behavioral finance better explains some financial phenomena. This course will focus on two areas: limits to arbitrage and how rational traders react to irrational traders, and investor psychology and the deviations from full rationality we can expect to find in financial markets.
For more information, contact Andriy Bodnaruk.
FIN 594 Securities Markets and Trading
Learn how securities are traded in modern electronic financial markets. You’ll uncover the design, operation, and regulation of trading processes with a special emphasis placed on trading simulations related to agency trading, liability trading and market making. This course is suited to people who plan to work or are interested in securities exchanges and high-frequency trading.
In Their Own Words Heading link
The MSF program has been the most influential to my academic and professional development. As a former international student, UIC MSF faculty and advisors were the most helpful in my transition to the American academic and business culture. One of the most valuable aspects of the UIC MSF program is how multi-faceted the curriculum is. During the program, I was able to focus both on financial strategy and business processes as well as the analysis-heavy topics such as Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management. The holistic approach to teaching with hands-on experience in the form of multiple projects is truly unique. I graduated from UIC not only with a degree in Finance but with plenty of meaningful, life-long connections with other students, professors, and mentors.
| MSF ’21
Student Organizations/Activities Heading link
The Graduate Finance and Investment Group sponsors talks by Chicago finance professionals on recent developments in Finance.
Students participate in investment challenge competitions against other universities.
Career Placements Heading link
- Financial Analyst
- Portfolio Manager
- Trader
- Risk Management
- Corporate Finance
- Commercial Banking
Additional Information Heading link
UIC Business offers the resources you need to take your career to new heights.
Resources
The MSF Program offers resources to enhance your educational experience including talks by executives from Chicago financial exchanges and trading firms. The market trading lab introduces software used by industry professionals.
Business Career Center
Job search facilitated by the Business Career Center. Professional guidance enables an efficient job search tailored to career goals.
Market Training Lab
The Lab offers tutorials that introduce trading and statistical software.
In Their Own Words Heading link
I wholeheartedly recommend MSF program to any aspiring student who aims to be a financial professional in the world. My experience at UIC was nothing short of exceptional. The program is meticulously designed, offering a comprehensive curriculum that covers both fundamental and advanced financial concepts.
As a former UIC MSF exchange student and then UIC MSF degree student, I was always supported by Department of Finance and the College of Business Administration. The professors and faculty are not only experts in their fields but also deeply committed to their students’ success, providing valuable insights and mentorship throughout the program. My time during the MSF program has been instrumental in my career growth, and I am confident that it will continue to produce successful finance professionals for years to come.
| MSF’22