Finance
Our finance certificate program is designed for early and mid-career professionals who are seeking careers in financial management, capital markets, banking, corporate treasury, investment management and related fields. Employers are looking for professionals who are skilled in financial analysis and are savvy financial decision makers. This program will give you the knowledge and tools that you need to take the next steps in your career.
Maximum flexibility for working professionals
- Flexible online and hybrid class options
- 8 courses
- Complete the program in as little as three semesters
- 21 credit certificate program
Program Information
Employers are looking for professionals who are skilled in financial analysis and are savvy financial decision makers. This program will give you the knowledge and tools that you need to take the next steps in your career.
Degree
Certificate
More in this Program
Course Descriptions
Up to 3 prerequisite courses (6 credits) may be waived based on previous coursework in accounting, finance and statistics. To be eligible for a course waiver, a grade of B- or better is required in an approved course taken within the past 5 years. Pass/fail courses will not be eligible for a course waiver.
1.5 credits
Financial Management is about decisions firms make in two broad areas: the investments
it makes and how it pays for them. The first involves expenditures for physical capital,
human capital, technological capability, brand capital, and so forth. The second involves
raising money in financial markets. In business decision making, the objective is
to maximize shareholder wealth. Why the emphasis on shareholders? Among stakeholders
generally (i.e., customers, employees, suppliers, government, communities, etc.),
shareholders alone possess a uniquely comprehensive and long-term view of the firm's
viability as an ongoing enterprise. This perspective arises from the residual nature
of shareholders' claim to earnings and assets. Wealth is created when the return from
investing business resources exceeds their opportunity cost.
This course provides the necessary foundation in probability and statistics necessary for students looking to go on to study the application of statistics to business. In this course, students will learn the rules of probability, how to identify and use common probability distributions, and how to conduct basic hypothesis tests.
This course provides graduate business students with a deeper understanding of the accounting cycle used in companies to produce both internal and external financial information. Special emphasis is placed throughout the course on understanding, analyzing and interpreting financial statements and related information. Additionally, students will be introduced to decision making tools such as ratio analysis and challenged to utilize them to critically evaluate financial information and make effective decisions. The basics of corporate sustainability reporting will also be covered.
1.5 credits
Financial Management is about decisions firms make in two broad areas: the investments
it makes and how it pays for them. The first involves expenditures for physical capital,
human capital, technological capability, brand capital, and so forth. The second involves
raising money in financial markets. In business decision making, the objective is
to maximize shareholder wealth. Why the emphasis on shareholders? Among stakeholders
generally (i.e., customers, employees, suppliers, government, communities, etc.),
shareholders alone possess a uniquely comprehensive and long-term view of the firm's
viability as an ongoing enterprise. This perspective arises from the residual nature
of shareholders' claim to earnings and assets. Wealth is created when the return from
investing business resources exceeds their opportunity cost.
Prerequisites: FINC 501, STAT 501, and ECON 501 for level GR with minimum grade of C
The course covers advanced topics in financial analysis and decision making, including advanced valuation, short-term finance, long-term finance (debt and equity), capital structure, payout policy, leasing, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance.
Prerequisite: FINC 530
The course provides advanced coverage of the structure of the finance industry, money and capital markets, derivatives, foreign exchange, central banks and monetary policy, depository institutions and regulation.
Prerequisites: FINC 530
The course provides a deep understanding of financial reporting and analysis for purposes including valuation, credit risk assessment, cash flow measurement, managerial decision making and more.
Prerequisites: ACCT 515
Statistical and technical understanding are essential for the AIM professional. This course focuses on creating a solid foundation of technical skills, which will be applied in downstream courses. Topics will include programming concepts and logic, data storage techniques, and descriptive statistics.
Within the context of data analytics, this course teaches students to manage information as a strategic asset with the potential to create significant business value. Students will be exposed to various approaches to managing the capture, retention and disposition of information. Special emphasis will be placed on the legal/regulatory, ethical, risk management and cybersecurity requirements of managing information. Topics include the role of information systems in an organization, information systems governance (which is designed to ensure that IT investments create organizational value), data governance (which seeks to ensure that organizational data meet the standards for quality data), and strategies for identifying measurable sources of ROI.