Massachusetts is home to some of the country’s highest quality and best known universities and as such, offers many choices among accredited finance degree programs in Massachusetts. Following is information on several of those programs.

Clark University

Graduate School of Management

Businessman Jonas Gilman Clark founded Clark University in 1887 and the university opened in 1889 as the first university in the country to admit only graduate students. The founder of the American Psychological Association, G. Stanley Hall, was the first president and brought Sigmund Freud to campus for a series of lectures in 1909. It was Freud’s only lecture series in the United States and introduced the discipline and practice of psychoanalysis in the United States. Clark University has continued to be influential throughout its history. Loren Pope included it in his book, Colleges That Change Lives. U.S. News and World Report ranked Clark University as 75th in the nation in 2014. The university now admits undergraduates as well. The student population of this private school consists of 2,300 undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students.

Master of Science in Finance

A Master of Science in Finance degree from Clark University prepares graduates for a variety of positions in finance. Positions can include contributing to developing advantageous financial strategies within large organizations, working as a high end commodities trader or building computer algorithms that allow either the graduate or organizations to take advantage of even small market fluctuations. Graduates are attractive to banks, large firms in any industry or investment firms. Firms operating hedge funds and private equity funds or trading currencies or commodities also have interest in graduates of this Clark University program. Opportunities abound within the United States, but graduates also have the foundation that allows them to gain success in international markets. Clark University was one of the first universities to collaborate with the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association to design educational programs most useful for investment analyst firms.

Master of Business Administration & Master of Science in Finance Dual Degree Program

The Master of Business Administration degree still is valuable to most employers, but generally only if it includes a specialization in some specific area. The general management MBA fell out of favor with employers several years ago. An MBA with a specialization in finance remains in strong demand, however. Clark University takes that interest one step further in combining the general MBA program with a Master of Science in Finance (MSF), with the result that graduates finish with both an MBA and an MSF degree. The dual program takes some extra time to complete, but most students finish in 2.5 to three years. Admission to the program includes the same prerequisites as admission to the MSF program alone, which means that students must have taken at least one course in each of four areas prior to beginning the program. Those areas include accounting, statistics, economic theory and calculus. Prospective students may apply before taking these courses but the courses must be completed before new students begin the program.

Accreditation

  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International
  • The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
Graduate Admissions Office
950 Main Street (mail); 138 Woodland Street, 1st floor (physical location)
Worcester, MA 01610-1477
Phone: (508) 793-7373
Email: gradadmissions@clarku.edu
Websites:

Nichols College

School of Graduate and Professional Studies

Nichols College is a private four year business school that was founded in 1815. The school was founded as Nichols Academy and is one of the oldest schools in Massachusetts. The school’s mission is produce the leaders of tomorrow through business and professional education that is dynamic and career focused. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Nichols College as the number nine “Best Value” school in the region of the North. U.S. News and World Report also has ranked Nichols College at 27th among the “Best Colleges” located in the Northeastern region of the United States. Nichols College has one of the most respected accredited finance degree programs in Massachusetts.

Master of Business Administration, Finance/Accounting Elective

Nichols College’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies designed its Master of Business Administration programs to provide a superlative education while also meeting the needs of students. The MBA with a Finance concentration focuses on real world issues that students are likely to find in their collective professional lives. Nichols College welcomes students of all ages and students with a broad range of personal needs. It recommends that MBA students attend classes full time on a physical campus but it also offers the program completely online so that Nichols College can accommodate the needs of working professionals, many of whom also have children at home. Students can complete a Nichols College MBA on campus in a traditional setting, in an accelerated program, or completely online. Regardless of the delivery method the student chooses, completion of the program requires 36 credit hours. The school admits students whose undergraduate degrees are not in business, but those students may need to take additional business courses in addition to those required for completion of the MBA.

Accreditation

  • The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
  • The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)

Contact
Nichols College Division of Graduate and Professional Studies
Academy Hall 201
129 Center Road
PO Box 5000
Dudley MA 01571-5000
Phone: (800) 243-3844
Website: http://gps.nichols.edu/graduate-programs/masters-in-business-administration/

Northeastern University

D’Amore-McKim School of Business

Northeastern University was founded in 1898 as a night school for men and originally held classes at the Huntington Avenue YMCA. Its original name was he “Evening Institute for Younger Men.” Its D’Amore-McKim School of Business was founded in 1922 and its Graduate School of Business Administration was founded 30 years later, in 1952. Northeastern University has grown into a rather large university that has a total student population of nearly 25,000. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business has 3,500 undergraduate students and 800 graduate students. U.S. News and World Report ranked Northeastern University as 49th in the nation in the Top National Universities category. It also names Northeastern University as a Tier One National Research University.

Master of Science in Finance

Northeastern University offers its Master of Science in Finance on both full- and part-time schedules. The full time program is a 12 month program and classes meet during daytime hours. The part time program favors evening classes and seeks to serve working professionals. The two forms also vary slightly in their focus. The full time, daytime program focuses on finance theory and quantitative methods and students complete the curriculum as a cohort of approximately 40 students, most of whom are international students. The evening program is more flexible so that working professionals can more closely tailor their individual programs to match their future goals or current responsibilities. The evening program takes 21 months to complete as designed but students may choose from three accelerated tracks that allow evening students to finish in 10, 12 or 16 months. Northeastern University’s Master of Science in Finance program was ranked as number three in the top ten best online Master of Finance degree programs for 2014 by our editors.

Master of Science (MS) in Finance/Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Northeastern University provides opportunity to gain both an MBA degree and a master of finance simultaneously. The purpose of the dual program is to allow students to develop managerial potential as well as practical financial skills in areas including risk management, valuation, insurance, mergers and acquisitions, and investments. Students can choose an investment or corporate finance career track through focusing the finance electives according to personal interests and goals. The design of the program is such that it balances practical skills and theory. It also incorporates Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) materials in the program so graduates are better prepared to sit for either exam at the end of their course of study. The program requires 72 credit hours and students may choose full or part time study.

Accreditation

  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International
  • The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Phone: (617) 373.3258
Email: e.tate@neu.edu
Websites:

Suffolk University

Sawyer Business School

Suffolk University was founded in 1906 as an evening law school to provide access to young men who needed to support themselves and could not attend daytime classes. Sawyer Business School was founded in 1937 on the basis of the school’s excellent reputation and continued growth throughout the Great Depression. Today, Suffolk University is a private university that has a student population of 10,000, more than 3,000 of whom are enrolled in the Sawyer Business School. Both continue the reputation that the school began building decades ago. U.S. News and World Report labels Sawyer as one of the ten least expensive United States business schools. The Princeton Review includes Sawyer Business School in its list of the 15 best schools for global management. Suffolk University maintains one Boston campus and an international campus in Madrid, Spain. Sawyer Business School is home to some of the highest quality accredited finance degree programs in Massachusetts.

MS in Finance (MSF)

Suffolk University’s campus is near the heart of Boston’s financial district and so attracts both working professionals as well as students preparing to embark on careers in financial services or financial management. The MSF program at Sawyer Business School incorporates 70 percent of the foundational knowledge necessary for gaining Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification. The program even has been accepted by the CFA Institute University Recognition Program, an honor that is even more elusive than the AACSB International accreditation that is awarded to less than five percent of the world’s leading business schools. Students can complete the MSF program on a full or part time basis and can focus on career paths in five areas: corporate finance, commercial banking, asset management, financial planning, or investment banking.

MS in Financial Services and Banking (MSFSB)

Sawyer Business School’s MS in Financial Services and Banking is more targeted than the MS with a banking concentration. The program maintains a global perspective and is attractive to students seeking management positions in commercial banking, international banking, investment banking and asset securitization. This program strives to develop experts in financial services management and bank management. Course work includes derivative products in detail, including their creation, use for controlling risk exposure, and marketing them to corporate clients.

Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Concentration in International Finance

Every high quality MBA program today at least acknowledges the influence of global business. Some even focus on operating within the global environment, but few drop students into the global environment as a required internship. Sawyer Business School’s Global MBA does just that. Available for full or part time study, students can complete the program in 12 to 28 months. Both options include an outside requirement that varies according to each student’s status as full or part time. Full time students complete a three month internship outside of each student’s home country. International students may complete their professional internships at large companies headquartered in Boston, but American students will serve their internships in countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Argentina, China or the Czech Republic. Part time students may choose to complete the same type of international internship or choose one of two other options. One of those options is a three month consulting internship that includes two weeks of work outside of the county. The other is completing a global research project at the student’s current place of employment.

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Concentration in Finance

Sawyer Business School offers a general MBA program that students may choose to tailor by concentrating in one area. The finance concentration option adds four courses to the required MBA curriculum. Students must take all four courses to achieve the finance concentration. Those courses are Money and Capital Markets, Options and Futures, Investment Analysis, and Multinational Financial Management. Students may choose full- or part-time study, either on the Boston campus or fully online.

Accreditation

  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International
  • The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
8 Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108-2770
Phone: (617) 573-8641, (617) 573-8302
Email: msf@suffolk.edu, grad.admission@suffolk.edu
Websites:

University of Massachusetts, Boston

College of Management

The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) is a relatively new university and is the only public university in Boston. UMass Boston was established in 1964 by the state legislature. Today, it is a public research university and has the third-largest campus in the University of Massachusetts system. Student population is more than 16,000 including 3,900 graduate students. Most students come from Massachusetts but UMass Boston also attracts international students and students from other states. Because of the College of Management’s relatively small size and young age, U.S. News and World Report says it is too small to rank. The Princeton Review has no such qualms, however. That publication includes UMass Boston’s College of Management in its list of “Best 300 Business Schools.” Despite its young age, UMass Boston offers some of the most attractive accredited finance degree programs in Massachusetts.

Master of Science in Finance (MS in Finance)

The curriculum for UMass Boston’s MS in Finance was designed by accounting and finance faculty members within the College of Management and with input regarding requirements of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam. Admission is competitive and prospective students need to present strong credentials spanning prior academic results, standardized test scores, recommendations, essays and professional experience. The program consists of 45 credits in 15 courses, some of which can be waived with relevant professional experience. Students can choose to study full or part time in a highly flexible schedule that includes nights, weekends, and online classes. Most classes meet only once a week.

Master of Business Administration, Finance Specialization

Even though some ranking organizations regard UMass Boston’s College of Management as being too young for serious consideration, other organizations operate from the perspective of current results. TopMBA included the MBA program in its QS Global 200 Business Schools Report 2013/2014, ranking the program as 48th in North America. The Finance Specialization is only one of 14 possible areas of specialization within the MBA program. The program requires 57 credits for students with no work experience. Working students may be able to have some of those credit requirements waived. Graduates generally work in banking or investment firms, though others also work in biotechnology and other high tech industries, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Accreditation

  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International
  • The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125-3393
Phone: (617) 287-7720
Email: gradcm@umb.edu
Websites:

University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Charlton College of Business

The forerunner of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth) was founded in 1885 as the New Bedford Textile School. It later became the Southeastern Massachusetts University in 1969 and was merged into the UMass system in 1991. U.S. News and World Report ranks UMass Dartmouth as number 87 among Regional Universities North. Located about 60 miles from Boston, UMass Dartmouth has 7,500 students enrolled.

Master of Business Administration (Charlton MBA), Finance Concentration

Charlton’s MBA curriculum requires that all students complete ten courses for a total of 30 credits. Seven of those ten courses are core courses that all MBA students take. Individual students select the other three to meet the requirements of gaining a finance concentration. UMass Dartmouth offers five courses from which finance students can choose. The program is offered in full time or part time study. All Charlton MBA students are required to develop and maintain an electronic work portfolio that reflects attaining the goals of the program and exemplifies the quality of each student’s work.

Accreditation

  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International
  • The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

Contact
285 Old Westport Road
Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300
Phone: (508) 999-8543
Email: tstapleton@umassd.edu
Website: http://www.umassd.edu/charlton/programs/graduate/mba/

The preceding universities and programs represent only a few of the high quality graduate programs in finance available to students in and near Boston. All are accredited finance degree programs in Massachusetts.