It has been a long time since I checked out the Texas A&M Masters in Finance program and when I did, I realized that a lot has changed over that time period. This is another great MSF option for anyone looking to study and work in Texas, a state with an incredibly strong job market. The Texas A&M MSF program is one of the older, more established programs in the US as well and has a history of success with placing students. You will also find an incredibly passionate alumni base, incredibly invaluable. Check out the update bel0w and be on the look out for more regular updates on this great program.
Overview
This program is for undergraduate students with non-MBA level work experience. Texas A&M has a strong pipeline of undergraduates who go right into their masters degree through their accelerated admissions program, but non-Texas A&M students as well as international students are welcome to apply. The website notes that this is not a STEM qualified program for visa purposes. Keep this in mind.
In order to graduate, students must pass 36 credit hours, beginning in August with a special short semester Boot Camp, with graduation the following May. Twenty-four credits are required classes, to be completed in the fall and spring. The remaining 12 hours are electives, which allows students to focus on subject matters that matter to them.
The big strengths of this program, in addition to the quality academics, is their emphasis on career outcomes and placements. The school has one of the best advisory boards I have ever seen and provides students with career preparation depending on the path they want to follow. This board is comprised of over 35 professionals in a number of fields who have committed to being involved with the MSF as well as recruiting the programs students. CFA and CMT preparation is also provided. As a result of this focus on outcomes has given the program a 90%+ career launch success rate. Very impressive.
Career Outcomes
This is always a focus for prospective students and Texas A&M has done a great job in the area. The website is also pretty amazing. They have a list of student who have pass level 3 of the CFA, MSF society presidents, a list of who is on the advisory council and a bunch more. Honestly, this is one of the best websites I have seen recently. Very informative and helpful.
I am going to list a number of recently employers, but check out the full list here. The firms below are just a sampling. I looked through all the companies hiring and a ton come from advisory member firms (which is great!) and all the major energy companies as well as banks are represented.
- Accenture
- Baker Hughes
- Bank of America
- BBVA Compass
- BP
- Chesapeake Energy
- Citi
- ConocoPhillips
- Deloitte
- Duff & Phelps
- E&Y
- Houlihan Lokey
- JPMorgan
- KPMG
- McKinsey & Co
- Simmons Energy
- Wells Fargo
Admissions
The upcoming application cycle is slated to open July 20th. This is perfect timing for anyone looking to get their application in order. The program has a number of prerequisite class that should have been taken by someone with a business undergraduate degree. If you do not have them you can take online classes or work with the university. It seems that these classes are really targeted at Texas A&M juniors who are looking to go the accelerated route. If that doesn’t apply to you, I would reach out to admissions and just confirm you are OK.
Application requirements are pretty standard. GMAT/GRE, two letters of recommendation, an essay, and transcripts. I did not see a class profile, but guidance is that students applying should have a minimum of a 3.0 UG average and be in the 50th percentile of the quant section for the GMAT/GRE. International students should have a minimum TOEFL/IELTS score of 105 and 7, respectively.
August 14th is the lighting round and is the round that non-Texas A&M students should apply.
Tuition for this program varies depending on in-state ($38,500) and out-of-state ($54,000), as of June 19th, 2020. This is pretty reasonable, especially if you qualify for in-state tuition. The program has a number of scholarships available as well. Make sure you inquire about these as early as possible.
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I hope this update helps. There is a bunch of great things going on with this program and I hope I can get some student reviews and additional information. I will make sure to update this program much more regularly in the future as well.
Here is a link to the Texas A&M Masters in Finance Program
