The University of Dayton Masters in Finance program is another great program that I wrote about ages ago and must have forgot to check back in on. I am not rectifying that mistake. Since it has been so long I figure it makes sense to write an overview on the program for anyone considering attending. See below.
Overview
This program is STEM certified, CFA Program Affiliated, lasting 33 credit hours – 21 are required and 12 are electives. You can choose between three tracks or concentrations of study – investments, corporate, or quantitative finance. Depending on your timeline, there are two program lengths (there is a third for undergraduates who want to go right into their masters). Option one is 12 months and option two is 21 months. The longer program will allow for an internship and can be helpful for international students or those without any internship or work experience.
For international students, Dayton has a ‘China Start” program which allows those students to begin studies overseas and skip the GMAT/GRE requirement. Details are on the website.
Admissions
There are two admission deadlines – April 15 for Fall admission and September 15 for Spring admission. This gives you two options on when to start your studies and is nice as you do not have to wait a full year if you miss the deadline.
The application process is fairly standard. It does mention you must have a 3.0 or above as an undergraduate GPA. You must submit a GMAT (500 minimum, 19 verbal) or GRE (minimum verbal 149, quantitative 146) score, but there is a waiver option:
Option one:
- A bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, computer science, mathematics, economics, finance, or business from an accredited college or university
- A minimum 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA
- A minimum 3.0 GPA in your undergraduate mathematics courses
Option two:
- A minimum of three years of technical work experience
- A minimum 3.2 overall undergraduate GPA
- B’s or better in all your undergraduate mathematics courses
Tuition – this I would encourage you to reach out to the school. It says that for the MFin it costs $1,120 per credit hour. Simple math would say the MSF should come out under $40K for tuition. Check with the school though as they might compute things slightly differently.
Hands On Learning
A big selling point with the University of Dayton is their experiential learning in both traditional and alternative investments. The Davis Center for Portfolio Management and the Hanley Sustainable Fund are two ways for students to gain some practical, real world experience while they go about their studies. There are CFA exam scholarships and a NYC finance trip for a number of students every year.
Placements
So I could not find a formal placement report, but the website does include this:
“The University of Dayton has successfully placed its finance majors in companies such as BlackRock, Bloomberg, Credit Suisse, Fidelity, Fifth Third Bank, IBM, Johnson Controls, JP Morgan Chase, KeyBanc Capital Markets, Mid-America Asset Management, Northern Trust, Wells Fargo Securities, and Fuyao Glass America.”
While this is no substitute for a detailed report, it does seem that graduates have been able to find success at a variety of financial institutions. I would reach out to admissions or the career office for additional information.
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The University of Dayton is close to my heart as I visited and spent time there while doing my MSF. Had an amazing time on campus and took part in a finance competition on alternative investments. This is a solid MSF program and depending on your circumstances, one that might be a really good fit.
Here is a link to the University of Dayton Masters in Finance Program
