It was just brought to my attention that the University of Kentucky is launching a Masters in Finance program. This is great news as it has been a while since a new program came online and Kentucky is a very well respected university. I think this program will be of interest for anyone looking to work down south/Charlotte area and for those looking for an amazing college experience combined with great academics.
CFA Institute University Recognition Program
The program has been accepted by CFA Institute University Recognition Program. I’ve written about this before, but I consider this to be a gold standard. It also provides a number of benefits for the students if they decide to pursue an MSF while going to a recognized university program.
Career Services
The website mentions a career center that will work with students in career preparation and finding a job. There is also mention of helping students find a PhD program for those seeking out their doctorate. This is a smaller number of students, but will be big selling point for those looking to continue their education.
Curriculum
The program is a lock step, 10 month program with the following class order:
Fall Semester
- FIN 600 – Corporate financial policy
- FIN 650 – Investments
- ECO 491G – Applied econometrics
- ACC 621 – Understanding financial statements
- FIN 691-1 – Investments practicum I
Winter Semester
- FIN 623 – International financial management
- FIN 630 – Financial modeling and analysis
- FIN 645 – Corporate investment and financial policy
- FIN 691-2 – Investments practicum II
- FIN 691-3 – Current issues in finance
Students will also get hands on experience with the $5 million student-managed investment fund (SMIF).
Tuition Cost
This is pretty reasonable compared to many other programs. In state tuition is a steal at $25,000, but non resident is still pretty reasonable at $35,000. All students are automatically reviewed for merit scholarships as well.
Admissions
So this is something I really appreciate. Right on the website they let you know the basic threshold. This really clears up some confusion for people who aren’t sure if they hit the minimum. As always, you should try and do much better than the minimum scores, but it is a good datapoint all the same.
“The minimum undergraduate GPA requirement is 2.75. We accept either GRE or GMAT. The minimum for GMAT is 600. The minimum for GRE Verbal is 152, and the minimum for GRE Quantitative is also 152. We accept either TOEFL or IELTS: minimum TOEFL score is 550 (paper-based) 213 (computer-based), or 79 (internet-based). The minimum IELTS score is 6.5”
The application deadline for international students is April 30th and June 30th for domestics. Classes begin in late August. This gives people plenty of time to get in for this inaugural class.
Here is a link to the University of Kentucky Masters in Finance Program
