The Middle Tennessee State University Masters in Finance program is brand new program starting up this year. It is always exciting to see a new program start and I am looking forward to reporting on this program as time goes by. Definitely a good thing the overall MSF universe. Below is an overview of the program. More to follow.
Program Description
From the University website:
“MTSU’s new Master of Science in Finance program is designed to provide a graduate-level knowledge base and expertise to those who work in the growing field of finance, assisting individuals, companies, and governments, among others, in navigating the increasingly complex and essential world of financial analysis. The program is ideal for a prospective student with a business/quantitative background (e.g. finance, economics, accounting, mathematics, or engineering undergraduate degree) who is seeking to advance his/her career in the rewarding world of finance. The 12-month, 33-credit hour program will offer a class schedule to accommodate professionals in the work world as well as full-time students. The program aims to impart quantitative, practical knowledge in various areas within the field of finance; deliver hands-on experience applying various financial modeling and valuation concepts, tools, and techniques; and develop communication, critical thinking, analytical ethical decision making, and discipline-specific skills.”
It looks as this program is designed to cater to both young and more established professionals. This should be nice for anyone looking to attend part time.
The program will also have three concentrations: General, Corporate Finance and Investments.
Admissions
Since this is the first year the program is up and running, it will take some time before we have a class profile to give everyone an idea of their relative competitiveness for admittance. The program has provided an outline for anyone applying. They use a calculation that combines your GMAT/GRE and UG GPA. I’ve included it below.
- recorded satisfactory official scores on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Admission is based on a GMAT (or equivalent GRE) index score of 950 (200 x undergraduate grade point average + GMAT score must be equal to or greater than 950). A minimum GMAT score of 400 (or equivalent GRE) is required. Student performance on graduate admission tests is an important factor in the decision to grant admission.
Lets think about this practically. Assuming you have a 3.0 GPA, that would give you 600 points. You’d need a 350 GMAT (really a 400) to meet their threshold. This is not very hard to achieve. I would say this program looks highly achievable for many individuals.
No word on STEM certification though I am sure this will be something they focus on in the near future.
Tuition
They don’t have a clear pricing for the program so you have to go off their graduate tuition chart. My calculation (which could be off) is roughly $18K for in-state tuition and $45K for out of state students. I just multiplied 33 by the 1 credit hour costs. Please reach out to the school directly as this could be very wrong.
To help offset the cost of the program (especially for out of state students) the program offers nine-month M.S. assistantships that provide up to $40,000 per year in tuition reimbursement (including out-of-state fees) and annual stipend. This is pretty lucrative. No word on additional financial aid (grants, discounts, etc.).
In conclusion, this is a nice addition and great for Tennessee residents. With Nashville booming as much as it is, the Middle Tennessee program will be a nice addition for people looking to work in Tennessee and advance their education. I will keep everyone updated as more information on this program becomes available.
Here is a link to the Middle Tennessee State University Masters in Finance Program