The University of Kentucky’s Master of Science in Finance prepares students for a professional career in the finance and banking industries. This science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program focuses on analytics and data science related skills in courses through Python, Tableau and more.
This 10-month program gives students first-hand asset management experience by managing $5 million of real money and access to real-time financial information in our state-of-the-art Seale Finance Learning Center. Students will access real-time financial information from sources including Bloomberg Terminals and Capital IQ.
Career Opportunities
Investment banking
Asset management
Mutual funds
Hedge funds
Pension funds
Corporate treasury departments
STEM
Certified
10
Month Program
$64,375
Starting Salary
Highlights
- STEM Certified Program
- Manage $5 Million of real money
- CFA Preparation
- Available to all undergraduate majors
- Small class sizes and individual attention
- Info Sessions
- Interactive 360° Tour
- Request Information
All majors are encouraged to apply. Applicants will be evaluated for admission based upon their undergraduate and/or finance coursework grade point averages (GPA) and their TOEFL score (if applicable).
All applications and supporting documents should be submitted to the Graduate School. Please note the MSF program does not require letters of recommendation.
Spring admission is considered if either one of the following two conditions is met:
- Applicant plans to finish the program in more than two semesters.
- Applicant's undergraduate major is finance with a GPA greater than or equal to 3.0 (out of 4.0).
Completion of the application does not guarantee admission into the MSF program. Applicants will be evaluated primarily based on their undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and their TOEFL/IELTS scores.
- Resume or CV.
- Minimum undergraduate GPA requirement is 2.75 (out of 4.0).
- Undergraduate transcript. Please note: Transcripts in SECURE pdf files need to be printed out, re-scanned, and uploaded. Our system will not be able to read it otherwise.
- GMAT/GRE is not required, if you submit to support your application, the Institution Code for the UK Graduate School is 1837 for both GMAT and GRE.
- Resume or CV.
- English Proficiency waivers accepted. Minimum TOEFL score is 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 79 (internet-based). The minimum IELTS score is 6.5. The minimum DUOLINGO is 115, plus an online interview. The TOEFL Institution Code for the UK Graduate School is 1837.
- Waivers may also be considered to students whose institutions will document that all of their instruction was in English.
- Undergraduate transcript. Please note: Transcripts in SECURE pdf files need to be printed out, re-scanned, and uploaded. Our system will not be able to read it otherwise.
- GMAT/GRE is not required; if you submit to support your application, the Institution Code for the UK Graduate School is 1837 for both GMAT and GRE.
International students in the program must take at least nine credit hours per semester in order to maintain the full-time student status. Students may apply for a reduced course load the last semester.
English Proficiency waivers can be offered to students who earned their bachelors' degrees from other U.S. universities.
For more information, contact Yingnan Song.
Application Deadlines
Domestic Students
Fall semester: July 23rd
Spring semester: December 10th
International Students
Fall semester: June 15th
Spring semester: November 1st
GRE and GMAT Information
Currently, both GRE and GMAT exams are avilable online.
The Master of Science in Finance program is a 10-month program consisting of a total of 10 courses. You can choose from 5 courses per semester.
Select five of the course below:
FIN 600 - Corporate Financial Policy
FIN 650 - Investments
FIN 630 - Financial Modeling and Analysis
ACC 621 - Understanding Financial Statements
FIN 685 - Investments Practicum I
FIN 695 - Python Predictive Analytics
Select five of the course below:
FIN 623 - International Financial Management
FIN 688 - Financial Analytics Tools
FIN 645 - Corporate Investment and Financial Policy
FIN 686 - Investments Practicum II
FIN 691 - Current Issues in Finance
FIN 652 - Options, Futures, and Derivatives
FIN 695 - Python Predictive Analytics
Nationally Recognized
The John Maze Stewart Department of Finance and Quantitative Methods has been accepted into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program every year since 2012. The Master of Science program has been included in the CFA Institute University Recognition Program since 2017. This status is granted to institutions whose degree programs incorporate at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK).
Students are provided with a solid grounding in the CBOK*, and are prepared to sit for the CFA exam. Each year, the CFA Institute allots 13 scholarships to finance students. (MSF or undergraduate). Students with scholarships will be able to access CFA preparation materials for free and take CFA exams at a significantly lowered rate.
Course Descriptions
Financial statements communicate information about a business and its operations. Students will gain an understanding of the information being communicated (or not communicated) by the business entity. Emphasis is on the uses of information, rather than its preparation.
A study of financial management from the viewpoint of the corporate financial officer. Areas studied include capital budgeting, capital structure, financing decisions, working capital management, dividend policy, and mergers and acquisitions.
This course provides an overview of financial management at the international level. Topics covered include: The nature and uses of international financial markets, the financial behavior of multinational corporations, exchange rates, and hedging in international business.
This course provides students with the skills necessary to apply modern financial theories to real world applications in both corporate finance and investments. Students will get hands-on experience implementing models from areas such as capital budgeting, financial planning, and asset valuation.
Emphasizing both theory and practice, this course is an in-depth study of long-term corporate investment and financing decisions. Topics include valuation, capital budgeting, cost of capital, leasing, dividend policy, capital structure, and mergers and acquisitions.
Analysis and valuation of securities and the effects on investment decisions.
A derivative security is a financial instrument whose value depends upon the value of another (i.e., underlying) asset. Examples of derivatives include forwards, futures, options, and swaps. The market for derivatives is enormous. As of December 2018, there was $544 trillion in notional principal of over-the-counter derivatives. This course introduces students to the theory of and practical application of derivative securities. We will focus on institutional aspects of derivatives markets, no arbitrage pricing of derivatives by payoff replication, and ways to use derivatives to speculate and hedge financial risks. Futures, options, and swaps on different underlying assets will be covered. Emphasis will be on pricing and application.
The course gives students a working knowledge of, and experience applying the basic principles of value-oriented equity investing. Students manage a real-money equity portfolio, making all buy/sell decisions.
This is the second of a two course sequence that gives students a working knowledge of, and experience applying the basic principles of value-oriented equity investing. Students manage a real-money equity portfolio, making all buy/sell decisions.
This course will expose students to tools such as Alteryx, Tableau, SAS JMP Pro, RapidMiner, and Python, so they may exploit these in conducting financial analytics. The course emphasizes salient features of these tools and provides students with opportunities to apply them to self- selected financial data to generate analytics of interest to the individual students and student teams.
Interested in Part-Time?
The majority of our MSF students finish the program in one year. However, some MSF students can finish the MSF program in more than a year. International students in the program must take at least nine credit hours per semester in order to maintain the full-time student status (may apply for reduced course load in the last semester).
Career
The Graham Office of Career Management offers comprehensive career support services to all graduate students in the Gatton College of Business and Economics. Students receive assistance in everything needed to launch a successful career after graduation, from resume development and job searches to LinkedIn profile buildout and interview preparation.
As you hone your career search as a student in the MS Finance program, you can also expect to receive guidance and networking from our faculty who bring their own extensive experience in industry into the classroom.
STEM
The MSF program is a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program. This means international students are eligible for three years of Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation. OPT is a period during which undergraduate and graduate students with F-1 (non-immigrant student visa) status are allowed to work on a student visa and receive practical training to complement their education.
Career Outcomes
Haley Wagner, '22
Data Transformation Analyst
S&P Global
Johnny Tobe, '22
Commercial Analyst
Truist
Akash Pansuriya, '22
Wealth Management Specialist
Merrill Lynch (Bank of America)
The MSF program works closely with the John Maze Stewart Department of Finance and Quantitative Methods and the Gatton college to place our students in order for our students to have a successful career in Finance. For more placements click the button below.
Resident | Non-Resident | |
---|---|---|
Tuition (per credit hour) | $886 | $1,264.50 |
University Mandatory Fees (Estimate) | $62 | $62 |
Total | $948 | $1,326.50 |
- See University of Kentucky Tuition and Fees Page UK Tuition and Fees Page.
Tuition is based on a credit hour system to allow additional flexibility. Students may select to start the program in the Spring semester and extend the program for as long as necessary to complete the entire 10 courses.
Master of Science in Finance students need 30 credit hours to graduate. International students need at least 9 credit hours of course work per semester to maintain full-time status.
Financial Assistance
All applicants are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships based on their academic performance, such as GPA, GMAT/GRE scores, and other factors. The scholarships are very competitive and typically cover only partial tuition costs.
University Level Funding Opportunities
The University of Kentucky Graduate School also provides various funding opportunities for graduate students. Please visit gradschool.uky.edu/student-funding for more information.
Connect with Us

Mark Liu
Director, MS in Finance
John Maze Stewart Department of Finance and Quantitative Methods
(859) 257-9842
mark.liu@uky.edu

Yingnan Song
International Recruiter
International Affairs
yingnan.song@uky.edu

Rick Mason
Director of Professional Recruiting
Professional Resource Center
(859) 218-5550
rickmason@uky.edu