Gain the knowledge and ethical skills needed to excel in financial decision making with this MBA specialization from Concordia-Chicago.

Individuals with knowledge in finance will have the opportunity to differentiate themselves from peers and build life-long skills while positively impacting the world. All major management positions, regardless of discipline, require a knowledge of finance in order to produce the desired results. A CUC MBA plus a specialization in finance will prepare you to differentiate yourself from your peers and build life-long skills while impacting the world in a socially responsible manner.

Career Possibilities

  • Investment Banker
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Financial Manager
  • Financial Analyst
  • Asset Manager
  • Financial Advisor

Learning Objectives

Concordia University Chicago's MBA specialization in finance provides you with a solid foundation in financial management and an understanding of public and private financial processes, financial markets, analysis and investments in a world where finance is an international language. The four courses within this specialization are designed to help you understand the fundamentals of money and banking, financial statement analysis, corporate finance, and international finance. Graduates will navigate through financial situations and problem solve with a global perspective.

Specialization Outcomes

  1. Analyze and evaluate the financial condition of a business, organization, or government enterprise and recommend an appropriate financial management course of action.
  2. Evaluate how the capital structure of a company impacts raising capital for various business and organizational structures.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to appraise and assess financial decisions of a business or organization to develop a visionary culture embracing inclusivity and diversity in all its forms.
  4. Apply and evaluate the objectives of corporate financial management including analysis of foreign exchange rates and the impact of various government influences in respect to  financial strategies.

Chicago & Finance

After New York City, Chicago has the largest Finance Center in the U.S.A. PricewaterhouseCoopers ranks Chicago the ninth in the world for the Top 10 Cities for Finance.  Dow Jones & Company’s International Financial Centers Development Index ranks Chicago as 10th in the world for Finance.  Chicago also has the world’s largest exchange-traded derivatives market in the world. Chicago is a popular name among the well- known financial cities, owes its fame to the derivative market which started at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) back in 1848 with commodity futures trading. Chicago accounts for approximately 18% of the global derivatives trading market which is more than all exchanges in Europe and even New York. The city based Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) clears all U.S. option contracts which exceeded 4.1 billion in 2014. Chicago is known as an economic powerhouse and is the headquarters of over 400 major corporate which includes more than 30 Fortune 500 companies. Chicago is also one of the most diverse economies excelling from innovation in financial risk management. Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago add to Chicago’s fame as an international financial hub.

Demand for MBA Graduates

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council® survey of 185 companies in 33 countries worldwide, 87-percent of employers plan to maintain (43%) or increase (43%) headcounts for new MBA hires. Forty-one respondents are affiliated with companies in the Fortune 500, and include 22 from Fortune 100 firms. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), financial managers can expect moderate to faster-than-average growth of 12% from 2014-2024, along with serious competition for available positions. Depending on the specialization, the BLS anticipated an increase in jobs of 7%-16% for financial professions between 2014-2024.

In February 2016, PayScale.com reported high salaries for MBA-holders in a variety of financial professions. Finance analysis managers earned a median annual income of $81,250, while a chief financial officer's median annual wages stood at $121,942. PayScale.com also noted that experience also played a large factor in take-home pay, with entry-level MBA graduates earning a median salary of approximately $61,748, while those with five or more years' experience saw a median salary of $83,475.

Earning an MBA in Finance gives you the opportunity to earn higher salaries and qualify for more advanced positions.

Specialization Information

Finance*

Offered Terms

Semester 1

1st  (8 weeks)  

MBAF 6455

Fundamentals of Money & Banking

2nd (8 weeks)  

MBAF 6460

Advanced Financial Statement Analysis

Semester 2

1st  (8 weeks)  

MBAF 6465

International Finance

2nd (8 weeks)  

MBAF 6470

Intermediate Corporate Finance

*Courses are offered on a rotational basis

Fundamentals of Money & Banking

This course provides an understanding of the role and importance of money, banking, and financial markets within the U.S. economy and the global economy. This course will explore the origins of money and also the nature of money and how financial institutions are involved in the exchange of goods and services on a global basis. Finally, this course will help students appreciate the important of interest rates and the Central Banks and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Advanced Financial Statement Analysis

The focus of this course is the analysis of financial reporting and disclosures. Students will understand how the financial reports are used to help in management decision making and to create value within the organizations. This course explores the role of managers in financial reporting and disclosure choices. Finally, this course will provide the knowledge to develop and interpret financial statements and to learn the skills necessary to make decisions from the reports

International Finance

This course will focus on international finance from both the corporate and banking perspective.  It is designed to help students understand financial constraints on international business and differences between domestic and international environments. This course will guide students through international monetary system, the differences between foreign trade and foreign investments, measurement and management of foreign-exchange exposure, international financial markets and banking, import/export financing, and international taxation.

Intermediate Corporate Finance

This course provides a comprehensive review of corporate finance topics and examines the concepts, techniques and tools that financial managers use to make effective investing, financing and working capital management decisions. Students will examine advanced capital budgeting topics, financing decisions, working capital management and multinational finance.

Seminar in Higher Education (EDU 6015)

In addition to the base program curriculum, international students attending face-to-face classes on the CUC campus are required to take the Seminar in Higher Education, a 3-credit course. This requirement will not apply to international DBA students studying exclusively online.

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