Today's business leaders need a strong command of financial principles and intuitive insight to lead organizations and drive financial decision-making. Penn State Great Valley's STEM-designated and Master of Finance with the Financial Data Analytics option will provide you with a strong grasp of financial principles and prepare you to analyze data, implement change, and impact the long-term sustainability of businesses around the world.
With the AACSB-accredited Master of Finance with the Financial Data Analytics option, you can:
- Pursue your degree part-time at your own pace, or full-time in as little as 15-18 months.
- Engage in courses taught by world-class faculty and industry experts, learning key skills immediately applicable to the workplace.
- Experience a collaborative and innovative experience rooted in practice—providing you with the skills, experience, and perspective to become a leader.
- Become a part of the more than 750,000 Penn State alumni across the world.
Program Advantages
- Specialize your studies on big data and analytical problems in finance.
- Learn to maximize global diversification of financial portfolios, shareholder value, and return on financial assets while managing the risk exposure to interest rate, exchange rate, and commodity fluctuation.
- Participate in educational events offered through the Finance Innovation Research and Education (FIRE) Lab, allowing you to network with industry experts and learn to adapt to the evolving landscape of finance and technology.
- Partner with leading employers and alumni to foster industry connections, networking, and job opportunities.
- Immerse yourself in small classes and develop meaningful relationships with faculty and classmates who are business professionals and managers in the private and public sectors.
- Take advantage of Career Services, which offers a variety of programs, resources, and networking opportunities for students and graduates.
- Benefit from a STEM-designated program, allowing 36 months total of Optional Practical Training (OPT).
Flexibility
- Courses are delivered in an in-person/online hybrid format. Some courses may be delivered fully online.
- Classes suit your busy lifestyle, while benefiting from a collaborative and engaging face-to-face experience.
- Participate in online course activities throughout the week, including discussion forums, teamwork, and more.
- Ability to simultaneously pursue another degree as part of the concurrent degree program.
Curriculum
The 33-credit program spans topics ranging from practical business applications used to manage current financial challenges to advanced financial theories that can address future trends. You'll focus on:
- Machine learning and data mining tools used in the financial industry
- Advanced financial data visualization techniques
- Real-world applications and projects related to financial data analytics, such as:
- Fraud detection in credit card companies
- Real-time credit evaluation
- Insurance companies’ pricing decisions for customers’ changing financial situations
- Market sentiment analysis to help make investment decisions
Students in the FDA option can start in the fall semester only.
