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Master of Finance
Your Future in Finance.
Whether you are applying straight from an undergraduate program, switching your career focus, or seeking to deepen your knowledge of finance, the Isenberg Master of Finance (MF) will prepare you for high-impact roles in the financial industry. The 9-15 month program is designed for those who wish to apply their quantitative skills to real-world financial decision making through rigorous coursework, hands-on projects, and close engagement with industry-relevant tools and practices.
Built for Modern Finance Careers
The Master of Finance delivers specialized skills and expertise for success in today’s complex and fast-evolving financial markets. The Alternative Investments track focuses on private markets, with coursework in hedge funds, private equity, and real estate assets. The Financial Analyst track emphasizes public markets, with rigorous training in equity, fixed income, and derivatives markets. Across both tracks, students develop advanced analytical skills, a strong grounding in ethical and professional standards, and skills in valuation, risk management and portfolio management. Students are prepared for roles across public and private markets, including positions on the buy and sell side as well as in corporate treasury and risk management.
The program caters to a wide range of students. Students with an existing finance background can complete the program in 9 months. Applicants from non-finance backgrounds can seamlessly prepare for the program by completing prerequisite courses online, allowing them to enter the MF with a strong foundation. All students have the option to extend their studies by an additional semester to pursue a professional internship while completing an additional specialization.
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Expertise Meets Practice
The Isenberg Master of Finance is taught by world-class faculty who blend academic excellence with deep industry experience with financial markets and asset management.
Through hands-on learning and real-world applications, students develop the skills and confidence needed to lead in the financial services industry. Pathways in alternative investments and financial analysis allow students to build focused expertise.
Placements and Career Outcomes
Graduates of the Master of Finance program have launched careers across a broad range of leading financial firms:
Asset Management: State Street, Fidelity, Bracebridge Capital, Stepstone Capital, Cambridge Associates, Windrose Advisors, Sun Life Capital Management
Investment Banking: Goldman Sachs, Nomura, UBS, Citibank, BNY Mellon, Santendar Bank
Consulting: McKinsey, Bain, EY
International Students
The Master of Finance is classified as a STEM eligible program, which enables international students to extend their stay in the U.S. for additional practical work experience.
Through Optional Practical Training (OPT) and potentially paid internships via Curricular Practical Training (CPT), international students can gain hands-on experience aligned with their career goals.
4+1 Master's Degrees
4+1 Master's Degrees
Undergraduate students at UMass Amherst and other colleges in the Five College Consortium can pursue a 4+1 option, completing their undergraduate degree and their master's degree in 5 years. Isenberg's Master of Finance, Master of Science in Accounting, and Master of Science in Business Analytics all offer this option.
For UMass Amherst students, the 4+1 option can also be accelerated, allowing students to complete both their undergraduate and master's degrees in fewer than 5 years.
Interested students should apply to a master's degree program in their junior year or early in their senior year.
#10
Top-ranked Finance Curriculum
U.S. News and World Report 2021
U.S. News and World Report 2021
84%
of MS graduates accept jobs within 6 months of graduation*
*MSA, MSBA, MF Class of 2024-25
*MSA, MSBA, MF Class of 2024-25
$86,000
Average Salary: $86K*
90th percentile $132K *
*Average of MF classes of 2022-23, 2022-24, 2024-25
90th percentile $132K *
*Average of MF classes of 2022-23, 2022-24, 2024-25
Career Services
Career Services
Visit IConnect for job postings, career events, and a suite of resources and tools in one central location to help you prepare for your career search. Resume guides, LinkedIn workshops, and interview tips are all available to you. Appointments for one-on-one career coaching are made through the IConnect platform.
Message from the Program Director
As the global financial markets become increasingly complex and investors seek greater diversification along with increased return on investments, there has never been more demand for expertise in the field of asset management. In one short year, the MF will provide you with both the cutting-edge knowledge and the credentials you need to accelerate your career in this thriving field.
GET A UNIQUE DEGREE FROM A TOP, AACSB-ACCREDITED BUSINESS SCHOOL.
The Isenberg School of Management simulates the real-world challenges you’ll face on the job so you’ll be equipped to handle the ever-changing issues of today’s financial world.
ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF ONE OF THE BEST FINANCE DEPARTMENTS IN AI WORLDWIDE.
Isenberg faculty are recognized around the globe for their leading-edge research in Asset Management, and particularly Alternative Investments (AI). Isenberg Finance faculty also serve as editors of The Journal of Alternative Investments (JAI), the preeminent journal in the field. As a result, the department has an established reputation for excellence in scholarship as well as real-world application.
TAP INTO OUR UNPARALLELED ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS.
The Center for International Securities and Derivatives Markets (CISDM), located at Isenberg, hosts conferences, connects academic and business communities, and provides access to the Morningstar CISDM Database. In 2002, CISDM co-founded the Amherst-based Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA), which supplies credentials and support for alternative investment professionals.
MF Faculty
MF Faculty
Jeffrey Clark
Lecturer, David Gaunt Faculty Fellow in Real Estate; M.Fin. Academic Program Director
Robert Feingold
Lecturer
Simon Huang
Assistant Professor
Adam T. Jørring
Assistant Professor
Hossein B. Kazemi
Director, CISDM & Michael and Cheryl Philipp Endowed Professor
Bing Liang
Charles P. McQuaid Endowed Professor
Jeffrey G. Robert
Lecturer
Apply Now
Apply Now
Follow our step-by-step process to complete your online application.
- Review the program specific admissions requirements.
- Click Apply Now to go to the University's Graduate School site where you can find a link to the secure online application.
- First-time users will need to create an account to start a new application. Note: You can submit your application before you have all your materials ready, simply save and resume your application as you gather required materials.
- After submitting, track your application at the Graduate School Status of Application page.
Request More Information
Take the first step.
Fill out the form to start the conversation and one of our program specialists will follow up with you directly.