The Johns Hopkins Gazette: July 17, 2000
July 17, 2000
VOL. 29, NO. 41

  

New Master of Science in Finance Degree

SPSBE designs a 36-credit program for advanced professional training

By Neil A. Grauer
SPSBE

Johns Hopkins Gazette Online Edition

Following the successful launch of the new Johns Hopkins MBA program, and in response to considerable demand, the School of Professional Studies in Business and Education will offer a new master of science degree in finance as a commitment to its part-time graduate business degree program.

"Because the Baltimore-Washington region is a major financial center and site of international exchange, many employers and professionals in this field see a tremendous need for advanced professional training in investments, capital markets and corporate finance," said Ralph Fessler, dean of SPSBE.

The new 36-credit degree program is designed to prepare students for careers in finance through a rigorous, quantitatively based curriculum that incorporates current technologies and methodologies to analyze contemporary financial issues, explained Robert Everett, director of the Department of Finance in the Graduate Division of Business and Management.

"Our expert and diverse part-time faculty--who in many cases are leading financial executives and analysts--have also been a driving force behind development of this new degree," Everett added.

Everett observed that the growth of Hopkins' finance program in recent years--including the addition of a 15-credit Certificate in Investments, plus concentrations in the new MBA program--indicates strong student desire for rigorous training in the field.

"The MSF degree is a logical extension of what the Graduate Division of Business and Management has been doing successfully for years: meeting the demands of employers and affording students every opportunity to gain valuable skills they can use in the marketplace," Fessler said.

Students will complete an eight-course core focused on such topics as derivative securities, monetary theory, financial modeling, and investment and portfolio analysis and then will choose four electives to tailor the program to meet their specific professional goals. Among the new courses being offered as part of the program are Financial Modeling, Econometrics in Finance, Advanced Risk Management and Applied Corporate Finance.

Courses for the master of science in finance will be offered by SPSBE at four locations: the Downtown Center in Baltimore, the Columbia Center, Montgomery County Campus and the Washington, D.C., Center. Traditional in-class instruction will be supported by Internet-based resources and asynchronous access to both faculty and other students for collaborative and team-based learning. Computer labs and library resources, including necessary software and databases, will be available at each campus center.


GO TO JULY 17, 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
GO TO THE GAZETTE HOMEPAGE.