Program Requirements

Concentration in Corporate Finance and Investment

The Master of Science in Finance (MSF) offers graduate-level business finance education to meet the needs for financial analysis, and analytical and technical expertise in the Gulf region. The program also provides research training for students following the thesis option who wish to consider future PhD study.

Mission Statement

The MSF Program at American University of Sharjah prepares students with the analytical skills needed for a successful professional career in today’s global financial environment.

Featuring a rigorous curriculum that provides cutting-edge training in finance—focusing on all dimensions of learning that include knowledge, attitudes, values, skills, understanding and analysis—the program endows students with the necessary quantitative and theoretical expertise for analytical jobs in the finance sector. Because the curriculum covers the CFA body of knowledge, it also encourages students to prepare for the CFA exams.

While all students in the program are exposed to research, the thesis option provides students considering future PhD studies with more in-depth research training.

Program Goals

The MSF program will prepare graduates to:

• meet the highest levels of proficiency in the functional or technical knowledge required for professional finance careers
• address key issues in professional decision making through the application of critical analysis and integration of knowledge relevant to changing environments
• be at the forefront of academic and professional research related to the practice of finance and investment

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the MSF program will be prepared to:

• evaluate risk in investments and devise risk management strategies
• price major financial assets and securities, including in complex environments
• assess and devise alternative financing decisions and strategies, based on advanced analysis and the application of research skills
• use financial modeling and problem-solving techniques to facilitate financial decision making
• analyze advanced financial statements to inform high-level strategic thinking.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the general university requirements for graduate admission, including a bachelor’s degree in business-related areas. Applicants to the MSF program must also submit a current vitae/resume. For admissions, please click here.

MSF Bridging Courses (7.5 credit hours)

Students admitted to the MSF program may be required to complete a maximum of six credit hours in courses that serve as the foundation for the core MSF program. The number of business bridging courses required will normally depend on courses completed by the student as an undergraduate and is determined by the program at the time of admission. Business bridging courses may be waived when the waiver policy requirements are met. Matriculation into the major requires successful completion or waiver of the business bridging courses. All business bridging courses are half-semester courses. For information, please consult the Course Waiver section in the Admission to Graduate Studies section in the AUS Graduate Catalog.

All business bridging courses are half-semester courses.

• BUS 501 Introduction to Economics
• BUS 502 Quantitative Methods
• BUS 503 Financial Accounting
• BUS 504 Econometric Analysis
• BUS 505 Introduction to Financial Management

Degree Requirements

Students in the MSF program are offered two options: a thesis option and a non-thesis option,

To be awarded an MSF degree, students must successfully complete a minimum of 30 credit hours consisting of program core courses, concentration courses, program elective courses and a thesis (for students in the thesis option only), with a minimum grade point average of 3.00.

The expected minimum duration for completion of the MSF degree program for a full-time student is 18 months. Part-time students may need more time to complete the degree. All students must successfully complete the degree program graduation requirements within five years from the time of initial enrollment in the program.

Graduation residence requirements must be met. For details, please refer to the Graduation Requirements in the Academic Policies and Regulations section of the AUS Graduate Catalog.

Thesis Option

Students in the thesis option must successfully complete the following requirements:

• 12 credit hours of core courses
• nine credit hours of concentration courses
• a minimum of three credit hours in elective courses
• six credit hours of Master’s Thesis

Non-Thesis Option

Students in the non-thesis option must successfully complete the following requirements:

• 12 credit hours of core courses
• nine credit hours of concentration courses
• a minimum of nine credit hours in elective courses

Core Courses (12 credit hours)

• FIN 681 Advanced Financial Statements Analysis
• FIN 682 Advanced Corporate Finance
• FIN 683 Applied Econometrics Methods
• FIN 684 Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management
• FIN 699 Master’s Thesis (for students in the thesis option)

Concentration Courses (9 credit hours)

Corporate Finance and Investment Concentration

• FIN 685 Advanced Asset Valuation
• FIN 686 Pricing and Hedging of Financial Derivatives
• FIN 687 Financial Markets and Institutions

Elective Courses (minimum of 3/9 credit hours)

Student in the thesis option must complete a minimum of three credit hours in elective courses. Students in the non-thesis option must complete a minimum of nine credit hours in elective courses.

• FIN 688 Private Equity and Venture Capital
• FIN 689 Risk Management
• FIN 691 International Financial Management
• FIN 692 Islamic Finance
• FIN 694 Special Topic in Finance

Students in the non-thesis option may be elect to take up to two elective courses from outside the list of elective courses with the approval of their advisor and the SBA Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.

Master’s Thesis

The thesis option allows in-depth specialization in a particular topic area, and provides students with the opportunity to receive individualized attention from their thesis faculty supervisor, equipping them with the research skills required for a PhD degree. MSF thesis option students will select an advisor after successfully completing the core courses.

A student must complete his/her thesis under the direct supervision and guidance of a principal advisor. This principal advisor serves as the chair of the student’s examining committee. The committee also includes two additional faculty members. One of the additional faculty members must be selected from outside the program. The committee could also include one co-advisor or more.

A complete guide for preparing the thesis/professional project is given in the Office of Graduate Studies Policies and Procedures document available on iLearn and accessible using the following path: iLearn-Community-Office of Graduate Studies (OGS)-Office of Graduate Studies Policies & Procedures.

For registration details, please refer to Thesis, Final Project and Dissertation under the Academic Policies and Regulations section of the AUS Graduate Catalog.