A Master of Finance (or Masters in Finance) makes you highly valuable to firms and investors. Accelerate your career with a Master of Finance online, specialising in applied finance or financial technology.
A Master of Finance online degree can be used to extend financial skills or start a new career. The structure and focus of a masters in finance depends on the program and subject choices. You can choose or design a 12-subject program that aligns with your finance career goals.
Example Subjects in a Master of Finance
This course provides students with the knowledge required for the management of financial functions of multinational firms. In addition to building a rich theoretical grounding in international finance concepts, the course teaches you how to apply those concepts via real-world data analysis and scenario-based studies.
The course begins by exploring international monetary policy and foreign exchange markets at the macroeconomic level and moves on to a theoretical understanding of exchange rate determinants. We then shift the focus from the global- to the transaction-level and learn how to identify and develop hedging strategies to deal with risk related to exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations.
With the core conceptual understanding of hedging instruments in place, we expand our knowledge to application and decision-making at the firm-level and students learn how multinational firms can invest and finance in international markets and manage related risks.
At each stage of the student journey, learning material, as well as weekly activities and assessments, are designed to build a community of inquiry and to articulate theory through real-world examples, cases or data exercises.
Source: UNSW Master of Applied Finance
Source: UNSW Masters of Finance
This course explores techniques, models and industry practices in equity analysis and valuation. Both quantitative and fundamental analyses are covered to illustrate the work and research behind the trade recommendation reports prepared by financial analysts.
Upon successful completion, students will be able to:
- apply discounted cash flow, residual income and market-based valuation models to estimate the fair equity value of a listed company
- analyse the competitive advantage, industry structure and sustainability of return on invested capital of the subject company to determine the profitability of the subject company
- evaluate the debt management of the subject company using relevant financial ratios.
Source: UNSW Master of Applied Finance
Source: Masters of Finance Griffith University
Source: UNSW Master of Applied Finance
Source: RMIT Master of Finance
Source: UNSW Master of Applied Finance
Source: Master of Finance UniMelb
Online Masters in Finance
Online Masters in Finance programs are designed for busy people who need to study on their terms. Accelerated finance courses are available, allowing you to study steadily across the year. You do one subject at a time, help to provide a clear focus and making it easier to balance study with a full-time job.
Good online finance programs also connect students to each other as well as instructors and support staff. You gain a feeling of being part of a well-supported group, which helps keep you motivated and on track for success.
Finance is a practical, hard-nosed business, making an online Master of Applied Finance a popular program for finance professionals across Australia.
With applied finance courses, you can be confident that instruction on theory is limited. As well, you'll have abundant opportunity to hone skills with hands-on tasks. These allow you to put newly acquired knowledge and tools into effect, contributing to financial "muscle memory".
The best applied finance masters are also well connected to industry. That way, programs sharply focus on in-demand skills... READ MORE
If you know finance and are looking to re-invigorate your career, consider a Master of Financial Technology degree.
A Masters in Financial Technology skips over the traditional ground of a finance masters, instead focusing on innovation. Students explore the FinTech ecosystem, changes happening in payments and lending, robo-advisory technology, disruption opportunities, and so forth.
A FinTech masters may be ideal if you're interested in learning about technology. The combination of financial experience and technology awareness is in high-demand in the growing FinTech sector... READ MORE
Entry Requirements
Entry requirements for a Master of Finance vary. A degree in finance or business (or other cognate discipline) is usually sufficient to be admitted to most master's degrees. Graduate Certificate in Finance courses provide entry pathways for graduates with unrelated degrees as well as those without a degree but having professional finance experience.
Here are examples of finance program admission requirements. Enquire for further details.
For UNSW's Master of Financial Technology, you require a bachelor degree (or equivalent qualification) with a WAM of 65+ in business, commerce, information systems and technology management, IT, computer engineering, or software engineering.
An alternative pathway is to complete the UNSW Graduate Certificate in Financial Technology with a WAM score of 65+.
For 2023 starters, the indicative fee for the full program is $55,800 for both domestic students and international students.
Cognate entry: To qualify for the Master of Applied Finance via cognate entry, you need a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent qualification) in a business, banking or finance-related area with a credit average (65% or higher).
If you have completed similar subjects previously, you can gain up to four subjects in RPL/advanced standing.
Non-cognate entry: Students with a bachelor degree (or equivalent qualification) and no finance knowledge can apply for the Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance. Completing this with a credit average (65% or higher) allows you then to articulate into the Master’s with full credit for subjects completed.
For 2023 starters, the indicative fee for the full program is $55,800. Domestic students may be automatically eligible for a FEE-HELP loan to cover tuition fees.
Master of Finance vs MBA
Master of Finance vs MBA: which is the better degree? The answer depends on your career path. A Master of Finance would normally be the best choice if you want to develop and demonstrate financial skills.
A masters in finance is a practical degree that builds technical knowledge and capabilities. The training is especially valued in banking and finance. Earning the degree demonstrates you're able to apply yourself and get on top of numbers. The qualification can launch or boost your career in finance.
The MBA, on the other hand, is a generalist degree with a management and leadership emphasis. You don't necessarily acquire technical skills by doing an MBA. Instead, you come away with a better understanding of management principles and strategies.
