M.S. in Finance

By mastering the enduring principles that underlie financial markets, MSF students broaden their career opportunities and make names for themselves in their fields. Our program emphasizes financial analytical skills that students can bring to workplaces in corporate finance, asset management, and investment banking.

Take the First Step

We can help you reach your goals.
Loading...

At a Glance

How may courses are required?


The program requires 10 courses.

How long will it take?


Full-time students have 12 months to complete the program while part-time students will take approximately 20 months.

What else is required


All M.S. in Finance students are required to complete 10 hours of community service in order to graduate.

190,000+

Boston College Alumni

42,000+

Carroll School Alumni

#19

Financial Times Faculty Research Ranking

(Average ranking over the past five years)

Curriculum

Program Length

Students have 12 months to complete the 10-course program. Full-time students typically take four classes in each of the fall and spring semesters, and finish their degrees by taking two classes during the summer.

7

Core Courses

Fall

  • Investments (MFIN8801)
  • Corporate Finance (MFIN8807)
  • Management of Financial Institutions (MFIN8820)
  • Financial Econometrics (MFIN8852)

Spring/Summer

  • Quantitative Portfolio Management (MFIN8803)
  • Derivatives & Risk Management (MFIN8860)
  • Advanced Corporate Finance (MFIN8881)

3

Elective Courses

These electives must be at the MFIN66XX or MFIN88XX level (MFIN77XX level courses are for Full-time MBA students only). Electives may have more than one pre-requisite. Please check Agora under "Course Information and Schedules" for specifics.

Program Length

The quantitative finance track is a STEM-designated track, and allows you to complete the 10 total courses required for the MSF in one full year of study (12 months). Full-time students can typically take four classes in each of the fall and spring semesters, and finish their degrees by taking two classes during the summer.

8

Core Courses

Fall

  • Investments (MFIN8801)
  • Corporate Finance (MFIN8807)
  • Management of Financial Institutions (MFIN8820)
  • Financial Econometrics (MFIN8852)

Choose four of the following spring/summer courses

  • Data Analytics (MFIN8870)
  • Quantitative Portfolio Management (MFIN8803)
  • FinTech & Cryptocurrencies (MFIN6650)
  • Derivatives & Risk Management (MFIN8860)
  • Fixed Income Analysis (MFIN8880)

2

Elective Courses

These electives must be at the MFIN66XX or MFIN88XX level (MFIN77XX level courses are for Full-time MBA students only). Electives may have more than one pre-requisite. Please check Agora under "Course Information and Schedules" for specifics.

STEM Designation

Boston College’s Master of Science in Finance (MSF) Quantitative Finance Track is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) designated program. This classification allows international MSF graduates on an F-1 visa to potentially qualify for an additional 24 months of training in their field of study (called Optional Practical Training or OPT) beyond the standard 12 months. Eligible F-1 nonimmigrant students with a STEM degree from a Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certified U.S. school who participate in an initial period of regular post-completion OPT (typically 12 months) may be eligible to apply for a STEM OPT extension.

To qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension, an F-1 student must:

  • Have completed a degree in an eligible STEM field from an SEVP certified U.S. school.
  • Maintained lawful F-1 status during the standard 12 month period of OPT.
  • Have employment through an employer enrolled in USCIS’s E-Verify employment eligibility verification program.
  • Work with the employer to complete a formal training (I-983) and learning objectives.
  • Be employed at least 20 hours per week in a position directly related to the STEM degree.

STEM OPT Help Hub

Program Schedule

The part-time option offers a flexible schedule, enabling you to earn your degree while continuing to advance your career. Part-time students take two classes per semester on average. At this pace, the total duration of the 10-course program will be approximately 20 months.

7

Core Courses

Required Courses

  • Investments (MFIN8801)*
  • Corporate Finance (MFIN8807)*
  • Management of Financial Institutions (MFIN8820)
  • Financial Econometrics (MFIN8852)
  • Derivatives & Risk Management (MFIN8860)

* As Investments and Corporate Finance are prerequisite courses for most other finance classes, students should plan to take these courses first.


Choose One of the Following Courses

  • Quantitative Portfolio Management (MFIN8803)
  • Fixed Income Analysis (MFIN8880)


Choose One of the Following Courses

  • Advanced Corporate Finance (MFIN8881)
  • Corporate Valuation and Restructuring (MFIN8821)

3

Elective Courses

These electives must be at the MFIN66XX or MFIN88XX level (MFIN77XX level courses are for Full-time MBA students only). Electives may have more than one pre-requisite. Please check Agora under "Course Information and Schedules" for specifics.

Course Information and Schedules

Course Waivers

Incoming students who took an MSF core course as an undergraduate may be eligible to waive the course, and to replace it with an elective, by passing a waiver exam. Waiver exams must be completed no later than the deadline of August 1. Incoming students requesting a course waiver must submit requests to Professor Michael Barry. Students will be notified of the results of their waiver exam prior to the start of the Fall semester.

MSF students who received an undergraduate degree from Boston College and who achieved a minimum grade of B+ in an MSF core course taken at Boston College will be allowed to replace that course with an elective, provided they have taken the course within the past five years. Students who received a grade of B or lower or who took the course more than five years prior to starting the MSF program may take a waiver exam or they may retake the course with a professor other than the one who taught their undergraduate course.For more information please contact the Office for Graduate Programs at 617-552-3773.

Community Service

The Carroll School has a proud tradition of service to our community. In keeping with that tradition and with our Jesuit heritage, all M.S. in Finance students are required to complete 10 hours of community service in order to graduate.

Community Service Guidelines

Class Profile

Class entering Fall 2022

Full-Time Students

Academic & Professional Profile

Average Undergraduate GPA 3.55
Average GMAT Score 687
GMAT Score 80th Percentile Range 620–720
Average GRE Score 325
GRE Score 80th Percentile Range 318-335
Average Full-Time Work Experience <1 year
Work Experience 80 Percentile Range 0–2.1 years

Diversity

Women 25%
AHANA* 12%
International 80%
Average Age 23
Age Range 21–35

*African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American.

Note: All class profile information is accurate as of September 9, 2022

International Enrollments

Canada

China

India

Indonesia

Italy

Peru

Philippines

Slovenia

Taiwan

Undergraduate Majors

Part-Time Students

Academic & Professional Profile

Average Undergraduate GPA 3.57
Average Full-Time Work Experience 2 years

Diversity

Women 14%
AHANA* 14%
Average Age 25
Age Range 22-29

*African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American.

Note: All class profile information is accurate as of September 9, 2022

Tuition & Aid

An MSF from the Carroll School is an excellent investment in your future. We offer merit-based scholarships and financial assistance to qualified applicants. Loan and work study programs are also available.

Alumni Experiences

Peter Peirce
Peter Peirce ’20, AVP, Capital Strategy Manager, Citizens Bank

“Boston College is unique because of its professors, who are all widely successful in their own right and essentially donate their time to students because they want to see us succeed.”

Rosie Rui
Rosie Xue Rui ’20, Quantitative Financial Analyst, Zenith Stone Asset Management

“The BC MSF offers a perfect blend of quantitative and qualitative classes, industry exposure, and programming—all of which aligned perfectly with my goals.”

Madison Borrelli
Madison Borrelli ’21, Ph.D. in Finance Candidate, University of Central Florida

“Not only was I being academically challenged inside of the classroom, but I was also strengthening my networking and communication skills, while making lifelong connections.”

Cole Conderman
Cole Conderman ’22, Advisory Associate, KPMG

“I chose to pursue my MSF at Boston College due to the reputation of the Carroll School name, BC’s proximity to America’s major financial hubs, and the program’s world-class educational experience.”

FAQ

Does the MSF program prepare students for the CFA exam?
<p>The primary purpose of the MSF program is to prepare students for careers in finance, not to pass the CFA exam. However, our students have achieved a high success rate on the exam in the past several years.</p>
bc:schools/carroll/admission/search-tags/msa-msf-prepare-cfa
How do I apply for the MSF Quantitative Finance (STEM-designated) Track?
<p>While filling out your application, you should just apply to the MSF program as a whole. Upon admission, we will ask you in the enrollment form to indicate if you are interested in pursuing the STEM-designated track.</p>
bc:schools/carroll/admission/search-tags/msa-msf-stem
Is work experience required for admission to the MSF program?
<p>The MSF program is open to both those with work experience and those without. For international students, however, we highly recommend that students have some work experience, particularly if they are seeking post-MSF employment in the United States due to the increasingly competitive US employment market. The MSF Program is designed to meet the diverse needs of finance professionals, career changers, and recent undergraduates. To learn more about our current students’ academic backgrounds and work experience, <a href="https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/schools/carroll-school/graduate/ms-programs/ms-in-finance.html">view the class profile</a>.</p>
bc:schools/carroll/admission/search-tags/msa-msf-work-experience-msf

Connect

Virtual MSF/MSA Coffee Chats

Tuesdays at 9:30am ET

Chat with admissions staff and learn more about the BC MSF program.

In-Person Campus Tours

Throughout the week

Enjoy a 30-minute walking tour of Fulton Hall and upper campus.


Application & Requirements

Application Link & Deadlines

Apply Now

All applicants are required to pay a nonrefundable application fee of $100 USD.

For priority consideration, submit your application by the earliest date possible. Applications received after the last deadline are reviewed on a space-available basis.

Questions? Please email us at cgsomapp@bc.edu.

Full-time MSF

Program Start Date Apply By Receive Decision By
August 2023 October 18, 2022 December 14, 2022
  January 10, 2023* February 22, 2023
  February 21, 2023* March 29, 2023
  March 21, 2023 April 26, 2023

Part-time MSF

Program Start Date Apply By Receive Decision By
January 2023 October 11, 2022 December 7, 2022
  December 6, 2022 January 4, 2023
August 2023 January 17, 2023 March 22, 2023
  April 4, 2023 May 10, 2023
  July 11, 2023 August 2, 2023

* International applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by these deadlines.

Boston College Fifth-Year BC Applicants

Boston College undergraduates currently in the second semester of their junior year or at any point in their senior year are eligible to apply to the Master of Science in Finance program as fifth-year applicants. Once enrolled, students can complete their MSA or MSF degree in as little as nine months from the program start date.

Fifth-year applicant requirements

Résumé or CV

To be uploaded to your online application form.

Transcripts

Please include transcripts from every college or university where you were enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Standardized Tests

GMAT or GRE scores from within the past five years should be submitted.

GMAT school code: 44x-J5-96
GRE school code: 3033

Qualified applicants to the part-time MSF program may be eligible to waive the GMAT/GRE requirement. Submit the GMAT/GRE waiver request form before completing your application.

GMAT/GRE waiver request form

English Proficiency

TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores from within the past two years (if required). Applicants who submit a language test must meet the following minimum scores:

  • TOEFL, iBT, and TOEFL iBT Home Edition: 100
  • IELTS: 7.5
    • IELTS school code: 3033    
  • PTE: 68

FAQs on English proficiency test requirements

Letter of Recommendation

Submit a letter of recommendation from an individual who can provide an objective appraisal of your capacity for intensive graduate study and your potential for professional success.

Personal Essay

All applicants must submit a personal essay. 

Essay questions and tips

Questions

Please email Graduate Admissions or call us at 617-552-3920 with any questions.