Online Master’s in Finance and Analytics

The Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business is proud to offer a dynamic Online Master of Science in Finance and Analytics (MSFA) program for modern finance professionals. Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, SCU Leavey is uniquely positioned to help you find success in today's exciting business landscape entirely on your schedule and at your convenience. In as little as one year, you can master the art and science of finance and complete the program without missing a step in your career.

As new markets and strategies continue to emerge, there's no telling where the industry will go. To stay ahead of it all, the Online MSFA faculty and staff at SCU Leavey draw from their own distinguished experiences and the far-reaching influence of our Silicon Valley neighbors. Together, they track upcoming trends in global markets and adapt the curriculum to meet the evolving needs of finance professionals. This dedication to excellence, combined with the esteem and connections for which Santa Clara is known, will make you a true organizational asset wherever you are, or wherever you plan to go next.

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Your Journey Starts Here

Considering a Master of Science in Finance and Analytics to take your career to the next level? Complete the form to get a program brochure for the Leavey School of Business’ Online MSFA.

Get valuable insights into the online experience, learn more about the school of business, and see where this degree can take you.

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Conquer Finance With Analytics
Online Master’s in Finance and Analytics student with library in background
Online Master’s in Finance and Analytics student with library in background
Conquer Finance With Analytics

The Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business is proud to offer a dynamic Online Master of Science in Finance and Analytics (MSFA) program for modern finance professionals. Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, SCU Leavey is uniquely positioned to help you find success in today's exciting business landscape entirely on your schedule and at your convenience. In as little as one year, you can master the art and science of finance and complete the program without missing a step in your career.

As new markets and strategies continue to emerge, there's no telling where the industry will go. To stay ahead of it all, the Online MSFA faculty and staff at SCU Leavey draw from their own distinguished experiences and the far-reaching influence of our Silicon Valley neighbors. Together, they track upcoming trends in global markets and adapt the curriculum to meet the evolving needs of finance professionals. This dedication to excellence, combined with the esteem and connections for which Santa Clara is known, will make you a true organizational asset wherever you are, or wherever you plan to go next.

Master Financial Management in our Top-Ranked Finance Program

To stay ahead of the competition in today's complex financial markets, savvy financial analysts and managers must have a clear grasp of how to maximize returns while mitigating risk. For this reason, many are turning toward advanced degrees such as a Master's in Finance to arm them with powerful insights into capital allocation strategies that outpace global diversification trends and increase shareholder value.

Financial managers play a vital role in helping their organization reach its long-term financial goals by providing essential insights derived from data analysis and generating detailed reports. They are the guardians of a company's financial health, ensuring it remains on track to meet future targets.

Finance professionals need the financial expertise to maintain and stay ahead of the most current investment strategies, investment opportunities, and portfolio management. Their goal is to make their portfolios as diverse, successful, and risk-averse as possible. With an in-depth online master's degree in finance and analytics from SCU, they can develop skills that maximize shareholder value while managing financial risk from changing interest rates, foreign exchange fluctuations, or commodity price shifting – all essential for navigating this evermore complex financial landscape.

woman writing on a whiteboard in front of a group

A Look Inside the Online MSFA

Hear from Leavey School of Business alum Fiona Geisinger on why she chose Santa Clara University, what you can gain from an online MSFA vs. MBA, and her advice for MSFA students.

“What stood out for me with Santa Clara is the small classes and the individualized help...Having professionals teaching real-world situations set me up for the future.”

— Fiona Geisinger, Online MBA ‘12

Video Transcript

[music]

Seoyoung Kim:
Hi, everyone. I'm Seoyoung Kim, Finance Department chair and MSFA program director at Santa Clara University, and I have here with me, Fiona.

Fiona Geisinger:
Hi, I'm Fiona Giesinger. I'm co-founder and president of Owl Search Partners. We're a retained search firm for finance, accounting and people roles. I am also a Santa Clara University MBA alumni, class of 2012.

Seoyoung Kim:
Thanks so much for joining us. I actually wanted to hit on that part first, the fact that you're an alum. What made you choose Santa Clara?

Fiona Geisinger:
It was a difficult choice. I went to San Jose State for my undergrad, and I initially decided not to go that direction and I wanted to choose one of the other MBA programs in the Bay Area. I did a lot of research, talked to a lot of alums, and what really stood out for me with Santa Clara is the small classes and the individualized help that I was getting through the process. I really felt like I was already part of the program as I was going through the process. I think that having professionals teaching and teaching real world situations in every class really was going to set me up for the future that I needed.

Seoyoung Kim:
So now, how might someone best use an MSFA degree as opposed to going the MBA route?

Fiona Geisinger:
The MSFA program will give you the opportunity to home in on those finance skills. I think what a lot of hiring managers look for from someone coming out of a master's program is the skills and the ability to jump right in. And if there's someone coming out of, say, engineering or marketing or some of these other areas that really want to get into the finance realm, they can leverage what they've learned in business from the other areas, but really hone in on the day-to-day skills on how to build out financial statements, being able to understand what the analytics around the finances, forecasting, those types of areas that they learned in the program, so that when they're interviewing, they're showing that they have a good foundation to build upon and continue to learn.

Fiona, throughout your career in finance, how have you seen the job opportunities evolve? What would you recommend to MSFA students who are entering the program or are currently in the program?

Fiona Geisinger:
I've seen a big translation in the finance world. The jobs have changed significantly. It's no longer a forecast out on an Excel spreadsheet, and that's the only skill you need. Because of the technology that has stepped into the finance world, it has made a lot of the day-to-day that we saw years ago, put into a system that kind of spits it out and does it for you. So a lot of the skills that people need to bring to the table now is the analytical side of things and the presentation side of things. So, how do you tell the story with the numbers? Finance is no longer just about the numbers. It's no longer just about being able to take the last five years and project what the next five years is gonna look like.

It's now more about the research, the analytics around it, and then the presentation and telling the stories. In a way, I would almost consider it like a marketing role. Like, how do you tell the story of what these numbers are gonna look like? And then you add the volatility to what's happening, you're also including research. So in the program, use that as you're doing your work, as you're evaluating what's being taught, and you don't always have to just listen to the professor. Be the devil's advocate. Step in and analyze it and actually tell a story back and forth with these conversations with the professor, with the people you're meeting, what these numbers actually mean and how you can use these numbers to grow a business or sustain a business.

Seoyoung Kim:
What can you say about specifically our online MSFA program? What specifically do we do at SCU, that you've noticed, to connect students who are online to our Silicon Valley career network?

Fiona Geisinger:
There's the programs that you go into just to get that degree. Santa Clara is not doing it that way. They're making sure there's networking going on. There's on-site, you have to come to the campus a couple of times to meet the students. There's still collaboration work. There's still those same case studies of showing different areas of Silicon Valley work, bringing people in-house to do lunch and learns and happy hour chats. There's still that connection to the Silicon Valley world and to CFOs and CEOs and founders and leaders that sets it apart from other master's programs, because they're essentially taking the in-person program and translating a portion of it online, but still having it as challenging as if you're sitting next to the person. And then you add these case studies and these group projects, and you still have to learn the management skills of working together. And you still have to learn how to deal with differing personalities and all the skills that you should be getting from a master's program.

Seoyoung Kim:
How does Leavey in particular prepare students for greater career success than they might find elsewhere? What is particularly important about us at Leavey?

Fiona Geisinger:
I think the number one is the professors. The people teaching the classes, they first of all care, but they bring in real world experience. Most of them have spent time in tech or are still in tech or something in the Bay Area, and if they're not, they've had enough involvement to be fully connected and bring people in. I remember a case study we had to do before Facebook was even public, and it was about what happens if Facebook went public. And there was the knowledge around it, because we were sitting in the pocket of it. And I think Leavey School of Business does a great job of making sure the people they bring in to teach these classes are successful professionals or successful leaders in the learning space, that are well connected across the board to be able to give each individual student the opportunity to learn as much about what work will really look like outside of the classroom.

The Future is Bright for Financial Managers

If you're interested in investing in your career, there's no better time than the present and no better avenue than an online finance degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the financial sector as a whole to grow between 2022-2032, with much faster than average growth for financial management roles in particular.1,2 Whether your goals point toward a future in corporate finance, capital markets, or investment management, the STEM-designated Online Master's in Finance and Analytics from the No. 6 business school in Online Finance MBA programs can prepare you with the knowledge, skills, and tools to take you to the next level in this lucrative and burgeoning field.3

#1
Academic Experience4
#1
Career Outcomes5
#6
Finance MBA Program3
#15
Best Online MSBA Program6

Corporate Finance: A Field of Growing Opportunity

We live in an age where AI, automation, as well as proactive hiring and retention are revolutionizing their domain. Investing in yourself by enrolling in an advanced finance program with a finance curriculum geared toward corporate finance managers' needs will open doors to today's evolving financial industry.

Courses with a corporate finance concentration are an essential part of any Finance Master's degree program. Course material covers topics such as capital structure and risk management, preparing students to make strategic investments in the exciting, ever-evolving capital markets! Being knowledgeable about mergers can also prove invaluable for aspiring financiers with career goals in financial analysis or investment banking.

What to Expect in the Online MSFA Program

To meet employers' expectations, financial leaders in today's world must also know how to use and derive insights from rapidly evolving quantitative tools. The Online MSFA program will teach you to use analytics tools like Python and R programming, machine learning, database management, and data visualization, and our unique “Finance Forward” program theme will train you to synthesize them into a wide-ranging strategic vision.

The Online Master’s in Finance and Analytics program will give you deep training in:

  • Corporate finance
  • Econometrics
  • Investments
  • FinTech
  • Database management
  • Programming languages (Python and R)
  • Machine learning
  • Database management
  • Data visualization
Woman working at desk with calculator and charts

Resume-Worthy Classroom Experience

All MSFA students benefit from the unique opportunity to connect directly to leading companies and potential employers. Near the end of the program, you’ll have the option to complete a practicum project with an external partner and apply classroom learnings to real data sets and real problems. Past partners have included:

Cisco
Intuit
Credit Suisse
Oracle
Nuveen
Franklin Templeton

Our MSFA alumni stand out in Silicon Valley and Beyond.

  • Tesla
  • Deloitte
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Meta
  • Hitachi
  • Wells Fargo

Master Financial Management

Finance is more than counting numbers and balancing budgets, just as your journey to earning your Online MS in Finance and Analytics is more than academic. That’s why the Online MSFA program is designed for financial professionals who want to actively pursue senior positions, deepen their focus, or pivot into new opportunities. Armed with enviable credentials (and the skills to back them up), you’ll be ready to excel in a management or C-suite role in the financial sector, or in a finance leadership role in any organization.

That includes powerful career prospects as a:

  • Senior financial analyst
  • Portfolio manager
  • Director of finance
  • Chief financial officer

Explore Career Options

Whether your goals point toward a future in corporate finance, capital markets, or investment management, the STEM-designated Online Master’s in Finance and Analytics from the school ranked No. 1 in career outcomes can prepare you with the knowledge, skills, and tools for the next level in this lucrative and growing field.1

Explore Career Options

Online Master’s in Finance and Analytics Admissions Deadlines

Jan
31
Preferred Deadline
January 31
Spring 2024 Term
Feb
25
Priority Deadline
Febraury 25
Spring 2024 Term
Mar
15
Application Deadline
March 15
Spring 2024 Term
Apr
2
Next Start
April 2
Spring 2024 Term

Customize Your Path

In keeping with the flexibility and customizability for which the Leavey School of Business is known, the Online MSFA program gives you the opportunity to craft your own curriculum with 16 units of elective credit. Whether you want to drill down further into the technical tools at your disposal, expand your knowledge in specific subject areas like valuation and financial engineering, or complete an optional supervised practicum, our program can be shaped to meet your needs.

Example Electives

  • Intro to FinTech
  • Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructuring
  • Alternative Investments
  • Partnerships and Venture Capital, Business Valuation
  • Machine Learning

View Elective Courses

Questions? Let's Connect.