With the advent of online learning, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a realistic, attainable prospect for working professionals. If you currently work or plan to work in finance, earning an MBA with a finance concentration can increase the potential impact of your education. Through a finance-focused MBA, you can deepen your knowledge and understanding of advanced topics in finance while developing skills in the application of that knowledge, thereby gaining a competitive edge in the job market and a higher earning potential.
The MBA – Finance Emphasis online program offered by Southern Utah University (SUU) is a unique program of study. The accelerated, design of this program allows students to continue working while they earn their degree. Students can also complete the MBA program in as few as 12 months, helping them put their degree to work quickly.
In addition, SUU’s finance MBA program is more affordable than many, and the online design offers further cost-savings related to factors like opportunity cost, room and board, transportation and more. Considering all of this is important when calculating the potential return on investment of grad school. Plus, much of SUU’s MBA program coursework focuses on project-based learning, giving students experience with the real-world application of their advanced business studies.
What Areas of Generalized Study Does This MBA in Finance Program Incorporate?
Coursework in the comprehensive MBA in finance program covers both generalized business topics and specialized, advanced finance topics. If the student’s educational background is not in business, initial coursework focuses on the foundations of business studies in areas like accounting and marketing. Core business coursework delves further into these subjects, as well as operational functions such as supply chain management. The bulk of remaining core coursework focuses on advanced managerial theory and practice, including leadership, managing people and organizations, integrative strategy and management methods and issues applied to specific departmental functions.
What Is the Specific Focus of SUU’s MBA – Finance Emphasis?
SUU’s MBA takes a unique approach to its finance program in that it builds on the advanced study of general finance topics with specialized courses including two required courses — Investments and Entrepreneurial Finance — as well as courses on further topics geared toward each student’s individual interests.
The Investment course introduces students to commonly traded assets and according financial markets. This includes the in-depth study of topics like valuation, forecasting and applied financial analysis. The Entrepreneurial Finance course explores financial management aspects of entrepreneurship as well as investment activities and processes related to entrepreneurial ventures.
Tailoring their education to career aspirations and personal interests, students select one additional elective course from the following options:
- Marketing Analytics
- Integrated Marketing
- Authentic Leadership
- Effective Teams
How Can This Program Design Benefit Me Professionally?
The benefits of the online MBA program at SUU are both financial (in the student’s ability to keep working while they complete their degree) and experiential. The SUU finance MBA enables students to apply what they learn directly on the job. But the focus on deepened experiential learning is also built into project-based learning and course design. Theory and strategy are studied, applied and demonstrated in practice through each course and integrated between all management subjects through the capstone strategy development course, simulating real-world experience.
This project-based learning provides deepened knowledge and skill development in finance and management topics, preparing students to be successful in many roles within an organization. Management study readies degree candidates for various middle and upper management roles. And the advanced study of finance logically leads to lucrative positions in financial analysis, planning and the top tier of financial management, including the role of chief financial officer (CFO).
In earning an MBA in finance online, you can demonstrate and reinforce your developed skills and knowledge directly in your work, proving your capabilities in financial analysis and management. Earning a finance MBA is a good way to open the door to finance-related fields with a higher earning capacity and career advancement opportunities.
Learn more about SUU’s online MBA – Finance Emphasis program.
