MS Finance (MSF)
MS FINANCE
The USC Marshall Master of Science in Finance (MSF) is designed to prepare you for the opportunities and challenges of modern finance. In just 16 months, you’ll gain rigorous technical expertise, real-world experience, and access to one of the most powerful alumni networks in the world.
Our STEM-designated program gives you the skills and connections to succeed in investment banking, asset management, fintech, venture capital, and beyond.
Intensive, Applied Learning
From day one, immerse yourself in real finance through case studies, simulations, investment fund management, and experiential coursework.
Strong Technical Foundation
Coursework emphasizes valuation, security analysis, portfolio management, and risk modeling ensuring you’re equipped for today’s fast-evolving finance world.
Dynamic Student Life
Engage with the Marshall Masters in Finance Association (MMFA) for exclusive mentorship, networking panels, socials, and resources that enhance your professional and personal growth.
MSF AT A GLANCE
Customize Your Academic Journey
After core coursework, choose from a wide range of electives including data science, strategy, hedge fund investing, real estate finance, and more. Collaborate alongside students in Marshall’s MBA and other masters programs for a richer learning experience.
Career Outcomes + Support
A Master's in Finance Opens Doors to a Wide Range of Career Opportunities Across Industries
- Investment Banking & Advisory
- Asset & Wealth Management
- Corporate Finance
- Private Equity & Financial Data Analytics
- Real Estate Finance & Investment
Top Employers:
AllianceBernstein, Bain & Co., BCG, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Guggenheim Partners, McKinsey & Company, PayPal, PIMCO, Raymond James, Tesla, Wells Fargo, Houlihan Lokey, JPMorgan Chase, and more.
CURRICULUM
MS FINANCE FACULTY
Kerry Fields teaches business law, employment, and real estate law courses in the undergraduate and MBA programs, both residential and online. He has received an AV rating as an attorney. He is a frequent media commentator on business ethics and corporate governance issues. He has been recognized with several awards, including the Golden Apple Award, Evan C. Thompson Faculty Teaching, and Learning Innovation Award, the USC Parents Association Teaching and Mentoring Award, and the Gamma Sigma Alpha Professor of the Year Award. He is a co-author of four leading university-level textbooks published by Aspen Publishing. There is one business law and ethics text under development.
Gerard Hoberg's research is primarily in the area of empirical corporate finance with a focus on innovation, mergers, IPOs, disclosure, informational environments, industrial organization, and empirical asset pricing. He is also known for methodological contributions that bring technologies from computational linguistics into finance.
Christopher Jones conducts research on empirical asset pricing and financial econometrics. He is an expert on option pricing and volatility modeling and also conducts research on the term structure, mutual fund performance, and stock return predictability. He has published in the Journal of Finance, the Review of Financial Studies, and the Journal of Financial Economics. He currently serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Finance. Before coming to USC, Professor Jones was on the faculty at the University of Rochester.
James ( "Jim") Leonetti, has served as a senior financial executive in the finance, banking, real estate, mortgage and rental equipment industries.
Julia Plotts specializes in financial analysis and valuation, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance. She has received numerous teaching awards including the Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence (14 times). Before joining USC, she worked in the investment-banking group of Banc of America Securities, where she was involved in the execution of M&A and capital raising via private/public offerings of equity and debt. She has consulted on shareholder value creation for a variety of firms.
NEWS + ANALYSIS
NEWS + EVENTS
MBV and GLP Joint Seminar Draws Parallels Between Military and Business Strategies
MBV graduate students and Marine Corp drill instructors taught communication, awareness, and service to GLP undergrads.
Financial Times Names Marshall’s Master of Science in Finance Program #1 for Second Straight Year
Flexibility, real-world learning, and diverse programming meet student needs and employers’ demand in the premier program.
2024 USC Marshall Grad Programs Open House
Join us at our upcoming Open House to explore the exceptional MBA and MS programs available at USC Marshall, a nationally ranked top 20 business school. Whether you are an early-career professional or seasoned executive, we offer a broad range of flexible programs to fit your academic and career goals with options to pursue your degree on-campus in the heart of Los Angeles, or online.
Marshall Faculty Publications, Awards, and Honors: December 2023/January 2024
We are thrilled to congratulate our faculty on new promotions and recently accepted and published research.
Marshall’s Master of Science in Finance Program Ranked #1 in the US by Financial Times
Program positions students for success in highly competitive economy
Marshall MBA and Graduate Students See Career Outcome Growth
Full-Time MBAs see 97% employment 90-days post graduation, according to new report. Employers include Google, Goldman Sachs, and Salesforce.
INSIGHT + ANALYSIS
Quoted: Kerry Fields in Law360
Fields explains that if labor costs and home construction prices go up, it could also result in an increase in insurance premiums.
Quoted: Kerry Fields in L.A. Times
With an acquisition by Skydance looming, Fields says that Paramount’s settlement with President Trump was a matter of survival for the studio.
Quoted: Kerry Fields in L.A. Times
Fields predicts the outcome of the Skydance-Paramount sale, highlighting the complicated dynamics at play.
STAY CONNECTED
