Career Options

The Graduate Programs in Finance give students fundamental tools and expertise that can be used across many sectors of the business world. As a result, there are many career opportunities for our graduates. 

Corporate Finance

Graduates work for a company to fund its projects, analyze projects, make financial plans, and manage working capital. Their main goal is to create value for a company. Activities typically include designing and implementing financial policies, evaluating and financing projects, managing cash resources, and interfacing with the financial community and investors. Key job titles include treasurer, cash manager, controller, financial analyst, budget analyst, and credit manager.

Asset Management

Asset managers (or money managers) manage stocks, bonds, and/or derivatives for their clients. They typically work for mutual funds, hedge funds, pension funds, endowment funds, etc. Managers have their own unique way of managing assets, but they typically use sophisticated quantitative techniques. There are many different types of assets available in the market, including corporate bonds, municipal bonds, asset-backed securities, stocks, preferred stocks, options, and futures. Typical job areas  include portfolio management, sales, security analysis, and research.

Commercial Banking

Commercial banking provides banking services to individuals, small businesses, and large organizations. The commercial banking sector employs more people than any other financial sector. Job opportunities include: credit appraisal, mortgage services, account management, trust services, leasing, credit card banking, loan issuance, operational handling, and international finance and trade credit.

Investment Banking

Investment banking helps companies and governments issue securities by forming a syndicate or network of investors. Leading investment banks include Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Goldman Sachs, and J.P. Morgan Chase. There are many other regional investment banks. Typically, investment banking includes facilitation of mergers and acquisitions, seasoned equity offering, project financing, structured financing, and derivatives, equity, and fixed income research, among others.

Financial Planning

Financial planners help people manage their money for both the short and long-term. They help their clients plan their financial futures in the areas of investment, income tax, estate tax, retirement, children’s college education, and insurance in particular. Some financial planners work independently as a proprietor or partner, but many work for big corporations, including Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and American Express. Increasingly, it pays to obtain the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.

Insurance: Overview

Careers in insurance involve helping individuals and businesses manage risk to protect themselves from catastrophic losses and to anticipate potential risk problems. Typically, insurance companies deal with annuities for their clients. An insurance professional can work in a variety of different positions including underwriter, sales representative, asset manager, customer service representative, or actuary.

Real Estate

Real estate fields include title insurance, construction, property management, real estate appraisals, brokerage and leasing, and real estate development. Typically, real estate is collateral for mortgages and a large amount of financial assets. Recently various securities have been developed in the area of real estate. Mortgage-backed securities, REIT (real estate investment trust), and mutual funds specialized in real estate are good examples.