Final Examination
Each candidate must pass a comprehensive examination in the last term of his or her program of study.
MS Finance Career Paths
The typical areas in which a MS Finance graduate would work are: financial services, corporate finance, investments, real estate, or risk management.
Types of Jobs Held by MS Finance Graduates:
- Financial analyst
- Mergers and acquisition analyst
- REIT manager
- Financial consultant
- Credit analyst
- Portfolio manager
- Mortgage administrator
- Bank lending officer
MS Finance Admissions
We admit students in both fall and spring semesters. For admissions, we look at the entire application package, including transcripts, rather than focusing on any one test score. We target a 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) undergraduate grade point average and a 600 or better on the GMAT (the code for LSU is 6373), with balance between the verbal and quantitative sections. We do not accept the GRE.
International applicants must also provide an official
TOEFL score (the code for LSU is also 6373) of at least 550 on the paper-based exam, 213 on the computer-based exam, or 79 on the internet-based exam to be considered for admission.
We encourage but do not require work experience.
Letters of recommendation are also an important part of the assessment process. We use them to aid us in determining the applicant's likelihood of success both in the program and after graduation. We do not require specific forms for these letters; the respondent should write on standard letterhead.
Your undergraduate degree should be equivalent to that from a 4-year accredited U.S. institution, and you should have successfully completed the core requirements for a business degree, roughly the equivalent of at least a comprehensive undergraduate minor in business administration: calculus, micro-economics, macro-economics, one year of accounting including financial accounting, statistics through regression and hypothesis testing, business law, principles of marketing, principles of management, principles of finance, and either production management or operations research. You should also be proficient in office applications software (i.e., word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation).
The MS program in finance at LSU is small, with a total census of around 25. We usually accept between 5 and 10 students each semester.
Since the curriculum is tailored to each applicant's needs, we require that you have already established a career goal and reasons for seeking the MS Finance degree. This information should be included in your statement of purpose on the graduate school application form, and is used in determining your program of study.
Expenses
It is very difficult to estimate expenses since much depends on the individual and his or her spending preferences. Tuition, fees and insurance are also subject to change without notice. The LSU International Services Office estimates that standard living expenses including tuition and fees for the current year to be $34,500.
Regrettably, at present we do not anticipate offering any assistantships for the Masters program for the coming year.
Students seeking the Master of Science degree in finance must meet all degree requirements specified by the LSU Graduate School as well as specific departmental requirements outlined in the MS Finance Admissions section.
Prospective students should send all applicant documents and materials to the LSU Graduate School. Applicants should be sure to include:
- resume
- letters of recommendation
- copies of the applicant's GMAT and TOEFEL (international only) scores
This site also contains much information about the admissions process. The Graduate School sets the deadline on May 15 for Fall admission and October 15 for Spring admission but advises international students to submit their application at least ten months in advance of enrolling.
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