Online MBA: Finance Emphasis
Develop Financial Expertise for Business Strategies
Offered by the Colangelo College of Business, our MBA with an emphasis in finance explores advanced coursework in financial strategies, investments and corporate efficiency. You will have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge of portfolio management and macro business strategies, including mergers, acquisitions and partnerships. Working professionals in the financial industry can position themselves to potentially prepare for management careers with this online MBA finance emphasis.
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Lead the Future of Finance
This finance MBA emphasis degree focuses on ethical decision-making for future business leaders. Our Christian community supports you as a professional as you explore ethical practice strategies that promote integrity. In addition, you will consider the role of an organization in supporting the greater social good, while also being taught to design and promote ethical standards within companies.
The Colangelo College of Business believes in these three aspects of how business affects the greater good:
- Business as a force for good
Humanity is bettered when there is a focus on conscious capitalism in your business. - Free markets and purpose for prosperity
Long-term success means putting a focus on your stakeholders. - Business as ministry
Your team will prosper when you love, care and support them through a Christian perspective.
Enhance Your Skills in Finance and Strategy
Best practices in financial business decisions are at the heart of this online MBA finance program. Explore financial forecasting, capital budgeting and the management of working capital. You’ll also be taught advanced strategies in portfolio management, including the application of stocks, bonds and derivatives.
As you complete the program, you will have the opportunity to develop these crucial skills:
- Ethical leadership
- Critical analysis
- Effective communication
- Innovation in thought processes
Explore Key Topics in Finance and Management
This program curriculum involves course topics designed to prepare future business leaders in finance to steer companies toward greater profitability. There is an emphasis on the role of innovation in the competitive marketplace. You will study key concepts in leadership and the science of organizational behavior.
Some key topic areas you will cover in the MBA finance program include:
- Finance and financial strategy
- Accounting
- Investments
- Marketing
- Microeconomics and macroeconomics
- Organizational strategy
- Financial management
Careers Opportunities for MBA: Finance Emphasis Graduates
As a candidate for potential future jobs, a finance MBA may speak to your communication abilities, critical thinking skills and problem-solving capabilities. When you graduate from the Master of Business Administration in finance program, you may choose to position yourself to pursue potential opportunities in business leadership.
Some of the possible job opportunities for individuals with an MBA in finance may include:
- Management analyst
- Chief executive
- Cost estimator
- Compensation and benefits manager
Graduates may choose to pursue careers in a diverse range of settings. These may include financial institutions, investment corporations, nonprofit entities and service organizations. Other possible settings include startup businesses, engineering firms, IT firms and government agencies.
Earn Your MBA from an ACBSP-Accredited Program
GCU is proud to be an institutionally accredited university, a distinction that reflects our commitment to maintaining excellence in education. The Higher Learning Commission has granted us accreditation since 1968, assuring students that we adhere to high standards of quality and integrity in the field of higher education.
Many of our business degrees are ACBSP accredited. This accreditation ensures that these programs meet rigorous standards established by the accreditor and that our faculty, student outcomes and overall program effectiveness are aligned with best practices in business education.
Further your education and pursue your career aspirations with our MBA program.
1 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Financial Managers, as of May 2023, retrieved Nov. 5, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as financial managers, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
2 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2024, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Financial Managers, retrieved Nov. 5, 2024.
Fundamentals
Fundamental courses prepare students for the curricular content they will encounter within this MBA program. Upon evaluation of their transcripts, students with business-oriented undergraduate degrees may waive all MBA fundamental courses. All students will undergo transcript evaluations. If they have earned grades of C or better in equivalent course content, students with non-business undergraduate degrees may have the option to waive one or more of the following fundamental courses associated with their chosen MBA program.
Course Description
This course is designed for students who are preparing for more advanced coursework in business but who have not had accounting in undergraduate work. Topics covered include the principles and practices of financial accounting, including the fundamentals of revenue recognition, the components of the balance sheet, and financial statement analysis. ?The course explores accounting theories using publicly traded companies and case studies.
Course Description
This course is designed for individuals who are preparing for more advanced coursework in accounting and is designed for students who have not had finance in undergraduate work. Topics covered include financial analysis, financial planning, asset evaluation, capital structure, and working capital management.
Course Description
The purpose of this course is to prepare students in mathematical, probability, and statistical concepts for their upcoming studies in quantitative methods. The course is intended for those students who have not had any prior statistical education, although students who have had statistics should also consider taking the course as a refresher.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the College of Business. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the College of Business, key concepts of leadership, and an overview of how the science of organizational behavior contributes to effective leaders and managers.
Course Description
This course introduces microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts that are relevant to contemporary business. Emphasis is placed on using economic data for business decision-making.
Course Description
This course is a study in the quantitative tools and techniques used to model business functions and applications. Emphasis is placed on how to set up models, and how to interpret and apply their results. Prerequisite: SYM-506.
Course Description
Management of the marketing function, market environmental analysis, and marketing planning, strategy, and control are fundamentals of marketing management. The course examines the marketing process, marketing research, product development innovation and diffusion, pricing strategy, distribution value drain, advertising and promotion, and strategic marketing issues. Emphasis is placed on case study analysis and current academic research with a marketing plan as a significant curriculum component.
Course Description
This course covers managerial accounting concepts and procedures for internal reporting, including the study of cost behavior, cost systems, budgeting, and performance evaluation. Coursework includes case studies, group projects, and class discussion. Prerequisite: ACC-502.
Course Description
Operations Management examines managerial concepts and strategies relating to the management of operations in both manufacturing and service environments. Emphasis is placed on methods to streamline and drive inefficiencies out of a firm’s internal processes to build a highly efficient organization. The course also focuses on external processes by examining ways to achieve greater supply chain integration with suppliers and customers. Quantitative and qualitative methods and tools are introduced and applied. Prerequisite: SYM-506.
Course Description
This course discusses elements of business financial decisions, including financial forecasting and development of proformas, management of working capital, capital budgeting, capital structure, and raising funds in capital markets. Prerequisite: FIN-504.
Course Description
This capstone course focuses on preparing and conducting a strategic analysis of a selected publicly traded firm to produce actionable intelligence used to formulate recommendations to promote the creation of a value-adding strategy. Based on the results of their strategic analysis, students are then required to prepare the framework of a strategic plan that creates significant value for the selected firm. Prerequisites: MGT-605, MKT-607, ACC-650, and FIN-650.
Course Description
This course is a study of stocks, bonds, and derivatives, and their application in portfolio management. This course discusses securities market and trading procedures, and develops and emphasizes portfolio theory. Material in the course is applicable to both professional portfolio management and individual investment decisions. Prerequisite: FIN-650.
Course Description
A course studying more advanced business strategies including mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, carve-outs, partnerships, cooperative agreements, and their business applications for strategic growth or survival. It will also cover business value issues, the role of investment bankers, M&A specialists, and the issues to consider in cross-border transactions. Prerequisite: FIN-650.
- GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
- Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
- Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.
Grand Canyon University’s evening programs cater to the demands of working professionals who prefer an in-person learning environment. Our night classes meet just once per week and offer the interaction and discussion of a typical college classroom.