COURSE CURRICULUM

The MS in Finance at DePaul University is designed to provide a hands-on, market-aligned education that prepares students for real-world careers in the finance industry. The curriculum is developed through benchmarking against leading finance programs across the United States and is shaped by input from students, alumni, and DePaul’s Finance Advisory Board, which includes senior executives and industry leaders who help identify the skills employers are actively seeking. This ensures that the program remains relevant, practical, and closely connected to current industry expectations. Students gain strong technical proficiency through training in essential financial tools such as Bloomberg Terminals for real-time market research, Python for financial modeling and automation, advanced Excel for valuation, forecasting, and scenario analysis, and emerging AI tools used in modern finance roles. These tools are widely used in professional settings and prepare students to analyze markets, manage risk, and make data-driven financial decisions. The program also emphasizes real-world application through case-based projects, company analyses, and simulations that replicate actual business challenges faced by financial professionals. In the capstone course, students present their solutions directly to industry leaders, gaining valuable feedback from professionals who actively hire and evaluate finance talent. Additionally, the MSF offers specialized electives that allow students to tailor their studies to specific career interests, including Risk Management, Equity Research, Behavioral Finance, and Financial Analytics. This flexibility ensures that students can align their academic experience with their long-term professional goals. Overall, the program equips graduates with both technical expertise and practical experience, enabling them to confidently pursue careers in competitive and high-impact areas of finance.