M.S. in Finance
Gain the advanced financial skills needed to lead in today’s competitive business landscape with Nebraska’s online Master of Science in Finance. Designed for working professionals, this 30-credit-hour program features eight-week courses that provide the flexibility to learn while managing your career and life. Taught by faculty who are actively shaping the field through research and industry engagement, the curriculum strengthens your expertise in corporate finance, investments and risk management. Whether you're preparing for the CFA exam or planning your next career move, you'll graduate ready to confidently lead through your data-driven financial decisions.
Prepare to Advance Your Career
The value of our Master of Science in Finance degree continues to rise as it was recently accepted into the CFA® Institute University Affiliation program. Entry into this program signifies our curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and prepares students to sit for the Chartered Financial Analyst examinations.
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May Start | Apply by April 1
August Start | Apply by July 1
January Start | Apply by November 1

Admission Information
Review Admission Requirements
The M.S. in Finance program application deadlines is July 1 for the following Fall semester.
Prerequisites for M.S. in Finance
Prerequisites for the M.S. in Finance include college-level statistics and college-level calculus. We also recommend students have taken introductory courses in finance, accounting and economics prior to applying to the program.
Bachelor’s degree, 3.0 GPA recommended
Official transcripts are required for admission.
GMAT or GRE score
- A GMAT score of 600 (GMAT Focus Edition equivalent score: 555) is highly recommended. Alternatively, a comparable GRE score will be considered. Scores must be from the last five years.
- Applicants who hold a Ph.D., JD, MD or Pharm D, or are currently enrolled in medical school do not have to submit a GMAT or GRE score. Applicants who have been admitted to the Nebraska College of Law do not have to submit a GMAT or GRE score.
- If you have 5 or more years of significant managerial, operational or decision-making experience and an acceptable undergraduate GPA, you are not required to submit a GMAT score. You must, however, submit as a reference your current supervisor who can verify your work experience. Please include this person as one of your references in section 3 below. In the first part of your Personal Statement, you should include your request for the GMAT waiver based on your work experience. All GMAT waivers will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To be considered for a GMAT waiver, candidates must start an application.
- If you choose to take the GMAT, please have your results forwarded to Nebraska (school code S40-HW-48). Once you take the exam, enter your unofficial scores into the graduate application. GMAT scores more than five years old will not be accepted. Please visit the official GMAT website for more information and to register for the test.
- If you choose to take the GRE, please have your results forwarded to Nebraska (school code 6877). Once you take the exam, enter your unofficial scores into the graduate application. GRE scores more than five years old will not be accepted. A comparison tool is available to see how your GRE scores compare to our recommended 600 GMAT. Please visit the official GRE website for more information and to register for the test.
Three reference names and contact information
All three references must be former or current supervisors or professors. Nebraska will contact your references only if the committee deems it necessary. You do not need to include letters of recommendations.
Personal Statement
All applicants are required to submit a personal statement of 750 words or less through the graduate application. The statement is evaluated on content, sentence structure and grammar. Your personal statement should include the following:
- Briefly describe your past professional experience and relevant skills.
- What would you contribute to our program?
- What are some of your short- and long-term professional goals?
- How would a University of Nebraska–Lincoln M.S. in Finance assist you in achieving your goals?
Professional Resume
A professional resume should be submitted through the graduate application. Please include the following: relevant work experience, skills and involvement and education.
TOEFL exam (required for international students)
TOEFL score (minimum score of 550 written, 213 computer based or 80 iBT)
Alternatively, international students may submit IELTS scores. A score of 6.5 is required.
Please note: The M.S. in Finance program welcomes international applicants wishing to study remotely from their country of residence; but, as an online program, the M.S. in Finance does not meet requirements to sponsor student visas for study in the United States.
Review Admission Process
Apply
Apply online and submit the $50 application fee.
Upload Supporting Documents
All Supporting Documents including unofficial transcripts and test scores are uploaded directly via the graduate application.
You are required to submit an unofficial transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended during the application review process.
Submit Official Transcripts
If you are admitted, you will be required to submit an official transcript sent directly from each institution you have attended to The Office of Graduate Studies. We recommend that you complete this task before your admitted term begins. A hold will be placed on your account if they do not receive your official transcripts by October 1 for the fall term, February 1 for the spring term and July 1 for the summer term. Students will have until that day to submit official transcripts or your admission will be rescinded.
Transcripts can be sent electronically to graduate@unl.edu or by mail to
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Graduate Admissions
1100 Seaton Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588-0619
International Student Transcript Submission
If you are an international student, please refer to the Nebraska Office of Graduate Studies for transcript and document information.
International Transcript Information
Additional information on Application Requirements can be found at Graduate Studies website.
Fellowship Application
Once admitted, students are welcome to apply for fellowships. Applications are due June 15 with awards made prior to the start of the fall semester each year. Admitted students will be sent instructions from their advisor on how to apply.
"As a working professional, wife, mother of busy kids and someone who prioritizes time for my own health, I needed a program that would offer time flexibility without compromising the rigorous curriculum of finance. Nebraska has done just that."
- Allison Dahl, '21
Info Sessions
Join us to learn more about the M.S. in Finance program by attending a virtual info session. There is no cost for the webinar. Please register to receive the Zoom information and your online passcode.
July 17 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (central) | Register Now |
October 16 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (central) | Register Now |
Talent Investment Program
We offer three-year flexible partnership agreements for companies and organizations to offer a 15% tuition reduction for Nebraska's online business master's degrees and graduate certificate programs to their employees and members. There is no minimum or maximum number of students required to take advantage of the program.
Advance Your Career with a Purposeful Curriculum
The M.S. in Finance curriculum is designed to provide you with the fundamental skills that employers need to make the smartest financial and investment decisions, and it’s the same curriculum that will assist in preparing you for certification exams or your next career move.
10
Core Classes
+
3
Credit Hours Per Class
=
30
Credit Hours to Your M.S. in Finance
100% Online
8-week courses
Coursework
GRBA 811: Managerial Finance
Corporate finance presents risk, return and time-value of money along with other concepts that can be applied to valuation of securities and capital budgeting. This course is designed to develop skills in financial analysis and planning by evaluating theory and application through case studies.
GRBA 812: Managerial Economics
Private- and public-sector managers face economic problems that demand an applicable understanding of economic theory. Prioritizing practicality, this course covers economic problem solving, consumer demand, demand elasticity, complex pricing decisions, strategic game theory, international economics and more for a comprehensive understanding.
FINA 850: Multinational Financial Analysis
Market imperfections are easy targets for multinational corporations, which is why this course focuses on how to identify and exploit them through applied principles and tools of economics, accounting and finance specific to multinational corporations.
FINA 863: Portfolio Management
The theory of investment focuses on investment decisions, portfolio strategies and the structure of capital markets. This course explores how modern portfolio theory affects investment decisions and performance evaluation.
FINA 867: Options, Futures and Derivative Securities
The worldwide derivatives market consists of financial contracts. This course deals with the world of financial instruments—known as derivatives—and their role as contracts in managing risk that arises from interest rates, exchange rates, stock prices and commodity prices.
GRBA 809: Financial Accounting
Through constructing and interpreting financial statements, this course gives you a thorough understanding of accounting from a user’s perspective, both internal and external, as well as the basics of financial accounting and reporting.
FINA 801: Quantitative Methods for Finance
Statistics is the art and science of collecting, analyzing, presenting and interpreting data with the objective of improving decision-making. As such, it plays an important role in financial decision processes, which is why this course involves practice in using statistical methods that have wide applicability in business and financial decision making.
FINA 802: Fixed Income Analysis
This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of fixed-income markets, fixed-income securities and tools employed by market participants to the analysis of fixed-income investments.
FINA 803: Cases in Financial Management
Learn how to apply strategic financial decision-making to real-world financial and business problems through case studies and projects.
FINA 804: Portfolio Management II & Ethics
This course reviews the investment management process including risk, return and investment constraints then culminates with the creation of an investment policy statement. A code of ethics and the standards of professional conduct for finance professionals are also explored.
Add a Certificate
The Master's in Finance program allows you to pair a graduate certificate with your degree. A graduate certificate is a separate credential signaling an additional area of focus to employers. Some graduate certificates can be added to your degree with just two additional courses:
Student Engagement Opportunities
Online students have several ways to get involved in the program, including football and softball tailgating events hosted by the College of Business; one-on-one CliftonStrengths coaching with faculty; career coaching; interview and resume preparation; and opportunities to volunteer on the Online Graduate Student Advisory Board.
Interested students should contact Christa Rahl at crahl2@nebraska.edu to learn more about how to get involved.
Fair Tuition
$710 per credit hour
Nebraska's online master's programs are one of the best values for the money because of our combination of fair program cost and strong preparation for career advancement.
The flat $710 per credit hour rate applies to all students, regardless of where you live. Compared to similar programs, our students pay over $15,000 less over the course of the program.
*Based on 2025-26 Tuition Rates
CliftonStrengths Coaching
Students are provided with access to take the CliftonStrengths® Assessment, which is based on strengths-based psychology principles developed at Nebraska. The assessment provides a report on strengths you can use toward your professional and personal success, and has been used by most Fortune 1000 companies, the World Bank and United Nations, as well as federal government agencies, including the military. All students are provided with the opportunity to have one-on-one personalized CliftonStrengths coaching from a faculty member in the program.
The CliftonStrengths coaching helped me understand the power in the individual thinking systems I use every day to make decisions in my life. Dr. Amy Bartel's coaching showed me how these characteristics were really my inner superpower. The insights from this experience not only helped me use my strengths to balance the demands of school, family and work, but helped me appreciate the unique perspective I bring to each of those settings. Take the time to do this, you won't regret it!
- Jared Walton, P.E., Current Student

Financial professionals are entrusted with making high-stakes decisions amid uncertainty—where the quality of judgment, clarity of thinking, and strength of character shape both outcomes and reputations. Our MS in Finance prepares students to lead with rigor, responsibility, and resilience.
- Geoffrey Friesen, PhD, Professor of Finance
Learn from Distinguished Big Ten Faculty
Nebraska MBA faculty bring real-world expertise and their research findings into the classroom. Our students benefit from working with professors who are thought leaders connecting the classroom to the real world.