Often what firsts draws students to finance is money, and there’s no doubt that those who work in finance are handsomely paid. With entry-level financial analyst salaries already pushing six figures with a national median at $99,000, and financial managerial salaries at $156,000 [Lightcast.io], the potential for earning is high. Down the line, graduates could grow into a CFO role at $442,206 in salary, if not more.
Salary aside, pursuing a concentration in finance just makes sense for an MBA student. Finance is one of the most clear differentiators that can help any graduate bring value and impact to any industry. And with 82% of CFOs holding an MBA [2], students who specialize in finance during their MBA are strategically positioning themselves to follow this lucrative and well-established career path. Finance also allows for unparalleled exit opportunities. While executive general management roles like COO or President have traditionally been the stepping stones to CEO positions, the opportunities for CFOs to ascend to CEO roles in large companies are increasing [1].
But beyond even those benefits, a career in finance is also a genuinely rewarding path that offers real intellectual satisfaction. Finance is the cornerstone of society today and can drive both global impact and innovation. So if you like creativity and numbers, if you want a career at the crossroads of wealth, prestige, and intellectual satisfaction, if you thrive in a competitive environment and want to rub shoulders with powerful people—then finance might be the perfect place for you.
Rize is focused on making projects apply to real-world skills and making them current. Every project our students do has real-world applications that drive job outcomes. When students present, for example, the model of valuing a publicly traded company, that’s great for interviews.
Case studies are a standard part of any MBA experience, but Rize ensures students see a lot of different cases during the program, each dealing with a different company, which gives students diverse practical knowledge and perspectives. Our program is centered around teaching the skills and behaviors that will get our students great jobs, and when it comes to job interviews, knowing about that specific company and its industry is very important. Diverse case studies can help give that crucial contextual information, as well as more generally helping students understand the finance landscape.
**Rize’s finance specialization emphasizes the importance of broad numeracy—**the ability to work with numbers. Being able in an interview to talk about one’s ability with numbers and spreadsheets is invaluable—and this course will prepare students to demonstrate their numeracy through building spreadsheet models to analyze and forecast company financial results.
Students will also learn about disruptions to traditional finance and cutting-edge financial innovations, including cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and decentralized finance (DeFi), preparing students to navigate global markets and leverage new financial technologies effectively—and drive innovation and strategic growth in their future careers.
And finally—we get students excited about finance. Passion in a quantitative field like finance doesn’t just help students learn better—it helps them stand out.
Dr. Robert Hansen is the Norman W. Martin 1925 Professor of Business Administration at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business and was previously Senior Associate Dean. He served as faculty director of the Center for Business and Society and co-faculty director of the Business Bridge Program and the Master of Health Care Delivery Science Program at the College. His expertise is in microeconomics, with a focus on game theory, auction markets, and public policy. His teaching has been in the economics, public policy including healthcare policy, and finance areas. He has written and published articles in the areas of auction theory, corporate finance and corporate policy, industrial organization, and law and economics.
| ID | Program Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| PLO-1 | Make corporate financial decisions and solve financial problems using modern financial modeling techniques. |
| PLO-2 | Apply quantitative and analytical skills to make informed investment decisions and optimize investment portfolio performance. |
| PLO-3 | Apply and interpret financial analytics and use valuation techniques to aid in making investment decisions. |
| PLO-4 | Communicate financial analyses, insights, and strategies to stakeholders to drive financial success. |
| PLO-5 | Assess career opportunities and key sectors relevant to finance. |
| PLO-6 | Evaluate new financial technologies and their potential to disrupt traditional finance. |
Recommended CIP Code: **52.0801** (Finance, General) or **52.0201** (Business Administration and Management, General)
Note: The MBA Finance Program is a four-course concentration within an MBA degree. Courses provided through the LCMC are shown in blue text.