The business world is becoming increasingly complex and interconnected. The pandemic placed a greater burden on leaders looking to maintain or achieve success. Survival relies on money while the science of money management is difficult for many to master. However, with the right education, anything is possible.
Qualified professionals are at the forefront of making effective decisions and determining how actions or ideas can influence a company’s bottom-line. The influence they gain along the way confirms the importance of their role. Little wonder why powerhouse professionals like Phil Knight, Vikram Pandit, and Ken Lewis were all finance majors.
A postgraduate degree is a common pick for those vying to follow in their footsteps — specifically one from the University of Manitoba. This dynamic institution is home to the AACSB-accredited Asper School of Business — one of Canada’s leading business schools and ranked among the world’s top 8%.
Offered by the Stu Clark Graduate School at the Asper School of Business, the Master of Finance (MFin) is a 12-month, three-term degree program designed to prepare learners for all three levels of exams required to obtain a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Mapped to align with the CFA Curriculum, the programme places emphasis on the Level 1 exam, but also includes many additional benefits.
Course offerings include: Accounting Fundamentals; Managerial Economics; Corporate Finance; Alternative Markets and Instruments; Financial Modelling; Behavioural Finance; Investment Policy; International Finance; Readings in Accounting and Finance; Spreadsheet Skills for Management; Basic Quantitative Analysis for Management; and three Career Development Seminars.
The breadth of knowledge covered in such a short amount of time is what makes it a unique, yet snappy pick for upskillers or reskillers of various backgrounds. What they all have in common is the success they are bound to achieve. Upon successful completion, MFin graduates often work in investment banking and asset management firms that include hedge funds, mutual funds and pension funds.
However, Temitope Osunrinde is gunning to take a different route. Already an established entrepreneur in her home country of Nigeria, she chose the MFin to broaden her financial knowledge so she can provide small businesses in Africa with more opportunities to operate on a global scale.
“The program can complement my accounting and entrepreneurial skills with exposure to wealth creation so it can position me to better tackle finance problems faced by small- and medium-scale enterprises in Nigeria,” she confirms. “The globally focused Asper MFin program will help make this dream a reality and will provide a much-needed launch-pad for my future aspiration and career redirection.”
Everyone is welcome to join her. Work experience is not a requirement. Those with existing responsibilities could spend up to four years on the MFin part-time if they prefer. Furthermore, entrance bursaries for international students valued at 6,000 Canadian dollars are offered to students entering the programme with a GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.5 scale).
However, the experiences and opportunities unlocked with an Asper acceptance letter are priceless. Experiential opportunities, both in and out of the classroom, ensure this.
For MFin students, this means applying newfound knowledge with a four-month, paid, full-time practicum. These placements are made possible by the Asper Career Development Centre’s expansive network of connections within Manitoba and across Canada. Students will also be able to partake in competitions that entail presenting business cases, solving industry challenges, and gaining valuable insights from experts and professionals whose shoes they hope to one day fill.
Such offerings are typical of business schools with over 80 years of experience in providing a world-class education to business aspirants. To discover it yourself, click here to apply to the Asper Master of Finance program today.
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