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Finance (MS)

The MS in Finance at DePaul University

Where Finance Meets Strategy—In the Heart of Chicago

DePaul’s MS in Finance (MSF) provides specialized skills and prepares you for a wide range of roles in the finance industry.

You’ll build the skills top firms look for: financial modeling, risk analysis and management, valuation techniques and tools, investment analysis and strategy, and corporate finance—sharpened by case studies, real-world projects, and exposure to today’s markets.

Set in the heart of Chicago’s financial district, DePaul offers direct connections to industry professionals and career-shaping opportunities. You’ll graduate ready to launch a high-impact career.

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Program Snapshot

Duration: As little as 15-18 months
Format: In-person
Location: Downtown Chicago
Start term: Fall, Winter

Program Facts

MSF alumni go on to work for companies like J.P. Morgan, Capital One, Amazon, and other prominent organizations.
Alumni take roles as financial advisors, senior investment and risk analysts, investment banking analysts, and other positions.

Why Study Finance at DePaul?

Hands-On, Market-Aligned Curriculum

The DePaul MSF is built for real-world finance careers. We’ve designed our curriculum by benchmarking against many programs across the US, with input from students and alumni, and in consultation with our Finance Advisory Board: a group of senior executives and industry leaders who provided a valuable practitioner perspective about the skills that employers seek and need.

What you’ll gain:

Tool Mastery: Gain hands-on experience with Bloomberg Terminals for market research and real-time data, Python for financial modeling and automation, AI tools relevant for finance, and advanced Excel for valuation, forecasting and scenario analysis. These are the tools professionals use daily to track markets, model risk and make multimillion-dollar decisions.
Real-World Application: Apply your knowledge through case-based projects, doing analysis on local companies, and simulations that mirror real business challenges. In the program’s capstone course, you’ll present solutions to industry leaders, getting feedback from the people who hire and promote top talent.
Specialized Electives: Customize your MSF with high-demand courses like Risk Management, Equity Research, Behavioral Finance, Financial Analytics and more—so your degree aligns perfectly with your career goals.

Gain Certifications That Signal Readiness

The MSF program is a CFA Institute University Affiliated program, which means our curriculum equips you with the knowledge needed in your pursuit of the CFA charter. With an appropriate selection of electives, you’ll also be prepared to take the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) exam. You can graduate with three Bloomberg certifications, proving you can navigate the tools global institutions use to drive strategies and evaluate risk.

By graduation, you won’t just talk finance—you’ll have the credentials, proof points and portfolio to show employers you’re ready to make an impact from day one.

Where This Degree Can Take You

Our program prepares you to stand out on the job market. You’ll graduate with a portfolio of applied projects and industry-recognized certifications that give hiring managers confidence in your readiness to deliver results.

Earning an MSF from DePaul opens a wide range of high-demand roles, including:

Financial analyst
Investment analyst or portfolio manager
Risk analyst or risk manager
Equity research analyst
Corporate finance specialist
Commercial banker or credit analyst
Alternative investments analyst

With strong relationships across Chicago’s leading financial institutions, DePaul connects you directly with the people, firms and opportunities that can shape your career.

Learn From—and With—Chicago’s Finance Leaders

Our courses are taught predominantly by full-time faculty several of whom actively consult, publish in academic journals, and advise in the financial sector. They bring real-world relevance into the classroom, drawing from their scholarly and advisory work.

They’ll challenge you to think critically, evaluate complex problems and deliver insights that drive decisions.

“The objective of the program is to provide students with a strong conceptual foundation by drawing on decades of academic work and its application in the industry. This foundation provides students with the skills they need to do well in their chosen profession/job. In the classroom, faculty complement, discuss, and embellish what they teach with any major research findings and with relevant structural changes/trends in the marketplace.” - Sanjay Deshmukh, MSF Director and Chair of the Finance Department

You'll also benefit from:

Guest Speakers: Executives from Chicago-based organizations share how they approach investing, valuation, risk and capital strategy in their day-to-day work.
Finance-Focused Events: Through the Kellstadt Finance Association (KFA), you’ll connect with alumni and industry leaders at exclusive events designed to build your network.
Capstone Experience: Apply your knowledge to a real-world finance challenge, delivering analysis and recommendations to industry professionals for feedback.

From day one, you’ll build relationships with people who know the field—and can help shape your place in it.

Support That Extends Beyond Graduation

At DePaul, your success doesn’t stop at graduation—or even the city limits. You’ll have access to a robust network and dedicated resources that continue long after you earn your degree.

DePaul’s Career Management Center: Work 1:1 with experienced career coaches and get tailored support for job searches, resumes and interviews.
Faculty with Industry Ties: Learn from instructors who are active researchers and ready to open doors and provide a real-world perspective.
Alumni Network That Opens Doors: Join a global business community with more than 74,000 DePaul business graduates—16,000 in Chicago alone—working across consultancies, corporations and government agencies.

Wherever you’re headed next, we’ll help you build a strategy—and a network—to get there.

“DePaul’s MSF program taught me how to examine a business-wide problem through a financial lens, and then develop and implement a sustainable solution that ripples throughout an entire organization and positively affects its people.”

Richard (MS ’20)

Read the Kellstadt Blog to explore more alumni perspectives

91%

of DePaul graduate business alumni report favorable career outcomes six months after graduation.

Upcoming Application Deadlines

Enrollment Quarter	Domestic Student Deadline	International Student Deadline
Fall	August 15	June 15

DePaul offers a range of tuition support and financial aid options to make your investment count.

Learn more about scholarships

For more information, contact the Kellstadt office at (312) 362-8810 or kgsb@depaul.edu.

Named a Best Value College by U.S. News & World Report (2025)

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