The Department of Finance and the MBA program in the Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Graduate School of Business at Florida International University have a joint degree pathway culminating in both a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA), and a Master of Science in Finance degree (Fast Track-MSF). Under the joint degree pathway, a student can obtain both degrees in significantly less time than it would take to obtain both degrees if pursued consecutively. The joint degree Pathway uses existing faculty, courses, and resources. Important criteria relating to the joint degree pathway are as follows:
- Candidates to the joint degree pathway must meet the entrance requirements established by each individual program.
- Applications for the joint degree pathway will not be accepted from candidates who have already completed either degree. MBA or Fast Track-MSF students must apply and be admitted by no later than the second to last semester in which they are expected to complete their original degree requirements.
- Candidates must satisfy all requirements for each degree. To obtain the MSF degree, the student will be required to take eleven (11) finance courses. This includes the two finance courses in the MBA core program, plus nine finance courses from the MSF fast track program, for a total of 33 credit hours. Three of the nine MSF courses will be used to satisfy part of the elective requirements of the MBA program. To obtain the MBA degree, the student will have to fulfill all the MBA program requirements. The two degrees will have 5 common courses. Courses transferred between degrees must be completed with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. MSF courses transferred to meet MBA elective credit must be 6000 level courses approved by the University Curriculum Committee. Directors of the MBA and MSF degree programs may adjust these exact course requirements as a result of future changes to the MBA or MSF curriculums.
- Joint degree pathway candidates will not receive either degree until all requirements for both programs have been satisfied. Students deciding against completing a second degree must satisfy all first degree program requirements as if the student had never been a joint degree candidate.
- With the joint degree pathway students will take a total of 73 credit hours to get both degrees. Without the joint degree pathway students will need to take 88 credit hours to get both degrees. Thus, MBA students who have taken nine credits of MSF fast track common courses may obtain an MSF degree with only an additional 18 credits. MSF students who have taken six credits of MBA core finance courses may obtain an MBA degree with only an additional 40 credits.
For more information, contact the appropriate academic department or program manager.