Finance (MFin)

Three terms of study (12 months), with a total of 10 required courses. 

The full-time option is designed for students ready to commit to a focused, one-year academic experience. You’ll follow a structured schedule alongside a tight-knit cohort and move through the program at a steady pace. It’s an ideal path if you're looking to build momentum in your finance career while still accessing tailored career support. 

Term 1: 

• MF673: Investment Management 
• MF701: Financial Statement Analysis 
• MF753: Financial Econometrics 
• MF773: Financial Modeling 
• Non-credit Excel, VBA, Python and Bloomberg Training  

Term 2: 

• MF766: Advanced Investment Management 
• MF623: Derivatives and Financial Risk Management 
• MF763: Economics for Financial Analysis 

Term 3: 

• MF663: Advanced Corporate Finance 
• MF743: Fixed Income Analysis 
• One of the following: 
  • BU643: International Financial Management 
  • MF683: Advanced Security Analysis 
  • MF791: Machine Learning in Finance 

Five terms of study (20 months) covering 10 required courses and two four-month paid work terms with firms in the financial services industry. 

The co-op stream is designed for applicants with less than three years of full-time work experience. All students begin on a standard study/work schedule. If you don’t secure a co-op position for the winter term, your schedule will adjust to give you more time to find the right opportunity—without falling behind. You’ll continue to be supported by our co-op and career teams throughout.

Three terms of study (12 months), with a total of 10 required courses. 

If you are a highly competitive, research-focused applicant interested in pursuing a PhD in Finance, the Master of Finance Methods Field provides a strong foundation for doctoral studies. Indicate your interest in your statement of intent. Students in this stream will be assigned a faculty supervisor.  

Term 1: 

• MF673: Investment Management 
• MF701: Financial Statement Analysis 
• EC620:  Microeconomics I 
• EC655: Econometrics

• MF766: Advanced Investment Management 
• MF623: Derivatives and Financial Risk Management 
• BU802: Research Methodology (.25 credit) 

 Term 3: 

• MF663: Advanced Corporate Finance 
• MF743: Fixed Income Analysis 
• MF791: Machine Learning in Finance 
• BU802: Research Methodology (.25 credit)  

Advance your career in finance and analytics with an integrated Master of Finance (MFin) and Master of Science in Management Analytics (MMA) double degree program. Over 20 months, you’ll graduate with two master’s degrees and knowledge in advanced financial theories with data analytics, preparing you to address complex financial challenges using sophisticated analytical tools. 

Key Highlights: 

• Two master’s degrees in 20 months: Efficiently earn both MFin and MSc degrees, enhancing your expertise in a condensed timeframe. 

• Career-Ready Skills: Participate in hands-on projects that tackle real-world financial problems, ensuring practical application of your skills. 

• CFA Exam Preparation: The curriculum is structured to support your readiness for CFA examinations, bolstering your professional credentials. 

• High-Demand Skill Set: Business analytics experts are among the most sought-after professionals, with their skills considered the second most difficult to find in the industry. 

Our MFin students gain invaluable experience working with leading financial institutions and corporations, including the following:

• American International Group (AIG)
• BMO Capital Markets
• TD Canada Trust
• CIBC
• CI Investments
• Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB)
• Fidelity Investments
• Manulife
• Morgan Stanley
• National Bank
• INFOR Financial
• OMERS
• Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
• Portland Holdings
• RBC
• Scotiabank

This course will focus on valuation of both mid-size and large firms. In the context of valuation, discussions will include mergers and acquisitions, financing and capital structure, corporate restructuring through bankruptcy and capital restructuring, and corporate governance. In order to prepare students to assume effective roles as a manager or advisor in a corporate finance function, MF663 is designed to facilitate the development of the following:

• Understand the various valuation methodology, their uses, advantages and disadvantages.
• Understand the various issues associated with mergers and acquisitions and how the various valuation methodologies can be used to value these transactions.
• Understand the various issues associated with the capital structure decision, and their implications on the firm value.
• Understand the various issues associated with bankruptcy and corporate restructuring, and their implication on the firm value.
• Understand the various issues associated with corporate governance decisions, and their implication on the firm value.

This course is a follow-up to the first (introductory) investments elective (BU673): the prerequisite course which provides introduction to different types of capital markets and financial securities thereof, investment opportunities in these capital markets, and the risk-return relations for these securities. The objectives of this advanced course are twofold:

1. Extend the basic concepts towards the understanding of multifarious investment opportunities in more intricate financial securities in the context of representative dynamic markets; and
2. Develop skills and tools to act as comprehensive professional investment managers on behalf of either individual or corporate investors.

This covers all aspects of security analysis. Students take on the role of either equity analyst or portfolio manager. Their work will be reviewed and overseen by industry professionals and faculty members. Analysts will learn:

1. How to conduct in-depth research on an equity security;
2. How to develop, defend and present an investment thesis; and
3. How to prepare detailed financial forecasts and valuation models.

The course allows students to manage real money for the Laurier Graduate Students Investment Fund (LGSIF).

This course discusses several issues in the field of International finance. Five key topics will be discussed:

• Economics of the forex markets;
• International capital (debt and equity) markets;
• International corporate finance;
• Financing International trade; and
• Forex derivatives.

The course will feature several cases in International capital markets and risk management. Bloomberg training will be part of the course. The students will be required to use data and analytical tools from Bloomberg to conduct regression and statistical analysis using Python.

• An undergraduate degree in economics, business or a related field with a concentration in finance.
• Minimum B+ average in your last two years of full-time study.
• Applicants with a Canadian Four-Year Undergraduate Degree (or equivalent):
  • GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE: Recommended but not mandatory.
  • Competitive Percentile Rankings:
    • Full-Time with Co-op Program: 68% or higher.
    • Full-Time Regular Program: 55% or higher.
• Applicants with a Canadian Three-Year Undergraduate Degree (or equivalent):
  • GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE: Mandatory.
  • Required Percentile Rankings:
    • Full-Time with Co-op Program: 68% or higher.
    • Full-Time Regular Program: 55% or higher.
  • Exemption Criteria: Applicants who have passed the CFA Level I exam can request a waiver for the GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE.
• The requirement for a degree in economics, business, or a related field with a concentration in finance can be waived for applicants who meet any of the following criteria:
  • Passed any level of the CFA exams.
  • Hold a professional designation such as FRM (Financial Risk Manager), CFP (Certified Financial Planner), or CPA (Certified Public Accountant).
• A statement of intent, resume, and completed reference forms.
• Applicants whose language of instruction was other than English during their undergraduate degree must supply evidence of proficiency in English prior to admission:
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): A minimum score of 100 (with minimum skills scores of 21 in each of the four skills sets); or
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or its equivalent: A minimum score of seven (7).
• After submitting a completed application, applicants may be invited to participate in either a recorded or live interview, as determined by the admissions committee.

After you have submitted your OUAC application, paid the non-refundable application fee, and Laurier has received your application, you'll receive an email from gradadmissions@wlu.ca advising you to upload the additional required documentation to Laurier’s Online Registration and Information System (LORIS).

Please note, the application process and the uploading of supplemental documentation, which includes references, typically takes two weeks.

To apply to our Master of Finance program, you must include:

• The OUAC Application Summary, which is generated after you complete your OUAC application (log back in to OUAC to retrieve it).
• Unofficial transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. Documents must be dated within the past six months.
• A completed statement of intent.
• GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE: Recommended for all applicants; mandatory for those with a three-year degree unless waived by CFA Level I, with competitive scores being a 68%+ percentile for full-time with co-op and 55%+ for full-time regular.
• A resume of your academic and work experience. Include a history of your publication and scholarly paper activity and any other information you feel will interest the admissions committee.
• Completed reference forms. Normally one academic reference and one professional reference, or two academic references with less than one year of full-time work experience. Reference forms are electronically submitted to Laurier by the referee and do not need to be uploaded.
• IELTS or TOEFL scores (if your native language is not English and you did not complete your most recent degree in English).
• A completed Authorization of Information Release (AIR) form is required if you have engaged the services of an education agent/agency. Upload it to your application checklist when you identify your agent in the OUAC application. Visit Step 2 for more information about the AIR.

Visit our Graduate Admissions Toolkit for more information about applying.

Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential to graduate studies at Laurier. Applicants whose language of instruction during their previous postsecondary education was not in English must submit evidence of proficiency in English. Normally this evidence is a score of at least 100 in TOEFL or at least 7 in IELTS. Results from accepted testing services must be uploaded to LORIS as part of the application process.

• Dedicated career support: Our staff can't wait to help you launch or accelerate your career goals - and they've got the workshops and tips to prove it.
• CFA prep: Comprehensive support to prepare for all three levels of the CFA exams.
• Hands-on skills: You'll have opportunities to put the theories from class into practice through our Graduate Student Investment Fund.

Build advanced, real-world finance skills in areas such as:

• Equity Markets - How stocks are traded and valued.
• Private Equity and Venture Capital - How private companies are funded and grown.
• Fixed Income Markets - How bonds work and why they matter.
• Derivatives - Tools like options and futures for managing risk.
• Corporate Finance - How companies make strategic financial decisions.
• Commercial Banking - How banks assess risk and structure lending.
• Portfolio Management - How to build and manage investments.
• Quantitative Analysis and Modelling - Use data to drive financial decisions.
• Risk Management - Identify and manage financial risk in dynamic markets.

Hands-on opportunities to bridge theory and practice:

• Bloomberg Terminal: Master cutting-edge financial technology.
• Laurier Graduate Student Investment Fund: Manage real money in live markets, gaining industry experience as a Portfolio Manager, Equity Analyst, Risk Analyst, or Macro Analyst.
• Laurier Startup Fund: Develop expertise in evaluating and investing in startups.

• Tailored to the CFA body of knowledge.
• If you enter your studies with CFA Level I, you'll most likely advance during or shortly after you graduate from the MFin.