1. Masagung Graduate School of Management
USF MSFA
Masagung Graduate School of Management

2. University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco, a Catholic Jesuit university, was founded in 1855 as San Francisco's first university.
USF has over 500 full-time and part-time faculty members across its Schools and Colleges.
USF is a founding member and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
The USF School of Management and its business programs are accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

3. Master of Science in Financial Analysis

4. MSFA Program Director: Associate Dean and Professor John Veitch
CFA, 1999: Ph.D. Northwestern 1985, Financial Markets
Education Director, CFA Review Program for the CFA Society of San Francisco
Oversaw the delivery of CFA-SF Exam Review programs to candidates at all levels each year.
Adjunct faculty member, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business: taught in Berkeley-Columbia Executive MBA program, Full-time and Evening MBA programs.
Current research: Econometric studies of the relationship between currency crises and stock market returns in South America and the Pacific Rim.

5. USF MSFA Mission: To train future Investment Professionals.
The MSFA program trains students in the economics, quantitative methods, accounting and finance needed to value financial assets and manage investment portfolios.
The practitioner-oriented curriculum covers the knowledge required by the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) exams.
The MSFA program is NOT:
NOT a financial engineering program that focuses only on mathematics and derivatives.
NOT a general MS Finance that teaches a little bit of everything masters nothing.

6. USF MSFA Advantage:
USF’s MSFA program is an official Academic Program Partner of the CFA Institute since 2006.
It is the top program in the USA in Investment Management.
It is the oldest CFA Academic Program Partner in the USA
One of the first 15 such programs recognized, placing it with Oxford U, London Business School, HEC, and HK-UST.
Taught by USF Professors and CFA-credentialed practitioners:
The MSFA program is relevant to the professional and career needs in the financial industry.

7. MSFA 18-month Curriculum:
Starts Fall and Spring semester of each year. Runs 4 consecutive semesters.
Semester 1:
10 Units
Semester 2:
7 Units
Semester 3:
Semester 4:
9 Units
Micro for Finance
Equity Valuation
Derivatives I
Capital Markets
Financial Institutions
Fixed Income I
Behavioral Finance
Financial
Econometrics
Corporate Finance
Financial Reg’n trip or
Ethics and Finance
Macro for Finance
SF Research
Practicum or
Derivatives II
Alternative
Investments
Fin Statement
Analysis
Fixed Income II
International Finance
Portfolio
Management

8. MSFA Admission Standards
Minimum TOEFL-IBT of 92 for International apps.
IELTS scores also accepted, minimum 6.5
TOEFL scores between 89 and 99 must take required Business English module at USF before MSFA begins.
GMAT or GRE score with Quantitative score
Accelerated MSFA: 80%+, avg GMAT 650.
University Transcript with strong performance in MSFA required foundation courses:
Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Corporate Finance, Financial Accounting, Calculus and Probability & Statistics courses.

9. Beijing Pre-Finance Program
Designed for MSFA applicants who:
Lack one or more of the required MSFA foundation courses
Have weak GPA in the foundation courses and/or are weak in TOEFL and GMAT scores.
Successful completion of the Beijing Pre-Finance program brings admission to the MSFA program.
Target students for this program are:
Students in engineering, mathematics or language degrees who want to pursue a career in finance.
Students whose GPA or TOEFL and GMAT scores are low.

10. Pre-Finance Curriculum
Students take 4 foundation modules over 3 months
Classes meet at CUFE Beijing campus each weekend.
Financial Accounting, Microeconomics, Corporate Finance and Financial Markets.
Each module is taught by a USF MSFA faculty member with a co-teacher from CUFE.
At the end of the program, students take a qualifying exam on all the subjects that is set by the USF faculty.
Tutoring for TOEFL and GMAT exam preparation is available without extra charge to the students.
Students receive all textbooks and a calculator without charge.

11. MSFA Admission
Admission to the USF MSFA program is guaranteed to all Pre-Finance program students who:
Pass the qualifying exam at the end of the program. Students who fail may retake the exam 3 months later.
TOEFL score is 92 or higher at the program end.
GMAT Quantitative score is 80% or higher.
Students who meet all three of these requirements are:
Accepted in to the MSFA program (Fall or Spring).
Are waived out of the first 3 MSFA classes. Need to only take 30 units for MSFA, rather than full 36 units.

12. Pre-Finance Program Cost
The Beijing Pre-Finance Program held at the CUFE campus costs RMB 60,000.
Students receive:
The 4 Pre-Finance courses taught by USF & CUFE professors plus MSFA qualifying exam.
Assistance with preparing for TOEFL or GMAT if necessary.
All textbooks and the required calculator.
Optional internship while attending the program (extra cost).
Meeting all the requirements means students:
Are accepted into the MSFA program (Fall or Spring).
Are waived out of the first 3 MSFA classes (saving RMB 45,000)

13. MSFA 18-month Curriculum:
Starts Fall and Spring semester of each year. Runs 4 consecutive semesters.
Semester 1:
10 Units
Semester 2:
7 Units
Semester 3:
Semester 4:
9 Units
Micro for Finance
Equity Valuation
Derivatives I
Capital Markets
Financial Institutions
Fixed Income I
Behavioral Finance
Financial
Econometrics
Corporate Finance
Financial Reg’n trip or
Ethics and Finance
Macro for Finance
SF Research
Practicum or
Derivatives II
Alternative
Investments
Fin Statement
Analysis
Fixed Income II
International Finance
Portfolio
Management

14. Beijing Pre-Finance Contacts
USF Beijing Office
YANG, Shuo (Serena) 杨硕
Tel:+86 (10)
Mobile:
MSFA Application Processing (at USF)
Joanna Woo, Manager

15. “Professionally, the finance program at USF has given me the quantitative and analytical skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. On a personal level, it has reinforced the importance of giving back.”
- David Swander, MSFA ‘12

16. Questions