SKIP TO PAGE CONTENT

Master of Science in Finance and Economics (MSFE)

Available 100% Online

GMAT Waiver offered

TFE Times Badge
US News Badge for Grad Business

The Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University offers a Master of Science in Finance and Economics (MSFE).­ The MSFE graduate program was ranked #2 in The Financial Engineer's 2023 Financial Economics Rankings of economics and finance graduate programs.­ Overall scores for the rankings are based on several factors, including the program's acceptance rate, incoming students' undergraduate GPA, employment after graduation, and starting salary.­  The program earned a 2023 #38 ranking as a best graduate business program by U.S. News & World Report.­  Visit the Engler College of Business Rankings and Recognition page for additional information.  

The MSFE is designed for students who want to improve their understanding of economics and finance, particularly those interested in or already working in:

  1. Finance institutions and finance departments in business and government;
  2. Policy-oriented and community service occupations in the private and public sectors;
  3. Economic and financial consulting and advising;
  4. Teaching at the high school, community college, or instructor level;
  5. Preparation for law school or doctorate programs in economics, finance, management, or marketing. The program's orientation toward application as opposed to theory enhances opportunities for graduates in a broad range of occupations and institutions.

Program Details

The MSFE program is available to all applicants with a four year bachelor degree from a regionally accredited university and does not require a bachelor's degree in business or a related field. The 36 to 45 hour program is available as 100% online asynchronous courses to meet the degree requirements. Students that do not want to complete their entire program online are welcome to complete some courses on campus in addition to the online mode.

Our MSFE program is designed for full time employed professionals allowing up to six years for completion to complement your work-life balance, however most students complete the program in a two year period. Students may tailor the program to concentrate more on Finance, or Economics or gain a balance of both areas. Students can choose their course load each semester within four semesters each year:

  • Fall - Last week of August through the end of November, 14 weeks
  • Spring - Mid-January through the end of April, 14 weeks
  • Summer 1 - Beginning of June through the first week of July
  • Summer 2 - Second week of July through the third week of August

Degree Requirements

Requirements shown below are for the 2023-2024 catalog year. 

LEVELING COURSES - 0 - 9 HOURS

Students seeking an MSFE degree must first establish proficiency in Finance, Accounting, and Statistics. This proficiency may be established by courses taken in an undergraduate program, by completing advanced standing examinations in these areas, or by taking the following courses: FIN 6300, ACCT 6300, CIDM 6300.

MSFE CORE COURSES – 21 HOURS

Theory of Households and Firms (Choose one)

ECON 6305 - Seminar in Microeconomic Theory
ECON 6370 - Economics of Health and Medical Care
ECON 6372 - Current Issues in Industrial Organization

Monetary and Fiscal Policy (Choose one)

ECON 6306 - Seminar in Macroeconomic Theory
ECON 6312 - Seminar in Money and Banking
ECON 6332 - Problems in Government Finance and Fiscal Policy

Corporate Governance (Choose one)

FIN 5311 - Corporate Governance and Ethics
FIN 6350 - Seminar in Financial Planning
ECON 6352 - Environmental Policy Issues

Asset Valuation (Choose one)

FIN 5320 - Investments
FIN 5321 - Portfolio Management
FIN 6322 - Security Analysis
FIN 6330 - Financial Markets and Derivatives 

Corporate Finance (Choose one)

FIN 6320 - Seminar in Finance
FIN 6370 - Financial Management of Health Care

International Business (Choose one)

ECON 6341 - Seminar in International Economics and Economic Development
FIN 5323 - International Finance
FIN 6323 - Multinational Finance

Quantitative Analysis (Choose one)

CIDM 6305 - Quantitative Analysis in Business
ECON 6308 - Seminar in Data Analytics
ECON 6320 - Econometrics
ECON 6362 - Advanced Business Forecasting

GRADUATE ELECTIVE COURSES – 9 HOURS

Choose from graduate courses in Economics (ECON), Finance (FIN), or CIDM 6305

GRADUATE ELECTIVE COURSES - 6 HOURS

Choose from graduate courses in Economics (ECON), Finance (FIN), Accounting (ACCT), Computer Information & Decision Management (CIDM), or General Business (BUSI)

Upon MSFE coursework completion, degree candidates are required to pass a comprehensive exam. See details below.  

Receive Your Personalized Plan of Study

For more information about specific courses you would be taking, request a Personalized Plan of Study by e-mailing your resume/cv and your unofficial transcripts/mark sheets to the Graduate Business Office, COBGrad@wtamu.edu. The unofficial transcripts/mark sheets must show university name, GPA, and conferred degree.

If your transcripts are from a foreign university, please send official evaluated transcripts via one of the listed Foreign Credential Evaluation Services, or contact the WTAMU International Student Office for more information regarding international student admissions.

Course Introductory Videos

You can view course introductory videos for some of our graduate courses on our Graduate Course Schedule Page.

Learning Objectives for the MSFE Program

The Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University seeks to prepare students in the Master of Science in Finance and Economics (MSFE) degree program for careers in business and to foster their professional growth and advancement via the key learning goals.  The key learning goals for the MSFE program are as follows.

Goal 1: Professional Communication  
Goal 2: Critical Thinking  
Goal 3: Business Environment  
Goal 4: Finance and Economics Integration  

Comprehensive Exam

Students in the MSFE Program are required to pass a comprehensive exam to earn their degree. This exam will be offered the first Friday during finals week at the end of each semester.­ The comprehensive exam covers MSFE goals 2, 3, and 4 with an explicit focus on objective 4.1 and an implicit focus on objectives 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, and 4.2.­­ 

For comprehensive exam questions, please contact: Dr. Anne Macy, Professor of Finance, at amacy@wtamu.edu.

MSFE Program Faculty for 2023-2024

 

Faculty Degree Institution
Goutham Abotula Ph.D.  Washington State University
Anne-Christine Barthel Ph.D. University of Kansas
Liang Chen Ph.D. University of Kentucky
De'Arno De'Armond Ph.D. Texas Tech University
Eric Hoffmann Ph.D. University of Kansas
Scott Jones Ph.D. University of Arizona
Anne Macy Ph.D. Texas Tech University
Ryan Mattson Ph.D. University of Kansas
Eric McKee Ph.D.  University of Iowa
Neil Meredith Ph.D. University of Georgia
James Owens Ph.D. Harvard University
Rex Pjesky Ph.D. University of Oklahoma
Bin Shao Ph.D. University of Illinois
Oscar Solis Ph.D. Texas Tech University
Brandli Stitzel Ph.D. University of Oklahoma
Neil Terry Ph.D Texas Tech University
Huabing Wang Ph.D. University of Alabama
Wei Zhang Ph.D. University of Minnesota
Chen Zhao Ph.D. West Virginia University

 

Apply Now

Go to our Graduate Application Process page for more information about how to apply.

Contact Information

Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business
Office of Graduate Business Programs
Phone:  (806) 651-2500
Email:  COBGrad@wtamu.edu
Classroom Center 216 | West Texas A&M University | WTAMU Box 60768 | Canyon, Texas 79016 | (806) 651-2530