The finance industry has always gone hand-in-hand with the MBA degree. Even as these advanced business degrees are becoming increasingly popular in other industries, finance is still the biggest MBA job sector in many metros and accounts for 22 percent of all MBA jobs according to a recent QS TopMBA.com Jobs and Salary Trends Report.With a focus on investment banking and wealth management, the Baltimore metro maintains a prosperous financial services sector. More than 74,300 people are employed in a wide range of companies and positions within the areas of finance. According to Baltimore.org, there are more than 10,000 financial managers, advisors and specialists in the area, and an increase of 1,600 financial service jobs in the past year.
With a collection of universities fertile with top-notch MBA programs with finance concentrations, the Baltimore metro is a great destination for any prospective MBA looking to breaking into the finance sector. Here are a few of your options:
Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School allows students to combine their MBA studies with additional graduate coursework to create a unique set of skills and knowledge. There are a number of dual degree offerings, but we’ll focus on the MBA/Master of Science in finance. In this program, students leverage their managerial skills with studies that develop research and technological skills in the area of finance.
What’s a Master of Finance look like at Smith? According to the school:
This rigorous curriculum will equip you for challenging and rewarding career options in finance. Learn from former CEOs and connect with alumni at JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and other industry giants. Obtain mastery in the latest tools in corporate finance, asset management, risk management, and valuation. Participate in Center for Financial Policy events, get industry-specific career coaching and receive excellent preparation for the CFA exam.
Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business
While it’s best known for it’s world class medical school, Johns Hopkins University is also home to the Carey School of Business. The school was established by Hopkins trustees in 2006, in response to a $50 million gift from William Polk Carey. The trustees voted to establish a new business school dedicated to producing innovative leaders with broad, interdisciplinary knowledge in the Baltimore Metro.
Students enrolled in Carey’s Flexible MBA program have the ability to choose a concentration, including Financial Businesses. The concentration is available to students enrolled in in-person classes and online. In-person courses are offered in eight-week terms throughout the academic year at Carey’s Baltimore and Washington, D.C. locations. Classes are typically held in the evenings, Monday-Thursday, as well as on Saturday mornings. Each course meets once per week.
Meanwhile, online classes self-paced and run for eight weeks each. Despite taking courses online, students still have access to an array of university resources, including library services, academic advising, student services and information technology services. The online Flexible MBA also includes a residency component in which students spend three days at the Baltimore campus, where they will engage in course instruction, participating in institutional activities and networking with faculty, peers, current students, alumni and business leaders.
University of Baltimore – Merrick School of Business
The University of Baltimore was founded in 1925 and has been offering an MBA program since 1971. The AASCB accredited school is Baltimore’s most central and accessible college campus, situated across the street from Baltimore Penn Station.
The Merrick School of Business MBA offers 10 areas of specialization to enhance a standard degree. Students may specialize in one of the area by taking 9 credits of electives in that area of study. According to the school, the finance specialization offers opportunities to learn about the financial management of a business, valuing investments in securities and other assets, and the general structure and functioning of financial institutions and markets.
Loyola University Maryland – Sellinger School of Business
Loyola established the Sellinger School of Business and Management in 1980, but it wasn’t until 2010 that the school started the Emerging Leaders MBA–its first ever full-time graduate business program. The AACSB accredited school recently added part-time and Executive MBA programs.
The part-time program is also known as the Professional’s MBA. The degree can be customized to match your interests and career goals thanks to six different specializations that are earned by selecting elective classes focusing on a specific area of study. Once of these specializations is Finance.
According to the school, the MBA finance specialization prepares students with in-depth courses that advance the understanding of issues particular to the field of finance, including investments, portfolio management, derivative securities, capital markets, corporate finance, international finance and financial institutions.