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  2. Graduate Certificates

Principles of Finance Certificate

Understand the language of finance, learn to interpret and communicate important financial information, and gain knowledge in key areas such as budgeting, investment, shareholder value, and risk. Through this professional graduate certificate, you gain the ability to use financial information to make business decisions.

Key learning outcomes

  • Enhance your knowledge of the tools and analysis methods used in business, finance, and the economy through accounting, finance, and economics.
  • Learn the accounting principles required for informed managerial decisions, such as cost terminology, cost behavior, cost systems, activity-based costing, budgeting, cost-volume-profit analysis, cost estimating, variance analysis, and responsibility accounting.
  • Develop knowledge of the agents, instruments, and institutions that make up the financial system of the modern economy, such as bonds, the stock market, derivatives, and the money market.
  • Develop an understanding of economic principles and methods, such as microeconomic theory, market theory, optimization, bargaining theory, externalities, and how they apply to business and the economy.
  • Gain expertise in a focused topic area, such as capital markets and investments, investment banking, valuation, risk management, and nonprofit financial management.

Getting started

No application is required. You simply register for graduate courses during our fall, spring, or summer registration periods. 

Earning the Certificate

To meet the requirements for the certificate, you must:

  • Complete four certificate courses for graduate credit.
  • Earn at least a B grade in each course.
  • Complete the courses within three years.

Learn more about pursuing a certificate and the process of requesting your certificate.

Certificate Courses

The professional graduate certificate in Principles of Finance requires four courses:

  • Finance course (choose one course from select group)
  • Accounting course (choose one course from select group)
  • Economics course (choose one course from select group)
  • Elective (choose one course from select group)

Find Certificate Courses

If you’re also considering a master’s degree, select certificate courses can be counted toward a related degree field of study.

Finance Degree Program

Gain a solid foundation in the principles of finance, becoming well informed of topics critical to financial planning, implementation, measurement, and investment.

Learn more about Finance Degree Program

Management Degree Program

Gain a solid grounding in management theory and practice through foundational subjects, including economics, accounting, finance, strategy, marketing, organizational behavior, and management.

Learn more about Management Degree Program

Related Certificates

Strategic Management Certificate

Build an understanding of key business & management principles

Learn more about Strategic Management Certificate

Corporate Finance Certificate

Develop skills for financial analysis and decision making

Learn more about Corporate Finance Certificate

 

Registration

Register for Jan. 2020 courses now through Jan. 6. Registration for Spring 2020 is open now through Jan 23.

Course Catalog

Have a question?

Our Enrollment Services team can answer questions about our graduate certificates.

Get Information

Certificate at a Glance

Required Courses

4

Number of courses for this certificate.

Start browsing courses

Average Cost

$11,360

Cost of completing the certificate courses, at current tuition rates.

Time Investment

1.5

Number of years, on average, it takes to complete this certificate. You may take up to three years.

Learn more about requirements

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