Redlands Business & Society Blog

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MBA in Finance: Benefits Abound for Graduates

Why choose a MBA with finance concentration?

The financial industry requires sharp judgment, a global mindset, and extensive knowledge. It also offers extraordinary benefits. Earning an online MBA in finance will prepare you to become a competent and confident business leader who thrives. Here’s why MBA graduates with finance concentration are positioned for an exciting, enduring, and lucrative career.

Finance is a dynamic industry.

Opportunities to tackle new challenges are one of the benefits of studying finance. The state of the global economy is constantly in flux. Faced with inevitable change, companies will always need individuals to help manage it. In PwC’s 2019 U.S. CEO Survey, executives identified artificial intelligence, rising costs, and policy changes as the issues currently testing finance departments.

The University of Redlands Online MBA in finance prepares students to navigate evolving challenges. Our program provides the fundamental knowledge to succeed in an ever-changing, technology-based business world. Students become proficient in financial markets, managerial finance, global finance, and investing. With an understanding of these fundamentals, graduates can analyze and solve the most pressing business problems from a range of perspectives.

The career outlook is positive.

For professionals who’ve earned an online MBA in finance, benefits include enduring career opportunities. The finance industry continues to add jobs. From 2016 to 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the employment of U.S. business and financial occupations to grow by 10 percent, exceeding the average for all occupations. At the same time, many international companies plan to expand U.S. operations by hiring talent from U.S. universities.

In addition to consistent job openings, finance professionals have ample career options. They are equipped with valuable skills that qualify them to practice in multiple sectors:

  • Personal Finance: Personal finance advisors serve individuals and families. They make critical decisions about investments, college savings, retirement, and more.
  • Corporate Finance: Roles in corporate finance involve overseeing the financial health of organizations, raising money in the capital markets, and guiding investment strategy.
  • Public Finance: In this sector, practitioners assist federal agencies, municipalities, and other public financial institutions in managing their income and expenditures.

Regardless of your business experience, an online MBA in finance from the University of Redlands will prepare you for roles in all sectors during your career. Our ACBSP-accredited program helps students develop comprehensive insight into finance. Through interactive coursework, students investigate risk and diversification, the impact of financial decision-making, operational strategy, as well as essential approaches to global financial markets. Graduates can apply their knowledge in these areas to an array of career paths.

An online MBA in finance can prepare you for the C-suite.

Organizational leaders are responsible for broad oversight that requires technical knowledge and leadership confidence. A chief financial officer, for example, may direct financial operations while leading several departments. An online MBA in finance will balance your technical and leadership expertise, preparing you to manage processes and people.

The University of Redlands Online MBA in finance emphasizes the development of complete professionals. Students gain proficiency in the technical aspects of finance while training to be ethical and confident leaders. Technical courses examine accounting, analytics, economics, information systems, and more. In management courses, the focus is on mastering communication and pursuing ethical business decisions. Students explore managerial decision-making, business ethics, and management and organizational behavior. As graduates, students have acquired the hard and soft skills required of today’s organizational leaders.

Finance jobs come with a substantial salary.

For individuals holding an online MBA in finance, benefits of the degree extend to salary. In 2017, the median annual wage for business and financial occupations was 80 percent higher than the average for all occupations. Typical finance roles earned a median salary of over $80,000, including financial analysts, financial managers, and personal financial advisors. As of March 2019, the median pay of a chief financial officer was $130,236.

Organizations also reward finance professionals with bonuses. According to a 2017 LinkedIn report, the financial services industry disburses the biggest cash bonuses. The median annual bonus for all finance jobs was $12,300 in 2017. Investment banking associates earned the highest median bonus of all U.S. occupations at $100,000.

An online MBA in finance can further boost your earning potential by helping you stand out. In the University of Redlands program, students develop the most coveted skills in the finance industry:

  • Ethics: Students become ethical practitioners who understand how to achieve financial objectives while complying with the law and organizational policies.
  • Risk Management: Our cutting-edge curriculum integrates the topic of risk and return. We train students to evaluate and mitigate risks, positioning companies for success.
  • Agility: Students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to adapt to the fast-paced, shifting world of finance and economics.