Masters Program

Smeal finance masters program

Master of Finance

The Master of Finance (MFIN) is a one academic year graduate program with applied learning designed to prepare students for industry. Many recruiters search for new hires who can create and build value quickly, often with limited on-the-job training. The MFIN program prepares students in an intense, but also encouraging, academic environment.

Our students come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Several students arrive the MFIN program from engineering, economics, accounting, psychology, and finance, among other diverse areas. The admissions team recruits top students with:

  • an analytical mindset
  • a passion for the financial industry
  • the ability to succeed in the classroom as both a student and a colleague
  • the ability to place well after graduation 

After a sharp application increase last year, applications decreased for the 2025-26 academic cycle, in line with industry trends. However, the quality of applicants was stronger this year than in previous cycles and the admit rate increased; total admits increased from 91 to 100. Like other professional graduate programs across the country, converting admits to deposits (especially amongst international students) proved more challenging this year than in previous years. As such, the class of 2026 will be smaller than in recent years.

The basic demographics of our incoming class are as follows: 70% domestic students and 30% international, a shift from ~ 50/50 for the past several years. Female representation amongst deposits were 37% in the 2023-24 cycle, 18% in the 2024-25 cycle, and returned to 37% for this upcoming 2026 graduating class.

Curriculum

The MFIN “module” structure, consisting of 2-hour class periods each week for seven weeks, allows for curricular flexibility as well as topical intensity. In the Spring of 2024, several students enrolled in the optional FIN 478 with Dr. Greg Filbeck, designed to prepare students to master the CFA Level 1 exam. In the Spring of 2025, we offered a new Advanced Financial Modeling course that combines spreadsheet modeling and programming in VBA and Python. We have two new course proposals for the 2026-27 academic year. One is a Data Science class with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. The other is a Mergers & Acquisitions class that focuses on deal structures and incorporates guest speakers for effective student development.

Placement

Our Career Services team provides MFIN students with coaching, advice, and opportunities. For the classes of 2021 – 2024, roughly 85% of students accepted a full-time offer within six-months post-graduation with an average salary around $81,600 (class of 2024). Average salary trends track inflation, and the international student placement rate has steadily increased. Recent placements from the classes of 2021 – 2024 include Air Products & Chemicals, Amazon, AT&T, BofA, Deloitte, The Cigna Group, Citi Group, Eli Lilly, Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, Grant Thorton, Hitachi Energy, Houlihan Lokey, JP Morgan Chase, KPMG, PepsiCo, PwC, and Teneo Holdings.

Incoming Student Highlight

We have an exciting group of students entering the MFIN program this year. Incoming student Ryan Greathouse exemplifies an engaged student body capitalizing on the opportunities that Penn State and Smeal provide young scholars. Ryan was born in a small town in West Virginia, named after his grandfather, a respected football coach. Living in a rural area marked by poverty and a lack of financial literacy, Ryan developed a keen interest in finance.

Ryan earned his B.S. degree at West Virginia University to remain close to family during the COVID pandemic. At WVU, he collaborated with faculty on research in finance and economics, presenting findings at international and university conferences. As a Nemacolin Ambassador, he led experiential consulting-style projects that connected students with industry partners and enhanced business operations. He gained professional experience at State Farm while remaining actively involved in various student organizations. He earned a B.S. in Finance with minors in Economics and Professional Sales (Marketing).

Admitted to several peer programs, Ryan chose the Smeal MFIN program that “checks all boxes” including analytical rigor, applied learning, stellar faculty, and a top-ranked program. Ryan is excited to be an active member of the Smeal community. He is serving as the Executive Director of Finance and Business for the Graduate and Professional Student Association and a member of the Professional Graduate Program Student Leadership Board.