University of Arkansas opens enrollment for new finance degree

by Jeff Della Rosa ([email protected]) 1,226 views 

Scott Hsu, assistant professor in the finance department in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, will be one of the faculty members who will teach in the new master's degree program in finance. (Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.)

The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas is accepting applications for a new Master of Science degree in finance. Classes begin this fall.

The graduate degree was established to meet the challenges of a digital economy where information and technology are transforming the function of finance and the nature of financial markets, according to a news release.

“The financial industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated and digital,” said Matt Waller, dean of the Walton College and recipient of the Sam. M. Walton Leadership Chair in Business. “It requires analysis of massive amounts of data for easy-to-understand reports and decision-making. We blend energy finance, risk management, analytics, digital technology and supply chain management to create value-added skill sets needed by businesses.”

The Master of Science in finance is a one-year, full-time program comprising 30 credit hours. Work to develop and gain approval for the new degree program started in March 2019, said Matthew Myers, associate director of recruitment for the Walton Graduate School of Business. Nine faculty members of the finance department will teach in the program, but he added more might join later.

Between 10 and 12 students will be admitted in the first year, and all instruction is set to take place face-to-face, Myers said. The requirement for graduate school exams, or GMAT/GRE tests, has been waived for this fall because of the lack of access to testing as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, he noted. More information is available on the graduate school’s website.