
Finance Certificate
The Graduate School certificate in Finance is a unique program that provides students the knowledge, skills, and tools needed for making smart financial decisions in the workplace.
Overview
Through theory and applied learning, students come to understand the relationship between capital providers (investing households), capital markets (stocks and bonds), and capital users (firms).
Students use real-world tools, such as stock price databases and spreadsheet analysis, to apply theory to practice. This flexible option is ideal for professionals who want to gain a foundational understanding of financial management.
Curriculum
To qualify for the NC State Graduate Finance Certificate, students need to complete 12 credit hours, which includes the courses listed below. Once admitted to the program, students must complete the MBA 520 prerequisite before enrolling in any other certification course.
Required courses:
- MBA 501 Financial Accounting (1 hr)
- MBA 520 Managerial Finance (2 hrs)
Nine hours of elective courses selected from the following list:
- MBA 521 Advanced Corporate Finance (3 hrs)
- MBA 522 Financial Modeling (3 hrs)
- MBA 523 Investment Theory and Practice (3 hrs)
- MBA 524 Equity Valuation (3 hrs)
- MBA 526 International Finance (3 hrs)
- MBA 590 Private Equity Venturing (3 hrs)
- MBA 590 Advanced Investments (3 hrs)
Required Qualifications
- Four year bachelor’s degree (or US degree equivalent) from a regionally accredited college or university.
- Maintained a minimum GPA of 3.0 across all certificate-counting classes in undergraduate and graduate work (some exceptions are available for those with graduate studies).
- Two years of full-time, post-baccalaureate professional employment is required for applicants to certificate programs.
- Standardized test scores (GMAT, GRE) are not required to apply to a graduate management certificate program.
- International applicants who are not in a graduate program at NC State must take the TOEFL or IELTS unless they qualify for a waiver. Email pcom_gradcertificates@ncsu.edu for details.
Additional Requirements
- Students must achieve a grade of B- or better (a cumulative 3.0 GPA) to earn academic credit toward the certificate.
- No transfer credits or course substitutions are accepted for this program.
- Students must complete certification courses within four years of starting the program to count toward the certificate requirements.
- Current graduate students at NC State may not dual enroll into this certificate (exception – Jenkins MBA and MMA students).