Marshall School of Business
Master’s Degree and Graduate Certificate Programs
Graduate Certificate in Financial Analysis and Valuation
The Graduate Certificate in Financial Analysis and Valuation program is designed to enhance the individual’s graduate education through a concentrated curriculum in financial accounting, financial analysis, valuation, credit analysis, and financial instruments and markets.
Admission
To qualify for admission to the program, individuals must have completed basic graduate-level (post-baccalaureate) courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and corporate finance comparable to the first-year MBA curriculum while earning a minimum graduate GPA for those courses (combined) of 3.5.
Prospective students may apply to begin the programs in the fall, spring or summer term. Applications are submitted online at app.applyyourself.com/?id=USC-MBA. A complete application includes the online application form, responses to several essay and additional information questions, letters of recommendation and transcripts from any institutions attended since the applicant last applied to USC. (The application fee is not required of current USC students and USC alumni. Letters of recommendation are not required of current USC MBA students and USC MBA alumni.)
For more information, visit marshall.usc.edu/fav.
Program Requirements
The program requires successful completion of one of the following 15-unit modules with a minimum GPA of at least 3.6 for all courses applied to the certificate.
Corporate Finance Option
| REQUIRED | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 572 | Corporate Accounting and Reporting | 3 |
| FBE 529 | Financial Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| At least two of the following: | ||
| ACCT 581 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| FBE 531 | Corporate Financial Policy and Corporate Governance | 3 |
| FBE 532 | Corporate Financial Strategy | 3 |
| At least one of the following: | ||
| ACCT 581 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| FBE 527 | Entrepreneurial Finance: Financial Management for Developing Firms | 3 |
| FBE 531 | Corporate Financial Policy and Corporate Governance | 3 |
| FBE 532 | Corporate Financial Strategy | 3 |
| FBE 558 | Legal Environment of Business and Corporate Governance | 3 |
| FBE 559 | Management of Financial Risk | 3 |
Investment Management Option
| REQUIRED | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| FBE 529 | Financial Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| FBE 555 | Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| At least one of the following: | ||
| ACCT 572 | Corporate Accounting and Reporting | 3 |
| ACCT 581 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| At least two of the following: | ||
| ACCT 572 | Corporate Accounting and Reporting | 3 |
| ACCT 581 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| FBE 535 | Applied Finance in Fixed Income Securities | 3 |
| FBE 540 | Hedge Funds | 3 |
| FBE 543 | Forecasting and Risk Analysis | 3 |
| FBE 554 | Trading and Exchanges | 3 |
| FBE 559 | Management of Financial Risk | 3 |
| FBE 589 | Mortgages and Mortgage-Backed Securities and Markets | 3 |
Student Investment Fund Program
Under the auspices of the Center for Investment Studies is the Student Investment Fund (SIF) program. During this year-long seminar in applied portfolio management, a select group of students learn the theory and practice of investment management by managing actual USC endowment funds.
Students who are selected to participate in the Marshall Student Investment Fund (SIF) program are required to complete the following:
| REQUIRED | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| FBE 529 | Financial Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| FBE 553ab | Applied Portfolio Management | 3-3 |
| FBE 535 | Applied Finance in Fixed Income Securities | 3 |
| At least one of the following: | ||
| ACCT 572 | Corporate Accounting and Reporting | 3 |
| ACCT 581 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
For current USC graduate students, courses credited to the Graduate Certificate in Financial Analysis and Valuation may be completed in conjunction with course work required for the program in which the student is already enrolled. Applicability of these courses to the student’s primary degree program is determined by the student’s home department. Current MBA students may apply all 15 units of the graduate certificate program to their MBA degree. For USC alumni, courses completed in conjunction with the individual’s prior degree may not be credited toward the certificate. Appropriate substitutions for required courses will be determined and documented by the program director.
Successful completion of the program is acknowledged by a certificate awarded by the university.