Financial Analysis and Valuation Graduate Certificate

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Return to: USC Marshall School of Business

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 http://gradadm.usc.edu/. 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 15 units. Students select one of the following options. Some courses are offered for either 1.5 units or 3 units in a given semester. Individuals who elect to take a 1.5-unit class must make up the other 1.5 units with a course selection from the same option. Earning the certificate requires a combined GPA of at least 3.6 for all courses applied to the certificate.

Corporate Finance Option

Investment Management Option

Required

FBE 529 Financial Analysis and Valuation Units: 3
FBE 555 Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management Units: 3

At least one of the following:

ACCT 572 Corporate Accounting and Reporting Units: 3
ACCT 581 Financial Statement Analysis Units: 3

At least two of the following:

ACCT 572 Corporate Accounting and Reporting Units: 3
ACCT 581 Financial Statement Analysis Units: 3
FBE 535 Applied Finance in Fixed Income Securities Units: 1.5, 3
FBE 540 Hedge Funds Units: 3
FBE 543 Forecasting and Risk Analysis Units: 3
FBE 554 Trading and Exchanges Units: 3
FBE 559 Management of Financial Risk Units: 3
FBE 589 Mortgages and Mortgage-Backed Securities and Markets Units: 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

FBE 529 Financial Analysis and Valuation Units: 3
FBE 553a Applied Portfolio Management Units: 3 ^*
FBE 553b Applied Portfolio Management Units: 3 ^*
FBE 535 Applied Finance in Fixed Income Securities Units: 1.5, 3

At least one of the following:

ACCT 572 Corporate Accounting and Reporting Units: 3
ACCT 581 Financial Statement Analysis Units: 3

Notes:

^*Prerequisite required.

If a course in the SIF option is taken for 1.5 units, the remaining units may be completed with a course selected from the Investment Management option above to reach the 15 units required to complete the program.

Note

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.