Known to be amongst the most beneficial degrees, MBA helps in boosting the network opportunities, salary, enhancing the skills, and providing overall career advancement to the students. However, when it comes to deciding between the various MBA programs, then the students often face a lot of confusion with regards to the subjects of their interest, the curriculum of colleges, salary packages, and various other things.
While some of the most popular specializations of MBA include Marketing, Finance, Sales, HR, etc., it is imperative for a student to understand in detail about each of these specializations. Through this article, you will get a comprehensive understanding of pursuing an MBA in Finance.
What is an MBA in Finance?
Finance is stated as the process of money management which includes activities like lending, borrowing, investing, budgeting, forecasting, saving, etc. The term ‘Corporate Finance’ also involves various tools and analysis which are used for prioritizing and distributing various financial resources.
An MBA in Finance makes the student understand the various aspects of control and review of the investment, management of investments, and other resources of money. Being one of the most famous MBA courses, it opens up numerous opportunities for students by training them in analyzing the company’s reports, maximizing the stock values, forecasting the economic trends, balancing risk and profitability, and managing the investment portfolio.
Offered by all the top institutes of the country, students choose MBA in Finance either as an elective course or as a specialization in the second year of their MBA. The course requires students to have a strong background in Accounting and Mathematics, as it has various rewarding career prospects.
Skills Required for pursuing an MBA in Finance
For pursuing an MBA in Finance, students need to have standard business administrative skills. These skills include teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, analytical, initiative, interpersonal, communication, and other general skills. However, students should also have a strong background in Mathematics for pursuing this degree. Some of the specific skills required as per the functions are:
Corporate Finance:
- Quantitative Skills
- An overview and a brief understanding of various financial management and accounting principles
- An aptitude for interpreting numbers and drawing out conclusions from the results
- Multi-tasking skills
Investment Banking:
- Strong Financial and Quantitative skills
- Pressure handling abilities
- Teamwork
- High level of motivation
- The ability for analyzing detailed information, suggesting and formulating quick recommendations for the same
- The ability for syncing a huge amount of information into small and manageable parts
- Multi-tasking and taking criticism positively
Skills Taught in MBA in Finance
An MBA in Finance is all about dealing with numbers, and therefore, Mathematics will be an essential part of the finance degree. The focus of the courses will majorly be on investment, local and global economic, investment strategy, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), financial theory, and corporate risk & insurance.
While pursuing an MBA in Finance, students often observe that the course places a strong focus on financial theory and analysis. It helps in cementing the students’ skills and techniques in Statistics, Mathematics, and Economic Analysis, which is required in handling projects and tasks at the managerial levels in an organization. Students are also involved in various activities that include management simulation, teamwork projects, traditional lectures, and role-playing.
The Curriculum of an MBA in Finance
While the curriculums of the degree differ as per the college, but some of the subjects that remain common everywhere include:
- Corporate Investment Management
- Hedge Fund Management
- Investments
- Portfolio management
- Small Business and Corporate Finance
- Securities Analysis
- Fundraising
- Borrowing
- Disbursements
- Collections
- International Finance
- Global Financial Institutions
- Volatility
- Fixed Income Securities
- Macroeconomics
- Valuation
- International Markets
Career Opportunities after an MBA in Finance
Since an MBA in Finance is not an easy course, students are trained for the most liable roles in the world. The students get all the training for handling the finances of a business, and they can easily run the finances of an organization.
The finance students get an immense amount of opportunities, and they can easily land their careers in financial institutions like banks, insurance companies, financial consultancies, and many more areas.
However, students can also enter fields like investment banking, international finance, merchant banking, institutional finance, and corporate finance.
Some of the job roles of MBA in Finance graduates are:
- Accounting Manager
- Cash Managers
- Chief Financial Officers
- Manager Consultants
- Credit Managers & Specialists
- Investment Banking Associates
- Financial Analyst
- Finance Officers & Treasurers
- Corporate Controllers
- Insurance & Risk Managers
- Investing Sales Traders & Associates
- Investment Bankers
The average starting salary for an MBA in Finance graduate ranges from 4.5LPA to 30LPA. The students get annual or bi-annual raises and promotions, and therefore, the payscale keeps improving.
Top Recruiters of MBA in Finance Graduates
Some of the top recruiters that hire fresh graduates of MBA in Finance are:
- Goldman Sachs
- JP Morgan
- McKinsey
- KPMG
- Boston Consulting Group
- Morgan Stanley
- Bain & Co
- Deutsche Bank
- Lehman Brothers
- Barclays
- Merrill Lynch
Scope of an MBA in Finance
In the present market scenario, the companies have a huge demand for professionals that hail from the finance background. Since every company wants financial stability, the company needs intelligent finance professionals who can manage the finances of the company, contribute towards the growth of their business, and maintain profitable records of the company.
