The accelerated Master’s program in Finance allows students to accumulate graduate credit while still pursuing an undergraduate degree in finance. Entering the Accelerated Master’s program in Finance will give a student the opportunity to obtain both a BS and a MS in Finance in 4/4.5 years. Students may take up to half of the required hours for the MS in Finance degree (18 hours) while enrolled as undergraduates. The graduate hours taken cannot be applied towards a Bachelor’s degree. Students will stay eligible to receive TOPS for eight semesters as long as they meet the TOPS requirements.

To enter the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program the student must have completed at least 60 semester hours of credit with a grade point average of at least 3.5 for all work taken at LSU. The grade point average required for the Graduate Credit for Seniors Program is a 3.0 and a student must enroll in the Seniors for Graduate Credit in the graduating semester of his or her undergraduate degree. Students are only allowed to take a maximum of 15 hours while being enrolled in the Seniors for Graduate Credit program.

Acceptance into the Accelerated Master’s Degree Program and the Graduate Credit for Seniors Program requires approval from the following:

• Advisory committee consisting of 3 professors
• The chair of the undergraduate department in which the students is enrolled
• The dean of the college in which the students is enrolled
• The chair of the department in which the student proposes to pursue his or her master’s degree
• The forms must be submitted prior to the last day to add for that semester

Continuing eligibility for the accelerated master’s program will require maintenance of a 3.5 GPA average in all courses that apply to the undergraduate degree and a 3.00 average for all graduate course work.

Other admission requirements for graduate study, such as the GMAT, will be waived until the student receives the baccalaureate degree and is ready to enter the Graduate School. Students will register as graduate students only after receiving the baccalaureate degree and satisfying departmental and Graduate School requirements.

We encourage students to obtain the Bloomberg certification, which can be done anytime. In addition, students could take the first exam of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification while pursuing the accelerated Master’s degree. The second and third exam for the CFA could be obtained after finishing a baccalaureate degree. These two certifications will help a student tremendously in obtaining employment in the field of finance after graduation.

Course Planning Example

15 undergraduate hours left after the Spring of 2008

• Summer 2008: 6 undergraduate hours, enter Accelerated Master’s program
• Fall 2008: 6 undergraduate hours + 9 graduate hours = 15 hours, enter Graduate Credit for Seniors program
• Spring 2009: 3 undergraduate hours + 9 graduate hours = 12 hours, enter the Graduate School
• Summer 2009: 3 graduate hours
• Fall 2009: 15 graduate hours = 15 hours

For more information on the MS in Finance, please visit: http://www.bus.lsu.edu/finance/programs/MSPrograms.asp

Email any questions to: finance@lsu.edu