What Careers are Available with a Master’s in Finance?

For those willing or who have already put in the hard work to earn it, there are truly some fantastic careers available with a Master’s in Finance. The degree is the key to opening a wide range of high paying and truly upper-echelon jobs in a number of private sector businesses, government agencies, and more. Here are five examples of some great careers available with a Master’s in Finance .

Chief Executive Officer

Chief executive officers, or CEOs, are essentially the highest ranking, single-person positions to be found in most companies. These are the head decision-makers and represent the top of all forms of company hierarchy. Typically, CEOs do not handle daily operation or employee matters but rather set the overall direction, goals, and culture of the company. However, they do hold the highest office and can have the final say in any matter they so choose within the company.

Chief Financial Officer

Chief financial officers, or CFOs, operate just under CEOs in most company hierarchies. These incredibly important officers act as the head of all finance-related happenings of the company. If it involves money transactions or value, this top boss is the top manager of it.

In some companies, these officers can also take on additional roles involving data as well as research. This was not always the case in times past, however. While some CFOs have been found to have hailed from simply a bachelor’s degree, most of the absolute best positions in this line of work come by way of the master’s in finance.

Controller

A controller is someone who manages an entire financial department of a company. These individuals typically work just under and report to CFOs and CEOs, but work above and manage entire groups of employees below them in the hierarchy. While managing this group or department, this professional is also often tasked with report management, strategy and planning, quality control matters within their department, and much more. Also of noteworthy mention – the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites this line of work as experiencing an incredible, 19 percent growth rate for the next several years.

Director of Financial Planning and Analysis

The director of financial planning and analysis does much as their title suggests, as they focus solely on analysis and planning where it comes to a company’s finances. While some companies manage to distribute these particular ambitions among several positions, other companies truly need entire positions and even sometimes departments dedicated to the process. This director may then work alone or oversee a department or other group of workers focused on this aspect of the business.

Project Manager

Project managers manage projects, long and short-term, some focused on financial matters, some not. Because of the respect given to the Master’s in Finance degree, graduates can, in many cases, easily procure a project management position, regardless of its relation to the financial world. Any company can also establish a project of such managerial need, such as construction, marketing, research, production, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and a vast range of others.

Today’s Master’s in Finance will prepare the grad for some terrific and high-value positions. These five careers are but a small sample of many more like them and made available by the same degree.

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