Master of Science in Finance
Position Yourself for Success
Understand the role of finance in business. This full-time program is based in downtown Vancouver and teaches you the fundamentals of finance, asset pricing, data analytics, investment banking, and private equity. But it’s not all theory. You’ll also be able to manage the Student Investment Advisory Service Fund, an investment portfolio with a market value of over CAD 20+ million.
Overview
The MSc Finance program provides you with the skills and knowledge of finance and the financial industry. The diverse cohorts bring together talented and engaged individuals from diverse backgrounds to create a vibrant learning environment. The Student Investment Advisory Service Fund is Canada's largest student-run investment fund - managed by our MSc Finance students.
Our best-in-class Career Management Centre provides our students with outstanding professional support to complement the skills and knowledge they will gain through their studies. From personalized career advice to work placements, our students benefit from opportunities you can't find anywhere else.
description Full-time
location_on Downtown Vancouver
calendar_month 16 months
We designed the MSc Finance program to meet the increasing global demand for finance professionals. The program covers the fundamentals of finance, fintech, asset pricing, investment banking, private equity, and much more and is ideal for early—to mid-career professionals with a facility for quantitative finance.
Class Profile
- Average class size: 55
- Average age: 26
- Average work experience: 3 years
- Class profile: 44% women, 56% men
What you'll learn
You can choose between two streams: Investment Management and Research. This program is based on a foundation of financial theory and real-world experience and teaches you the fundamentals of finance, asset pricing, data analytics, investment banking, and private equity.
Where it can take you
Strong finance skills are essential for any organization. Be prepared to succeed in a career in investment management, risk management, academia, or any area that calls for a thorough understanding of financial theory and well-developed quantitative and analytical skills. Potential employers include banks and financial institutions, investment and public accounting firms, fintech and other start-ups, securities regulators, governments, management consulting firms, and insurance companies.
The SFU Beedie School of Business is a globally recognized institution that attracts future business leaders, creatives, and visionaries. If you're passionate about pursuing a career in finance and want to join a community of future changemakers, socially responsible leaders, movers, and shakers, then find out if you qualify for admission to the SFU Beedie MSc Finance program. Here's what it takes to get into the program.
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0/4.33 (B) or a grade point average of at least 3.33/4.33 (B+) based on the last 60 credits of undergraduate courses from a recognized University. All graduate studies are also considered in your application, if any. Please review the academic requirements for the country where you completed your degree.
Note: Due to the rigorous nature of the program, applicants should demonstrate an advance level of quantitative skills.
*Candidates can upload unofficial transcripts during the application stage to expedite the process.
GMAT or GRE
Applicants are required to write one of the following tests: GMAT, GMAT Focus Edition, or GRE. At the application stage, applicants must upload unofficial test scores.
Minimum test scores
- GMAT: 550 (Competitive recommendation is 600+)
- GMAT Focus Edition: 515 (Competitive recommendation is 555)
- GRE: 155 in each section
The GMAT/GRE will be waived for any candidate who has successfully passed CFA Level I or above. Applicants who meet this criterion can provide proof of their CFA designation or CFA test results directly to the GMAT score section of the application.
GMAT/GRE waiver policy
A GMAT/GRE waiver will be considered for applicants who have graduated from Simon Fraser University with distinction (CGPA of 3.5 or higher) from a related program. Applicants who meet this criterion must complete the GMAT/GRE waiver form. The completed GMAT/GRE waiver form and any questions regarding eligibility for the waiver can be emailed to the Manager, Recruitment & Admissions at harsha_phulwani@sfu.ca.
Resume & work experience
A current resume that includes academic experience, work experience (including internships), memberships in professional associations, and volunteer and community activities.
Please note that work experience is an asset but is not required for our program.
References
You are required to submit contact information for two professional and/or academic references on the online application form. You can review the appraiser's form here.
Once you submit your application, your referees will be automatically sent an email asking them to complete the appraiser’s form. Referees also have the option of uploading a supporting reference letter.
Once the reference letter has been submitted, your online checklist will be updated. You are not entitled to review or submit the letter on behalf of the referee, nor can you request information regarding the content or tone of a reference letter or evaluation. Guidelines for the submission of reference letters specify that referees state whether or not the applicant will see the letters. All letters of reference received at SFU Beedie School of Business, Graduate Programs will be treated as confidential and will not be shared with or returned to applicants or referees.
Essay
The essay questions are designed to help us get to know you. There is no “right” answer. Essay prompts are provided in the application system.
Language proficiency
Please review the language requirements for your country of citizenship and/or the country in which you completed your degree.
The minimum university requirements for the seven test scores we accept are:
Internet-based TOEFL |
90 with minimum of 20 in each category. In order to satisfy the requirement, applicants must achieve the scores listed above on a single test date. TOEFL MyBest (super-scored) results will not be used. |
Paper-based TOEFL |
580 and TWE 5 |
IELTS (academic) |
Overall band score of 6.5 of the academic (NOT general) test with a minimum of 6.0 in each section |
CAEL |
Overall 70; minimum 60 in each section |
Pearson Academic (PTE) |
Overall 65; minimum 60 in each section |
Cambridge English Qualifications |
C1 Advanced - minimum score of 180 |
Duolingo English Test |
125 overall with a minimum of 105 in each section |
Note: Candidates below the English Language requirements will be asked to retake the test.
Three video questions & one written response
You will be provided with a link to the KIRA Platform for you to complete these questions once you have started your application. You will be asked 4 random questions which are designed to allow the Admissions Committee to get to know you better.
Official documents
Transcripts
Official transcripts for credit courses from the Registrar of each post-secondary institution you attended must be sent directly from the institution to Segal Graduate School of Business. If the transcripts are issued to you, they must be signed and sealed by your post-secondary institution.
Please note: An official translation must be supplied for transcripts not in English or French. As part of the translation, an official translator must declare that they received an official, sealed copy of the transcripts they then proceeded to translate.
Transcripts may be sent electronically via a secure delivery service, such as Parchment, or directly from official institutional email addresses to gradap@sfu.ca. Otherwise, please arrange to have your transcript sent to the following address:
ATTN: SFU Beedie Admissions Team
Segal Graduate School – 3rd Floor
500 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 1W6
Please note that each transcript is subject to review prior to acceptance.
GMAT or GRE scores
Applicants must instruct GMAT or GRE to send the original score report directly to the MBA Office,
GMAT: code 6G8-N3-47
GRE: Institution Code 7112 Department 4201
English scores
For TOEFL, SFU's Institution Code is 0999, a departmental code is not required. Code for TOEFL results: Department code 01; Institution code 0999.
For IELTS, log in to the website of the IELTS test centre and click 'Apply for additional TRFs' in the left-hand menu of your results page. Fill out the application form online
In India, the British Council is able to transmit electronically to SFU. Please use the following information when submitting your test scores: Organization ID 2036 - Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby BC, V5A 1S6.
For all other scores, please follow the instructions outlined by our Graduate Studies office.
Application process
The Segal Graduate School is the home of our MSc Finance program where we have an average cohort of 55 brilliant and ambitious students who want to make a positive impact on business and society. Are you ready to join our SFU Beedie community of changemakers?
2025 Application deadlines
- Round 1: November 14, 2024
- Round 2: January 23, 2025
- Round 3: March 13, 2025 (Recommended deadline for international students outside Canada)
- Round 4: May 1, 2025 (Final round for international students outside Canada)
- Round 5: May 29, 2025 (Final round for domestic and international students inside Canada)
The application system for Fall 2025 will open August 15.
Step 1: Review application requirements
Start by reviewing the MSc Finance admission requirements and begin to gather the required documents ahead of the application deadlines.
Step 2: Apply Online
Create an account
In this step, you’ll need to create an account within our application system. Once your account is created, you can save your application progress and continue where you left off.
The application fee is $110 CAD (students with Canadian transcripts) or $150 CAD (students with international transcripts).
Step 3: Upload your documents
It's time to upload your documents to your online application. Your application advisor will provide you with a link to complete a Kira video assessment. Upon completion of the Kira assessment and when all your documents have been uploaded, your application will be considered complete and will enter the formal review process.
Application advice
Unofficial documents are acceptable for the initial admission review. Official documentation will be requested only if an offer of admission is issued.
We begin reviewing applications for interview consideration as soon as we have received all application components. Candidates will hear back on an interview decision within two weeks of application completion.
If you have any questions during the application process or cannot apply online, please contact the MSc Finance office at mscfin@sfu.ca or contact your MSc Finance Advisor.
At this time, we are pausing separate admissions to the MOT MBA and PT MBA cohort as we transition to the redesigned MBA structure. All applicants are invited to apply directly to our MBA with flexible options and pick one of three formats discussed above.
The Early Career cohort is now a part of the full-time MBA. All applicants are invited to apply directly to our full-time MBA as discussed above.