Colorado State’s College of Business Financial Risk Management Degree Addresses Market Needs from the Financial Crisis

The Master of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Financial Risk Management degree from Colorado State’s College of Business was launched this year to meet the financial market’s demand for professionals with risk analysis skills.

“Before the financial crisis, too many companies were taking on excessive risk without fully understanding the implications,” said Vickie Bajtelsmit, chair of the College’s Department of Finance and Real Estate. “Everything we are doing in this program is exactly what people need to know—how to evaluate the risk of these financial products and of corporate risk-taking.”

The degree is the first of its kind in Colorado. Graduates with these specialized skills are in high demand, and salaries are competitive.

The program has advanced math prerequisites, including two semesters of calculus and two semesters of statistics. “Our ideal student has a statistics, math, or engineering undergraduate degree,” Bajtelsmit said. “We can teach them finance. Students with a finance undergraduate degree will need to take additional math courses before beginning the program.”

The degree can be completed in one year attending full time (four days per week) or two years attending part-time (two days per week). During the program, students complete projects that directly apply the analytical skills learned in the program. Graduates are prepared to pursue post-graduation professional certifications such as the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM).

“The FRM Program has greatly enhanced my financial knowledge. I look forward to more in-depth mathematical models and course work,” said Ryan Neff, student.

The application deadline is June 1 for U.S. applicants.

For more information, contact Vickie Bajtelsmit at Vickie.Bajtelsmit@business.colostate.edu, (970) 491-0610 or visit www.CSUfrm.com.

-30-