Corporate Finance Graduate Credit Certificate Program

The Finance faculty in the Master of Finance program at the School of Graduate Professional Studies at Penn State Great Valley offers a four-course (12-credit) graduate certificate program in corporate finance.

The program is designed to provide preparation for individuals who work or aspire to work in the corporate finance field as financial analysts, credit managers, investor relations officers, treasurers, controllers, or in related positions in the treasury department or controller's office of an organization, investment banking firms, and commercial lending, or in the area of mergers and acquisitions.

The curriculum focuses on a set of knowledge and skills in financial analysis and reporting, financial modeling and valuation, and capital structure. Course work emphasizes the development of competencies in building pro forma financial statements, company valuation, advanced capital budgeting based on a real options approach, and understanding of 10K reports, as well as mergers and acquisitions, internal control and planning, and decision making under uncertainty. Content is both theoretical and applied, with an emphasis on practical application of knowledge gained.

This certificate program is an attractive option for individuals who desire advanced education but who do not wish to pursue a master's degree at this time. It is valuable for recent college graduates and others who wish to enroll in courses to determine if they are interested in a complete master's degree program, as well as for professionals who already hold a master's degree and wish to update or expand their knowledge and skills. With program approval, the courses in this graduate certificate program may be applied to the Master of Finance degree program or the Master of Business Administration program at Great Valley, subject to restrictions outlined in GCAC-309 Transfer Credit. Certificate students who wish to have certificate courses applied towards the M.B.A. must apply and be admitted to that degree program. Admission to the M.B.A. degree program is a separate step and is not guaranteed.

Effective Semester: Fall 2011
Expiration Semester: Summer 2020

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies. International applicants may be required to satisfy an English proficiency requirement; see GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

Applicants are expected to have achieved a 3.0 (B) or higher undergraduate grade point average and should have satisfactorily completed some course work in Business Statistics, Financial Management/Corporate Finance, and Microeconomics.

Applicants holding a master's degree should have attained at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in previous graduate work. Professional experience will be taken into consideration for admission. Applicants must submit an online Graduate School application and the nonrefundable application fee, along with supporting credentials. Supporting credentials include:

• official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended,
• a current résumé, and
• a statement of intent or career objective.

Admission decisions are made by a faculty committee and are based on the quality of the applicant's credentials in relation to those of other applicants. Evaluation criteria include professional and academic accomplishments. Note that admission as a nondegree graduate student neither guarantees nor implies subsequent admission to a degree program.

Certificate Requirements

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in Graduate Council policy GCAC-212 Postbaccalaureate Credit Certificate Programs.

Upon approval, certificate program students will enroll in course work on a nondegree basis. Students must complete each course with a grade of B or better in order to receive the certificate. Nondegree students are not eligible to receive fellowships or graduate assistantships.

With program adviser approval, all four courses in the certificate program may be applied to the master's degree program in Finance or the Master of Business Administration program at Great Valley, subject to restrictions outlined in GCAC-309 Transfer Credit. Certificate program students who wish to have the certificate courses applied to M.B.A. degree program must formally be admitted to the M.B.A. degree program. Admission into the M.B.A. degree program is a separate step and is not guaranteed, and credit toward a graduate degree for specific courses taken on a nondegree basis, is up to the graduate program.

The graduate certificate program in corporate finance requires a total of four courses (12 graduate credits). Students completing each of the four courses with a grade of B or better will be eligible to receive a graduate certificate.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

Learning Outcomes

1. The students will demonstrate enhanced analytical and critical thinking skills. They will be able to:
   1. Apply quantitative and analytical knowledge to financial analysis.
2. The students will be effective communicators in finance. They will be able to:
   1. Make an effective presentation of analytical results.
   2. Prepare a written report using financial statement information to evaluate corporate performance.
3. The students will be effective financial decision makers. They will be able to:
   1. Recognize and resolve ethical issues in financial decision making.

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