Finance, Certificate
Program Description
The business certificate programs from La Salle University are specially designed to help students quickly build the career-advancing professional competencies that make you stand out to prospective employers. Our flexible academic calendar and multiple start dates per year allow students to continue working while pursuing professional goals. All courses are taught by respected faculty with industry connections and all credits earned through the graduate certificate program can be applied to a La Salle MBA degree.
La Salle University provides an innovative course structure that enables students to develop and strengthen the leadership skills and functional knowledge necessary for the advancement of their current careers and life goals. It is a platform where experienced people from diverse professional backgrounds come together to connect, collaborate and learn.
We offer courses in a flexible format, which provides working professionals with greater flexibility and convenience as they move through the program. We have developed a learning experience that leverages the latest teaching and learning technologies to deliver an environment to deepen our students’ understanding of business and markets, and improve their decision making skills. With the Lasallian emphasis on the value and impact of personalized interactions among professors and classmates, our students are fully engaged in their education.
La Salle’s graduate programs teach our students the application of the latest business and analytical thinking and facilitates the development of their professional and people-oriented skills. In the virtual classroom, our faculty stress the interaction of theoretical knowledge with practical experience and shared ideas. They also challenge our graduate students to maximize their “natural” resources for success. Our professors are committed to the Lasallian tradition of teaching, which means being accessible, focusing on the individual, and contributing to a sense of community.
La Salle understands the lifestyles of its graduate students and is committed to making sure it is as easy as possible to register for courses, meet with a professor or take a semester off, if necessary.
The School of Business and the Graduate Certificate Programs are accredited by the most prestigious worldwide business school accrediting organization AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Mission
School of Business' Mission
Experiential and engaged learning is at the heart of everything we do. We provide excellence in business education through the integration of current business concepts with diverse experiential learning opportunities. As a Catholic Lasallian university, we are committed to the principle that all knowledge is practical and empowering, filled with the capacity to transform lives. Anchored by a foundation which affirms the value of both liberal arts and professional studies, our students are prepared to lead engaged and fulfilling lives marked by a commitment to the common good.
Graduate Business Certificate Program Mission
La Salle University’s Graduate Business Certificate Programs enable students to develop and strengthen the leadership skills and functional knowledge necessary for the advancement of their current careers and life goals. It is a program where experienced people from diverse professional backgrounds come together to connect, collaborate and learn.
Program Specific Information
Business education has been part of the La Salle curriculum since its founding in 1863. The School of Business, one of three schools in the University, was established in 1955, and its MBA program began in 1976. As a business school in a Catholic, Lasallian University, students are taught fundamental business knowledge and skills within an ethical framework which emphasizes the primacy and value of human dignity.
Accreditation
The Business School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) which establishes standards designed to ensure excellence. Less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools are accredited by AACSB. As an AACSB-accredited business school, the Dean’s office and faculty use continuous quality-improvement processes to ensure that the many offerings of the School of Business are of the highest quality.
Admission Deadlines
The deadline to complete an application for admission consideration is 2 weeks prior to the start of that term. Applicants must have all documentation submitted two Friday's prior to the start of that particular term to be eligible for admission consideration for that term.
Contact the graduate business office if you have any questions at gradbusiness@lasalle.edu.
Admission Requirements
Students must have completed the Graduate Business Foundation Certificate to be eligible for the Finance Certificate.
The Graduate Admission Committee evaluates each applicant’s interest, aptitude, professional experience and prior academic success to assess his/her potential for achievement in graduate business studies.
Before an applicant will be evaluated, he/she must submit the following information:
- Application (Online)
- Official transcripts from the college/university from which a bachelor's degree was earned, and, if applicable, Master’s degree. Applicants will be notified additional transcripts must be submitted for advising purposes.
- Test scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or, with permission of the Director, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Based on prior academic and/or professional success, the admission requirement to take the GMAT/GRE may be waived or deferred. Please see the section below "Waiver of GMAT or GRE".
- Professional resume
Waiver of GMAT or GRE Requirement
Applicants that have earned a master's degree or higher from a program accredited in its disciple will be waived from the GMAT or GRE exam requirement. Additionally, applicants with an undergraduate business degree from an AACSB-accredited program who have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.2 or above are not required to complete the GMAT or GRE exam for admission into the program.
The GMAT (or GRE) may be waived for additional applicants at the discretion of the Admission Committee upon reviewing an applicants overall profile.
The GMAT/GRE may be deferred and eventually waived if an applicant has graduated with a 3.0 GPA in any undergraduate discipline and has at least 2 years of business experience. These students are eligible to take up to 12 credits in the program. If the student achieves a B- or better in each course and an overall GPA of 3.3, the GMAT/GRE will be waived. Students that qualify for a GMAT waiver may not be eligible for financial aid loans until they are fully (regularly) accepted to the program.
Admission Process
Students can begin the admissions process by completing an application on our website here.
All documents should be sent to the following:
Office of Graduate Enrollment
La Salle University- Box 826
1900 W. Olney Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19141
215.951.1100/ Fax 215.951.1462
grad@lasalle.edu
Because each applicant’s background and profile is unique, the Admission Committee does not establish specific quantitative minimum requirements for admission; the admission committee’s decisions are based on evaluating many factors to determine a student’s potential for success in a graduate business program.
Please refer to the University's Nondiscrimination Policy in the General Reference section of this catalog. Admission is based solely upon an applicant’s qualifications.
Transfer of Credit
Course credit may not be transferred into graduate certificate programs.
Program Goals
The Graduate Certificate program's goals are to deepen our student's business knowledge, develop their organizational and leadership skills, and sharpen their decision making.
- Strategic thinking through integrating discipline-specific business knowledge
- Leadership Skills
- Business-related oral and written communication skills
- Awareness of how the business environment influences decision-making
- Knowledge and skill concerning financial analysis, reporting, and markets
Student Learning Outcomes
The Graduate Certificate program's learning goals are structured to advance our students skills and knowledge in the following areas:
Strategic thinking through integrating discipline-specific business knowledge
- Demonstrate the ability to integrate business disciplines to achieve strategic objectives.
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and evaluate the usefulness of various competitive strategies (e.g., adaptive, market entry, positioning) that firms use within domestic and global markets.
Leadership Skills
- Demonstrates the ability to identify and analyze current leadership style and the ability to develop and enhance leadership skills.
- Demonstrate the ability to work effectively and collaboratively in a team.
Business-related oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrate the ability to prepare and deliver a professional presentation on a business issue.
- Demonstrate the ability to write a clear, concise, and well-organized professional presentation of a business issue.
Awareness of how the business environment influences decision-making
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and analyze ethical and legal business dilemmas and the ability to recommend and defend appropriate solutions and strategies.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how cultural, economic, and political factors shape the management of global business.
Knowledge and skill concerning financial analysis, reporting, and markets
- Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the financial position of for-profit organizations through the examination of financial information contained in balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and footnotes, as well as information gathered from other sources (such as public filings, business news publications, and websites) in order to enable stakeholders (management, shareholders, creditors, etc.) to understand a firm’s progress in maximizing its value to stakeholders.
Academic Standing and Graduation Requirements
All students in La Salle University’s graduate business programs are required to maintain a cumulative scholastic average of 3.0, which translates to an overall G.P.A. equivalent to a B (a B- average is not sufficient). Students whose academic performance falls below this standard are subject to academic review by the Graduate Program Director, and may be required to withdraw from the program, revise their course of study or repeat specific classes.
Students with a cumulative grade point average below 3.0 are automatically in academic jeopardy whether or not they receive written notification of this status, and regardless of the number of credits earned. Students with a G.P.A. below 3.0 should consult with the Graduate Program Director ascertain any potential actions to improve academic success within the program.
To graduate from a Graduate Certificate Program at La Salle, students must:
- Have a minimum of a 3.0 G.P.A. overall within the program,
- Maintain a “C” or better in all the required courses, and
- Receive no more than two grades of “below” a B- in the MBA program.
Should students:
- Fail a course; they may retake the course by paying the current pertinent tuition. No more than two course retakes are allowed in the program.
- Complete all required courses, but fall below a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. requirement, they will not be eligible to graduate. In this case, the students may retake up to two courses to improve their G.P.A. to a 3.0 or higher, as long as the total number of course retakes in the program does not exceed two courses.
In extraordinary circumstances, a student may be permitted to earn one additional "C" or retake one additional course at the Graduate Program Director's discretion, as long as all other graduation requirements are met.
Transfer of Credit
Course credit may not be transferred into graduate certificate programs.
Tuition and Fees
Students may find the tuition and fee schedule on the Financial Aid website.
Tuition Assistance
There are loan programs available for graduate students. Information about financial aid and the application forms may be obtained from Student Financial Services, La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA 19141 or by calling 215.951.1070.
Academic Requirements
Students must complete 12 credits to complete the Graduate Finance Certificate at La Salle University.
Students must complete 3 courses in Finance, and one additional elective course. The elective course could be a 4th finance course if the student choose. Or, they may select a course from another business track.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Finance Course Options | ||
| FIN 725 | Financing Health Systems | 3 |
| FIN 732 | Financial Analytics | 3 |
| FIN 748 | Financial Instruments and Markets | 3 |
| FIN 764 | Portfolio Management | 3 |
| FIN 765 | Global Financial Management | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Course Sequence
A student's course sequence and timing will be based upon the university's course schedules for each academic year. Upon acceptance to the program, students will receive a Model Roster with the course requirements and a recommended course sequence to complete their graduate certificate.
- It is recommended for students to take one course per term for those that are currently working full-time.
- Students must complete the Graduate Business Foundation Certificate before progressing in the Finance Certificate program.
We offer each finance course in a fully online format while only one of the finance courses are offered in an on campus format. Each course is offered in an 8-week terms. The terms begin in August, October, January, March, and May. New students can enroll in any of the five-starts. The schedule for the finance courses are as follows:
- FIN 765 is only offered fully online during the Fall I terms.
- FIN 748 is only offered fully online during the Fall II terms.
- FIN 764 is only offered fully online during the Spring I terms.
- FIN 732 is offered fully online and on campus during the Spring II terms.
- FIN 725 is only offered fully online during the Summer terms.
The course schedule listed above is subject to change each academic year.
Automatic enrollment has been implemented for the graduate certificate programs. All registration is done by the graduate business office, and students will not have to register on their own. The graduate business office will follow the recommended course sequence provided at the time of acceptance.
Course Descriptions
Current developments in global financial markets and instruments from the perspective of firm management. Topics include an overview of foreign security markets, trends in foreign exchange risk management, and the impact of international debt on multinational firms.
This course provides an examination of modern financial markets. Specifically, we discuss the largest financial intermediaries including commercial banks, finance companies, securities firms, investment banks, mutual funds and hedge funds with a focus on balance sheet structures, regulation, and current issues and trends. We also examine various financial instruments, derivatives, and off-balance sheet activities that are useful from a risk-management perspective within the industry.
The course focuses on current practice and recent theoretical developments. It deals with the characteristics of individual securities and portfolios, criteria and models for alternative portfolio composition, criteria for evaluation and measurement of performance, and the impact of government regulation. The evaluation of current theory, its significance for the financial management decision-making, and the consideration of relevant empirical evidence are covered.
This course covers a broad overview of finance topics from a data analytics perspective. Students will learn the ins and outs of applied data analysis and a conceptual framework for thinking about data from both a statistical and machine-learning perspective with applications in finance. Students will learn to understand and apply concepts like capturing and analyzing new sources of financial data, building predictive models, and running simulations of market events, using concepts of data analysis and probability in investment science, risk management, valuations, rates of return and profitability analysis. The course aims to provide a theoretical and practical framework in which students will be challenged to solve real-world problems in the finance field and gain familiarity with commonly used stochastic models.
This course looks at the various financing mechanisms which impact the structure and delivery of health care in the United States with particular emphasis upon governmental financing, managed care, employer sponsored health plans, and emerging insurance models. The course examines the impact of these financing mechanisms upon diverse health delivery systems including acute care, medical practice organizations, long term care, and the pharmaceutical and medical devices sector.
Faculty
Interim Dean: Michael Moll, M.B.A.
Program Director: Nicole Blair, M.B.A., M.S.
Professors: Ambrose, Borkowski, Cooper, Fornaciari, Jiang, Tavana, Wentzel
Associate Professors: Chia, Kennedy, Lafond, Leauby, Pierce, Reardon, Szabat, Ugras
Assistant Professors: Adams, Bruce, Coyle, DiPietro, Dynan, Otto, Radetskiy, Varzgani
Program Contact Information
Graduate Business Office
Founders' Hall Room 233
gradbusiness@lasalle.edu
(215) 438-6676
Staff Contact Information
Nicole Blair, Director of Graduate Business Programs
(215) 438-6676
blairn@lasalle.edu
If you have any questions regarding the Graduate Business Certificate programs, please contact: gradbusiness@lasalle.edu