A group of men and women working together on a project at a table with a laptop.

Dual Master of Business Administration and Master of Science - Quantitative Finance

Overview

The dual MBA/MS MSQF program offered by Lee Business School is an exceptional opportunity for students looking to propel their business administration and finance careers to new heights. The program is designed to equip students with advanced skills in quantitative finance alongside comprehensive business management knowledge.

Duration
3 to 3.5 years for full-time students
54
Credits required to complete the program
In Person
Instruction is provided at the UNLV campus

5 Reasons to Get a Dual MBA/MS in Quantitative Finance Degree at UNLV:

  1. Top-Ranked MBA Program: U.S. News & World Report ranks the part-time Lee MBA #73 in the nation (2024).
  2. Integrated Skills Development: This program will allow you to develop integrated business and finance skills, therefore preparing you to excel in the complex financial market.
  3. Expert Engagement: Engage with leading researchers in both business and finance fields. Expanded Networking: Double your networking opportunities by working with faculty, professionals, and fellow students in two separate fields.
  4. Expanded Networking: Double your networking opportunities by working with faculty, professionals, and fellow students in two separate fields.
  5. Unique Dual Specialty: This dual specialty gives you a competitive edge in the job market, setting you apart from others.

A Dual Degree that Brings Your Professional Passions Together

The dual MBA/MSQF program allows students to develop a solid understanding of business administration while focusing on advanced analytical skills in finance. It also provides students with the needed skills, knowledge, and tools to become visionary and creative business leaders with strong quantitative finance competency.

Our Faculty

The dual MBA/MSQF degree program consists of faculty from the Lee Business School. These faculty are world-recognized experts in numerous business sectors, publish in top-tier internationally recognized academic journals, and are engaged in the business community.

Jonathan Kim, a Dual MBA/MSQF student
"For me, the Dual MBA and Quantitative Finance program at UNLV opened a path into the invaluable field of finance during a progressively changing business climate."
Jonathan Kim, Dual MBA/MSQF student

Career Options

Achieving mastery within two disciplines is an excellent way to differentiate yourself from the competition. As a dual-graduate-degree holder, you'll demonstrate to future employers just how disciplined you are as an employee and how serious you are about your career.

With your dual MBA/MSQF degree, you'll have the knowledge and skills to succeed in a variety of roles, including:

  • Quantitative Financial Analyst
  • Senior Analyst
  • Market Risk Analyst
  • Investor Reporting Quantitative Analyst
  • Finance Manager
  • Investment Analyst
  • Data Scientist
  • Chief Finance Officer
“The MBA-MSQF dual degree provides students with practical business acumen coupled with advanced financial expertise. As faculty, our goal is to offer hands-on experience in corporate finance, investment analysis, and financial modeling. We are committed to helping students develop the skills necessary to succeed in various finance careers, particularly in the dynamic Las Vegas metropolitan area.”
Jianzhong (Andrew) Zhang, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of MS in Quantitative Finance (MSQF) Program

Admission Requirements

The dual master in MBA/MSQF program is open to graduates from all undergraduate disciplines. Applicants would submit one application and pay one application fee. Your application will be reviewed by both the MSQF and LEE MBA departments for admission consideration. Applicants are required to take the GMAT/GRE examination. A recommended minimum score of 550 is required for the GMAT examination. GMAT scores more than five years old are not accepted.

Program Structure

Both departments removed a certain amount of electives based on the strengths of the dual. In technical terms, the MBA is removing four electives and Finance is removing two in comparison to their original programs.

  • Requires 54 credit hours (18 courses) with 30 credit hours allocated to the MBA curriculum and 24 credit hours to the MSQF curriculum.
  • Can be completed in 3 to 3.5 years as a full-time student (with full-time status defined as enrolling in 9 credit hours per semester). 
  • Offers most evening classes, convenient for working and full-time students.

The core MBA curriculum includes courses in:

  • Accounting for Managers
  • Leadership, Teams, and Individuals
  • Financial Decision Making
  • Market Opportunity Analysis
  • Applied Economic Analysis
  • Data Modeling and Analysis

The core MSQF curriculum includes courses in:

  • Econometric Approaches to Causal Analytics
  • Corporate Finance: Theory and Quantitative Applications
  • Investments: Theory and Quantitative Applications
  • Corporate Finance Modeling
  • Investments Modeling

Each respected side of the dual degree includes a culminating capstone. 

  • MBA: Strategic Management
    • This capstone integrates knowledge from specialized functional courses into a CEO perspective. It moves beyond a repertoire of generic strategies toward the formation of unique, firm-specific strategies, and it allows students to build effective strategies in complex organizational contexts.
  • FINQ: Capstone Project
    • This capstone involves the Application of knowledge obtained from the MSQF coursework to a project involving significant data analysis using large financial datasets.

Application Deadlines

Fall Term:
May 1 – International applicants
Aug.1 – Domestic or permanent resident applicants

Spring Term:
Oct. 1 – International applicants
Nov. 15 – Domestic or permanent resident applicants

Summer Term:
Mar. 1 – International applicants
Apr. 1 – Domestic or permanent resident applicants

Program Advisors Contact

Lee Business School
Finance
Andrew Zhang, Ph.D.
fin.director@unlv.edu
702-895-2527

Lee Business School
MBA Programs
John Baur, Ph.D.
mba.director@unlv.edu
702-895-3675

Prospective Student Contact

Lee Business School
Graduate Student Services
702-895-3655
LEEogss@unlv.edu