Business schools in St. Louis and Singapore launch Global Master of Finance

Washington University in St. Louis and Singapore Management University join forces

To meet the needs of today’s global economy, professionals in the field of finance require specialized skills and expertise that go beyond the boundaries of traditional graduate education.

Howard Thomas, PhD, (right) dean of Singapore Management University Lee Kong Chian School of Business, and Mahendra Gupta, PhD, (left) dean of Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis, at the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony held at SMU.

The new Global Master of Finance dual degree program offered by Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School and Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University (SMU) is designed to prepare students for success in a wide variety of finance-related careers worldwide.

Graduates of the program, scheduled to launch in July 2013, earn a Master of Science in Finance degree from Olin and a Master of Science in Applied Finance degree from SMU. The 14-month curriculum is divided into four terms with half of the courses held on Olin Business School’s St. Louis campus and the other half taught in Singapore on the SMU campus.

“Olin Business School has joined forces with Singapore Management University to educate a new generation of risk managers, research analysts and investment decision makers,” says Mahendra Gupta, PhD, Olin’s dean and Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Professor of Accounting and Management. 


“Individually, each of our schools offers superior preparation for careers in finance,” he says. “Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts. Students will gain a big-picture understanding of the worldwide financial industry, along with innovative theories and practices.”

The curriculum includes immersion courses in New York and Washington, D.C., that explore U.S. financial markets, policymaking, legislative processes, enforcement agencies and the Federal Reserve. These courses are offered in collaboration with Brookings Executive Education, part of the Brookings Institution and managed by Olin Business School.

“We are honored and delighted to partner with Washington University in St. Louis and Olin Business School,” says Howard Thomas, PhD, dean of SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business. “This is the first dual degree program offered by SMU with a leading university in the United States. The program promises students the distinctive opportunity to learn about financial systems and practices in the U.S. as well as in Asian markets – giving them a competitive advantage that will stand them in good stead in their future careers.

“Students will be able to attend classes on two different continents, be exposed to the different business environments, and build valuable networks in the U.S. and Asia. They will benefit immensely from their experience studying in Singapore and the United States,” he says.

Thomas and Gupta signed a Memorandum of Understanding at a ceremony in Singapore Feb. 13 to officially announce their new partnership.

The Financial Times has ranked Olin’s Master of Science in Finance program No. 2 in the United States. Founded in 2000, SMU is one of the youngest universities in the world to have earned a double AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation for its business and accounting programs and the prestigious EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accreditation. Like Olin, its mission is to create and disseminate knowledge, advance scholarly research, enhance leadership and promote global corporate citizenship.

For more information about the Global Master of Finance Dual Degree, visit the Olin and SMU websites.