While financial risk management has always been an integral part of a business’s economic strategy, accurate and reliable risk assessment has taken on new importance in recent decades.
The global financial crisis of 2007-2008 shook the business world to its very core. Companies once thought invincible were in fact quite vulnerable to market fluctuations. Surviving organizations came to view skilled executives as critical to overcoming threats, and businesses across the globe came to realize that forewarned is indeed forearmed.
While the circumstances and financial impacts differed, the COVID-19 pandemic also led to widespread disruption, volatility and uncertainty in global economic markets. Again, finance and risk management experts took the helm in responding to and addressing economic challenges for corporations, nonprofits and governments worldwide. The online Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Finance from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) can provide professionals with the finance expertise needed to lead organizations through such unpredictable, challenging times.
In-Demand Executives
In the wake of recent financial crises and ongoing volatility, business professionals with an MBA in finance are in great demand. Businesses experienced the consequences of executives who are not well-versed in key financial concepts. Executives who can predict and minimize risk are now essential to a company’s success.
Despite the challenges and complexities of post-crisis fears, gradually increasing economic resilience, global conflicts and persistent disruption, corporations must still take risks in areas like expanding market reach, creating new products or services and increasing production. Companies now know, however, that these risks need careful assessment, management and monitoring at the hands of corporate leaders adept at gauging if, how and when the risks are worth taking.
A Bright Future
Given the demand for fiscally savvy executives, an MBA in finance can lead to a career in a variety of sectors, including investment banking, insurance, securities, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions, just to name a few.
Graduates with an online MBA in finance are well-prepared to succeed in numerous high-growth, lucrative jobs in financial planning, financial management and executive leadership. For instance, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that financial managers made a median annual salary of $139,790 in 2022, and the occupation is projected to grow by 16% between 2022 and 2032 — much faster than the average of all occupations.
With a top-level 2022 median salary of $189,520 — and generally substantial additional compensation through stock options and bonuses — chief executive jobs grow at a much slower pace. Thus, competition is fiercest for these positions. Thankfully, MBA graduates have an edge on the job market. Roughly 90 percent of corporate recruiters plan to hire MBA graduates in 2023, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s 2023 Corporate Recruiters Survey.
Getting the Right Education
For working professionals considering an MBA in finance, one of the most attractive options is an online MBA program, which allows students to integrate the degree program into their already-busy lives.
TAMU-CC’s online MBA with a Concentration in Finance offers working professionals this high degree of flexibility. Program graduates gain industry-specific knowledge, analytical skills and communication training to help navigate financial crises. Coursework includes multinational finance, investment and portfolio theory, financial markets, personal financial planning and more.
An MBA in finance prepares executive managers for key roles as leaders in new industries and international companies looking to survive and thrive in an ever-changing, complex global market.
Learn more about the TAMU-CC online MBA with a Concentration in Finance program.
