Masters of Science in Financial Services | Introduction

After having thoroughly reviewed several dozen MBA and MSFS programs throughout the country, the Institute of Business & Finance (IBF) developed its own graduate-degree curriculum and devised practical investment advisor training. While other Masters programs provide a great deal of theory, that theory often has little relevance or applicability to an advisor's actual practice. Graduate-degree business courses often include real-world case studies, but their fact patterns have little to do with estate, financial, investment or tax planning outside of academia.

Like each designation offered by IBF, our MSFS program focuses on the practical. Students gain knowledge that can be used in their daily practice during and after their time at our financial planning school. The core of the MSFS curriculum is its certification programs. Students can personalize their studies by selecting course electives that reflect their advisory and brokerage practice, whether they want to receive mutual fund, estate planning or annuity education. The IBF MSFS was the first—and remains the only—graduate program to be designed by practitioners for practitioners.

IBF believes it offers the best mutual fund and annuity training in the financial services industry. A small number of designations offered by other institutions are also held in high regard by IBF. However, the reality is that few people know the meaning of any certification mark or what it takes to obtain a legitimate designation. However, everyone recognizes a Master's degree, as well as the time commitment and effort involved in a graduate-level program. Obtaining an MSFS degree means that you are in a class above other designations or undergraduate degrees.