The Fast Track in Finance (FTF) program prepares you to succeed in careers requiring analytical thinking and financial acumen.
It's most beneficial to students considering careers in business development, consulting and strategy, corporate finance, impact investing, investment banking, investment management, private equity, venture capital, and tech.
Depending on your background and performance on assessments designed by Ross, you will progress through relevant courses quickly. The expedited schedule prepares you to succeed in landing internships that require analytical skills. And by waiving some core courses, you'll have additional opportunities to customize your curriculum.
Curriculum
This program offers the best of both worlds: you begin finance elective courses as soon as you start at Ross, while still taking full advantage of the signature aspects of our general management core curriculum.
To participate in the Fast Track in Finance program, you need to complete the FTF summer online program. You'll also need to successfully waive the core financial accounting course (ACC 502).
Students who qualify for the FTF program take two required courses, Valuation (FIN 615) in Fall A, and , Corporate Financial Policy (FIN 621) in Fall B of the first year.
To qualify for the FTF program, you need to demonstrate a good understanding of introductory financial concepts and applications through assessments in the FTF summer online program. The summer online program is designed to be accessible to learners who want to get exposure to more advanced analytical skills sooner in the program, without necessarily having any background in finance. Acceptance in the FTF program means that you have waived the core financial management course (FIN 503).
| Fall A | Fall B | Winter A | Winter B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Strategy | Marketing Management | Managerial Accounting | MAP |
| Applied Microeconomics | Leading People & Organizations | Operations Management | |
| Applied Business Statistics | Corporate Financial Policy FIN 621* | Financial Modeling FIN 575‡ | |
| Valuation FIN 615* | Elective (optional) | ||
Standard MBA Curriculum Fast Track in Finance *Required ‡Optional | |||
Learn by Doing
Ross offers a wide variety of hands-on opportunities for you to hone your financial and analytical skills through Ross Experiences in Action-Based Learning, or REAL. Participating in FTF prepares you to succeed and lead in the most rigorous action-based learning activities offered at the school.
- Actively participate in the management of one of seven student funds: Maize and Blue Fund, Michigan Climate Venture, Social Venture Fund, Wolverine Venture Fund, Real Estate Fund, Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund, or the International Investment Fund.
- Lead real businesses through the Living Business Leadership Experience (LBLE) course.
- Choose a MAP project involving data-driven, complex analytics, and financial analysis.
Career Development
The Career Development Office provides many resources to ensure your success with interview preparation, pursuing internships, and post-graduation employment. The FTF program collaborates with the Career Development Office, MBA Program Office, student clubs, and the Alumni Relations Office to sponsor educational and career-related events outside the classroom. Current students in the FTF program secured internship opportunities in a variety of industries and firms including Amazon, Bain & Co., BlackRock Inc., Boston Consulting Group, Danaher Corporation, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, NextEra Energy, PepsiCo, and more.
Fast Track in Finance is a Ross initiative designed for MBA students interested in a broad set of careers requiring analytical skills and financial acumen. The primary focus is on fundamental skills required in fields such as business development, consulting and strategy, corporate finance, investment banking, investment management, private equity, and tech. The goal is to prepare you for summer internship positions at the end of your first year through an accelerated sequence of courses.
The renowned financial economist Fischer Black had no formal training in either economics or finance. As long as you have the interest and determination to improve your analytical and financial skills, you are encouraged to sign up for the preparatory work over the summer to assess your readiness to take the accelerated finance core courses during the Fall A and B terms. You also have to waive the core financial accounting course. Even if you end up taking the non-accelerated curriculum, the preparatory work sets a good foundation for your other coursework.
Your participation in FTF doesn't limit your career choices to finance. While your experience in the fast track program may help you lean in favor of a field related to finance, this program is designed for students interested in a broad set of careers that require analytical and financial skills. Also, keep in mind that many graduates pursue a field that is different from the anticipated career path before they start the MBA program.
Accounting is the language of business, and basic knowledge of accounting is helpful in exposing you to applications of finance. As a practical matter, waiving out of the core financial accounting course (ACC 502) creates space during Fall A of the first-year curriculum for Fast Track students to take the most sought after finance elective (FIN 615). ACC 502 can be waived via demonstrated previous experience or by passing the Online Accounting waiver course and exam ($475). Successful admission to the FTF program also results in waiving the core financial management course (FIN 503), making space in Fall B of the first-year curriculum for Fast Track in Finance Students to take FIN 621.
The preparatory work over the summer serves as a boot camp to help you demonstrate that you have the minimum knowledge required to ensure effective learning in the finance electives (FIN 615 and FIN 621) during the Fall A and B terms, respectively.
Three courses are currently in place for students in the Fast Track: Valuation, FIN 615, in Fall A; Corporate Financial Policy, FIN 621, in Fall B; and Financial Modeling, FIN 575 in Winter A. The first two are required courses.
Yes. Ross students secured successful careers in finance and related fields requiring analytical thinking prior to the Fast Track in Finance program, and there are still many paths toward this goal. Securing an internship is critical, however, as an increasing number of companies are limiting their full-time hires to candidates who have landed internships. If you're looking for a career requiring analytical skills, it's important to prepare as soon as you begin at Ross. While the Fast Track in Finance is a great path to an internship, more than 70% of Ross students who obtained finance internship in the summer of 2022 did so independently of FTF.
Yes. There is a $475 fee for the Fast Track in Finance summer online program. In addition, those who are not eligible to waive the financial accounting course via previous experience will need to sign up for the Online Accounting Waiver Course and exam. Please note that the Online Accounting Waiver Course does require a fee of $475.
