Master of Science in
Financial Analytics (MSFA)
STUDENT HANDBOOK
San José State University
Lucas Graduate School of Business
One Washington Square
Business Tower,
Room 350
San José, CA 95192-0162
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01. MSFA Study Plan 3
02. Coursework 3
03. Enrollment Policies 6
04. Registration 7
05. Adding a Course 7
06. Dropping a Course 7
07. Grading 8
08. Academic Probation and Disqualification 9
09. Time Limitation 9
10. Open University and Transfer 9
11. Applying for Degree 10
12. Online Graduation Application 10
13. Commencement 10
14. Student Identification 10
15. Student Opinion of Teaching Effectiveness (SOTEs) 11
16. Communications 11
17. Other Helpful Resources 11
18. Contact Information 12
2
MSFA STUDY PLAN
Welcome to the Masters of Science in Financial Analytics program at the Lucas Graduate School of
Business!
At the time each student is admitted, the Lucas Graduate School of Business creates a study plan for each
student with their Name, Student ID Number, GPA (Grade Point Average), and last degree. The study
plan was sent by email or delivered during the advising meeting with the MSFA Director.
The worksheet also specifies whether the admission is either in “conditionally classified” or “classified”
(clear) standing. “Conditionally classified” students are required to complete certain prerequisite courses
before their status can be changed to “classified” (clear) standing.
COURSEWORK
Prerequisite Courses
The study plan indicates which prerequisite courses, if any, a student is required to complete. Prerequisite
courses marked as “Met” have been satisfied. Prerequisite courses marked as “Not Met” need to be
completed. Students must complete prerequisite courses by the specified deadline to qualify for
enrollment in MSFA courses.
If the prerequisite courses are not successfully completed by the specified deadline, the Lucas Graduate
School of Business may disqualify from the program a conditionally admitted student as per the
university’s Graduate Administrative Academic Disqualification policy at
catalog.sjsu.edu/content.php?catoid=17&navoid=7626
To demonstrate the successful completion of prerequisite courses, a student must provide the Lucas
Graduate School of Business office with official transcripts indicating a completed course grade of “B” or
better.
Course Substitutions
Students who earned an Accounting degree in their undergraduate program or hold CPA will have the
option to substitute an elective class in place of the BUS 220 Financial Accounting course.
Similarly, students who hold CFA will have the option to substitute an elective class in place of the BUS
270 Financial Management course. Students who earned a Finance degree during their undergraduate
degree may be given the option to substitute for the BUS 270 course by the MSFA Director, depending
on the course work completed during their undergraduate in Finance degree.
3
Sessions
The MSFA program is structured in two sessions within each term (Fall, Spring and Summer). Fall and
Spring sessions usually last seven/eight weeks, whereas Summer sessions last about five weeks. Usually,
classes meet from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. one night a week for the length of a session and one to two
Friday evenings, and/or two half-day Saturdays. On an exceptional basis, some courses may span multiple
sessions. For detailed and updated information about the course schedule, students should consult the
website sjsu.edu/lucasgsb/prospective-students/msfa/index.php. The approximate dates for the sessions
are as follows:
FALL SPRING SUMMER
SESSION A Late August – Mid-October Late January – Mid-March Early June – Early-July
SESSION B Mid-October – Mid-December Mid-March – Late May Early-July – Mid-August
MSFA Courses: Full-time and Part-time Tracks
The MSFA program consists of eleven courses (thirty semester units) including nine core courses and two
elective courses. MSFA students enroll in core courses as a cohort. Core classes are taken in a
predetermined identical sequence by all students belonging to the same program track. Such a sequence is
specified in the study plan and must be followed by each student. Any change to the core course sequence
must be approved by the MSFA Director.
The MSFA program allows students to choose one of the two available tracks: Full-time or Part-time. The
Full-time track requires students to enroll in two to three courses per session. Students following a Full-
time track complete the MSFA program within 12 months.
The Part-time track requires students to enroll in one to two courses per session. Students following a
Part-time track complete the MSFA program within 21 months. Any exception to this requirement must
be approved by the MSFA Director. The Part-time track is ONLY available to domestic students working
full-time at the time of enrollment.
Students enrolled in a particular track must follow the course plan listed in the study plan and
cannot switch tracks without the prior approval of the MSFA Director. Students who wish to change
their MSFA track must submit a request explaining the motivation for the change to the MSFA Director.
Upon the approval of the change, a student will receive a study plan with a new course plan.
The sample study plan for each track is available at:
drive.google.com/file/d/1QteQsKlJJLf4XnwgDL9aDoLhQZ8CsjM9/view?usp=sharing
4
Courses Sequence
Students must enroll in all the core courses in accordance with the sequence listed below. Students are not
allowed to enroll in fewer or more core classes during any term to deviate from their tracks. Students
must follow their study plans to enroll in courses and complete the program in a timely manner.
Courses Sequence – Full-Time Track
Year 1 – Fall Term Year 1 – Spring Term
BUS 200F: Leadership Communication for Finance BUS 270A: Financial Planning and Analysis
Professionals BUS 270C: Financial Modeling and Data Visualization
BUS 220: Financial Accounting BUS 270D: Case Studies in Corporate Finance
BUS 220A: Financial Statement Analysis for BUS 270E: Advanced Corporate Finance
Accountants
BUS 270: Financial Management
One Elective (BUS 270F - Corporate Finance Analytics) Year 1 – Summer Term
BUS 265F: Silicon Valley Experience for Finance
Professionals
One Elective (BUS 270B - Financial Derivatives in
Corporate Finance)
Courses Sequence - Part-time Track
Year 1 – Fall Term Year 2 – Fall Term
BUS 220: Financial Accounting BUS 200F: Leadership Communication for Finance
BUS 270: Financial Management Professionals
BUS 220A: Financial Statement Analysis for
Accountants
Year 1 – Spring Term BUS 265F: Silicon Valley Experience for Finance
BUS 270A: Financial Planning and Analysis Professionals
BUS 270C: Financial Modeling and Data Visualization One Elective (BUS 270F - Corporate Finance Analytics)
Year 1 – Summer Term Year 2 – Spring Term
One Elective (BUS 270B - Financial Derivatives in BUS 270E: Advanced Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance) BUS 270D: Case Studies in Corporate Finance
Courses Sequence – SAGE Finance Track (Years 4 and 5)
Year 4 – Fall Term Year 5 – Fall Term
BUS1 172A BUS 200F: Leadership Communication for Finance
BUS5 140 Professionals
UD Area 2/5 BUS 220: Financial Accounting
UD Area 3 BUS 270: Financial Management
BUS 220A: Financial Statement Analysis for BUS 265F: Silicon Valley Experience for Finance
Accountants Professionals
One Elective (BUS 270F)
Year 4 – Spring Term
Finance Elective Year 5 – Spring Term
BUS3 189 BUS 270A: Financial Planning and Analysis
University Elective BUS 270C: Financial Modeling and Data Visualization
BUS 273: Business Valuation BUS 270D: Case Studies in Corporate Finance
BUS 270E: Advanced Corporate Finance
5
Elective Courses
There are two finance elective courses that are offered in the MSFA program:
BUS 270B: Financial Derivatives in Corporate Finance (Summer)
BUS 270F: Corporate Finance Analytics (Fall)
MSFA students can also select BUS 298-C, Applied Business Experience Internship as one of the
elective courses. Such a course allows students to receive academic credits (3-semester units) for an
internship. The internship must be approved by the MSFA Director.
In addition to the above finance electives, up to one BUS elective course in the MBA or MSAA programs
can be taken and is subject to approval by MSFA Program Director (up to 3 units only).
PLEASE NOTE:
The cost of courses in the MBAP program is different from the fees and tuition for the courses in the MSFA or
ECMBA programs. Please consult the MBAP class schedule before enrolling in any MBAP elective course.
If you are currently receiving Financial Aid, there will be a potential impact on state university grants due to
enrollment in Special Session courses (this includes MBAP courses). Please contact the Financial Aid
Office before moving forward with enrollment in MBAP elective course.
ENROLLMENT POLICIES
Although the MSFA course schedule is organized around two sessions within an academic term (A and B
in Fall, Spring and Summer), administrative policies and deadlines are set by SJSU according to a
semester-based calendar. Hence, the enrollment and payment procedures follow the University
administrative calendar whether the MSFA courses take place in session A or B. All session A and B
courses must be added or dropped by the beginning of the semester according to the add/drop
SJSU published dates. In conclusion, SJSU considers each course as if it were following the University
semester-based calendar. No administrative adjustment is made for the session-based calendar of the
MSFA program.
Please visit the Registrar’s website for the Academic Calendar at sjsu.edu/registrar/calendar/index.php
Visit the Bursar’s website for payment and refund information at sjsu.edu/bursar/payment-
refunds/index.php.
Graduate Admission & Program Evaluation (GAPE) Forms: sjsu.edu/gape/forms/
Office of the Registrar Forms: sjsu.edu/registrar/forms/index.php
Fall and Spring Session Dates
Please visit the MSFA webpage for detailed information: sjsu.edu/lucasgsb/prospective-
students/msfa/schedule/index.php
6
REGISTRATION
Course Listings
The Business Graduate courses offered each term are published in the SJSU Schedule of Classes.
However, for the most up-to-date listings, please go to the website: sjsu.edu/lucasgsb/prospective-
students/msfa/schedule/index.php. Course syllabi are accessible from Canvas.
Registration via MySJSU
Each semester a student must visit one.sjsu.edu/ and log in to MySJSU PeopleSoft – CS to learn the date
and time of their registration appointment. Students in “active status” (see below) must complete the
course registration via MySJSU during the Advanced Registration time. Registration is an interactive
process and is available 24 hours daily during the published dates. User ID and Password are necessary to
complete the registration. For technical issues related to login procedures, students can seek Password
Help at sjsu.edu/it/support/service-desk/password/index.php. The Lucas Graduate School of Business
office does not have access to student passwords.
Payment Due Date
As part of the online registration process, students are assigned a payment due date. If the payment
deadline is not met, the student is dropped from all registered courses. For exact dates, please visit the
Bursar’s Office website:
sjsu.edu/bursar/fees-due-dates/payment-due-dates/fall.php
ADDING A COURSE
To add a course after the Advance Registration period has ended, registration will re-open during the first
week of the semester instruction and a student may register online if there is space available in the class.
If the class is full, or the student would like to add the class after the first week of the semester, a
permission number from the instructor is needed. Each instructor has a different policy for distributing
permission numbers, so students should contact the instructor to find out their individual policy.
Instructors may give a permission number in advance, or require attendance to the class on the first day.
Students using an add code for registration must register via MySJSU by the published date for the last
day to add.
Please refer to the Enrollment Policies section of this booklet for the add deadlines and for a complete
Academic Calendar link on the Registrar’s website.
DROPPING A COURSE
Instructor-initiated Drop
Instructors are permitted (but not required) to drop students who do not attend the first scheduled class
meeting and who do not contact them PRIOR to the first class. In addition, instructors may drop students
who do not meet the stated course prerequisites. Please review the MSFA schedule to verify the
prerequisites for the courses before registration.
7
Student-initiated Drop
After the first class meeting, a student may drop a course through MySJSU prior to the drop deadline. The
day following a course drop, students should verify on the MySJSU website that the drop procedure was
successful. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure courses are dropped.
Drop Deadlines
Students should consult the Academic Calendar to determine the last day to drop or withdraw from a class
without a “W” grade. To withdraw from a class after the “last day to drop”, a Late Drop Petition must be
completed. Late drops are approved by the College of Graduate Studies for documented serious and
compelling reasons only. Withdrawing or dropping a class after the published last day to drop does not
cancel any financial obligations to the university.
GRADING
SJSU uses a four-point grading scale (A, B, C, D, F) as its basic grading system. This applies to all
coursework except for independent study courses, which usually are graded credit/no credit.
Grade Points
A+, A 4.0 C+ 2.3 D- 0.7
A- 3.7 C 2.0 F 0.0
B+ 3.3 C- 1.7 WU 0.0
B 3.0 D+ 1.3
B- 2.7 D 1.0
Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (“B”) throughout the entire MSFA
program. A grade of “C-” or lower in any course is considered an unsatisfactory grade, and the course
must be repeated in order to earn credit for it. If a course is repeated, the second grade is averaged with
the first grade in the GPA calculation. (Note that at the graduate level, the second grade never replaces the
first).
San José State University makes grades available on MySJSU. Individual grade reports are not mailed or
communicated by email to students.
Incomplete “I” Grades
An Incomplete “I” signifies that a portion of the required coursework has not been completed and
evaluated by the end of the class. Before the end of the semester, the student must reach an agreement
with the instructor on the remaining course requirements and how they will be satisfied. All make-up
work for an Incomplete must be finished within one calendar year immediately following the end of the
term in which it was assigned. Failure to complete the assigned work results in the “Incomplete” turning
into an “IC”, which is calculated as an “F” for grading purposes. The Incomplete cannot be removed on
the basis of work completed at another institution, nor by re-enrolling in the course.
8
Withdrawal Grades
A “W” on a transcript indicates that the student was permitted to drop the course after the Add/Drop
period with the approval of the instructor and the concurrence of the Office of Graduate Studies and
Research. A grade of “W” is not included in the computation of the GPA.
A “WU” indicates that a student did not officially drop or withdraw from a course and failed to complete
the course requirements. For the computation of the GPA a “WU” is equivalent to an “F”.
ACADEMIC NOTICE AND DISQUALIFICATION
Academic Notice and Disqualification
A graduate student who does not maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA (a grade of “B” on a four-
point scale) is subject to Academic Notice. It is the student’s responsibility to continuously monitor his or
her own academic standing. Graduate students are cleared from Academic Notice if the cumulative GPA
reaches a 3.0 GPA or better the semester following the notification of probationary status.
A graduate student who is on Academic Notice must earn at least a 3.0 grade point average each
successive term until the required 3.0 cumulative GPA is again established. This requires enrollment in at
least one letter-graded course in each semester that the student is on probation. If these conditions are not
met, the student will be disqualified from the University.
Please see the SJSU catalog for more information on Academic Notice and academic disqualification:
catalog.sjsu.edu/content.php?catoid=17&navoid=7626#academic-standing.
TIME LIMITATIONS
All coursework for the MSFA program must be completed within seven years. If courses become
outdated, consult the SJSU catalog: catalog.sjsu.edu/content.php?catoid=17&navoid=7626#time-limits.
OPEN UNIVERSITY AND TRANSFER
Students may transfer up to nine semester units to apply toward the MSFA degree. Courses considered for
credit transfer must be part of a graduate degree program offered by a peer accredited institution. Please
note that extension courses will not be accepted for credit transfer toward the MSFA degree. Students
wishing to apply for credit transfer must submit a detailed description of the courses taken to the MSFA
Program Coordinator. In order for the credit units to be counted toward the MSFA degree requirements,
the transfer must be approved by the MSFA Director. You can find more details in the SJSU Catalog:
catalog.sjsu.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=116&hl=%22withdrawal%22&returnto=search#transfer-
credit.
9
APPLYING FOR YOUR DEGREE
After completing at least fifteen SJSU letter-graded units, which must include BUS 220A, a student in
Classified standing should complete a Departmental Request for Candidacy Form. You will receive an
announcement from the MSFA Program Coordinator when you are eligible to submit your Candidacy
Form for the eligible graduating term.
ONLINE GRADUATION APPLICATION
Completing the course requirements in a Master’s program at SJSU is a major accomplishment. However,
it does not automatically lead to the award of a degree. Students must initiate the Online Graduation
Application via self-service in MySJSU.
The Online Graduation Application must be submitted after the Candidacy has been approved. Students
must be aware of paperwork deadlines! If you do not file the necessary documents by the published
deadlines, your graduation may be delayed. Deadlines for filing these forms are as follows:
Filing Deadlines
Graduation Date May August December
Candidacy Form Due to Lucas Graduate School September 1 January 1 March 1
Online Graduation Application Due (via MySJSU) February 1 March 1 September 1
For more information regarding the steps to complete your master’s degree, please visit the following
website:sjsu.edu/gape/graduate-student-guide/graduation/index.php.
COMMENCEMENT
The university offers two commencement ceremonies, one in Spring and one in Fall. Those invited to the
Spring ceremony are Spring graduates and the following Summer graduates. Those invited to the Fall
ceremony are Fall graduates and previous Summer graduates. Hence, Summer graduates have a choice of
attending either ceremony. The ceremonies are free for participants and guests.
STUDENT IDENTIFICATION
A “Tower Card” is issued to MSFA students as student identification. This card allows access to the
classroom building at the main SJSU campus, obtaining services at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library,
SJSU Student Health Center, Student Services Center, Career Center, Spartan Recreation and Aquatic
Center, athletic events, Associated Students Services, and other frequently used student services. The first
Tower Card is free. A Tower card is issued at the Tower Card windows in the Bursar’s Office located in
the Student Services Center. A valid State Driver's License, DMV State ID, Passport, or other
government-issued photo ID must be presented.
10
STUDENT OPINION OF TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS (SOTE)
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics sends the SOTE announcement to all students
enrolled at SJSU via their preferred email address specified in MySJSU. An individual SOTE link for
each registered course will be created in the students’ MySJSU account toward the end of each session.
The evaluations are generally open for 14 days to evaluate the courses and each evaluation link expires at
11:59 PM before the last class meeting.
COMMUNICATIONS
Most communications occur via email from the MSFA Program Coordinator, who often sends important
information such as impending deadlines, networking opportunities, changes to policies, scholarship
opportunities, program announcements, etc. It is imperative that students keep their contact information
(especially email address) up to date through the Program Coordinator.
Setting My Preferred Email Address
All messages sent via MySJSU and Canvas will be sent to the email address you have selected as
your "preferred" email on your MySJSU account. To ensure that you receive communication from your
instructors and the university, please “Set My Preferred Email Address” in your MySJSU account. Here is
the tutorial link: sjsu.edu/it/services/applications/peoplesoft/students/set-email.php
Alert SJSU
Alert-SJSU is our campus's emergency notification system that provides information about what to do
and where to go during a natural disaster or life-threatening emergency. Alerts can be delivered by voice,
text, and email. You can sign up for all three notification methods to maximize the alert system's ability to
reach you. Please visit the Alert SJSU website at sjsu.edu/police/emergency-preparedness/alert-sjsu.php.
You can also sign up by using the SJSU APP - Sign up for Alerts-SJSU on one.sjsu.edu/.
OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES
SJSU Housing: sjsu.edu/housing
SJSU Parking: sjsu.edu/parking\
SJSU International Student and Scholar Services: sjsu.edu/isss/index.php
SJSU Bookstore: sjsu.bncollege.com
SJSU Library: library.sjsu.edu
SJSU Student Computing Services: library.sjsu.edu/student-computing-services
SJSU Careers: careercenter.sjsu.edu
SJSU Police: sjsu.edu/police
11
CONTACT INFORMATION
Lucas Graduate School of Business
San Jose State University
One Washington Square Business Tower Room 350
San Jose, CA 95192-0162
408-924-3420
Email: [email protected]
Website: sjsu.edu/lucasgsb
Social Media: @sjsubusiness
Interim Associate Dean of LGSB
MSFA Director
MSFA Program Coordinator
12
