Online Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance

Certificate Overview

Earn your applied finance certificate online

This graduate certificate in finance provides you with industry-specific knowledge relevant to conducting business in various financial environments. Gain analytical business skills and learn about:

Advanced corporate finance
International finance
Financial institutions
Credit markets

Study online with expert faculty

Complete your 11-credit certificate in a convenient online format. Courses are taught by College of Business Department of Finance faculty, who bring their expertise into the online classroom. Study topics such as:

Security valuation
Portfolio management
Pricing of futures, options, and swaps
Corporate risk management
Financial globalization
Exchange rate behavior
Personal finance
Real estate market analysis

Option to pursue a master’s degree

Courses successfully completed with a grade of "B" or better as part of the online finance certificate may also count toward elective credit hours required for completion of CSU’s online Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), after formal admission per University transfer policies. However, successful completion of the courses or certificate does not guarantee admission to the degree program.

Tuition Benefits

The Colorado State University College of Business offers special tuition benefits for the following:

Colorado residents are eligible for a 5% tuition benefit.
Active military, honorably discharged veterans, military spouses, and military dependents are eligible for a 15% tuition benefit.
Corporate partners may qualify for 10% off the cost of tuition. Reach out to CSU’s admissions team to learn if your company offers a corporate partner tuition benefit.
Alumni of CSU Fort Collins are eligible for a 15% tuition benefit.

Curriculum

Required courses:

BUS 601 – Quantitative Business Analysis (2 cr.)
BUS 640 – Financial Principles and Practice (2 cr.)
BUS 641 – Financial Markets and Investments (2 cr.)

Choose 5 credits from the following:

REL 602 – Real Estate Finance and Investing (2 cr.)
FIN 602 – Options and Futures (1 cr.)
FIN 606 – Fundamentals of International Finance (1 cr.)
FIN 608 – Fundamentals of Firm Valuation (1 cr.)
FIN 609 – Fundamentals of Personal Finance (1 cr.)
FIN 613 – Alternative Investments (2 cr.)
FIN 650 – Behavioral Finance (2 cr.)

Program total credits: 11

You must be admitted to this program for the certificate to appear on your official University transcript.

Admission to a business graduate program and/or additional coursework may be required to meet prerequisites. Contact the department for more details.

How to Apply

Application Deadlines

Fall semester	July 31
Spring semester	January 1

Start your application online and upload materials directly into the online system. You can save your progress and return any time.

Apply Now

1 Review Admission Requirements

Graduate certificate applicants generally must meet or exceed the following criteria:¹

An undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution in any field
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher from your most recent degree completed²
International applicants: minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores³

While we encourage our students to meet the minimum criteria, failure to meet one may be offset by strengths in other areas, as determined by the Graduate Program Committee.
Please submit an academic performance explanation if your GPA was lower than 3.0.
A minimum Internet-based TOEFL score of 86 or a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 or a minimum of PTE score of 58 is required for all certificates except Accounting Ethics and Auditing, which requires a minimum Internet-based TOEFL score of 95 or minimum IELTS score of 7.0.

2 Complete Online Application

Complete the online graduate application and pay the nonrefundable application processing fee (payable online). As soon as you have completed the required information, please submit your application. Your application will not be reviewed until it is complete and all required materials have been received.

Choose "Applied Finance (Certificate) – Distance" when choosing the Program of Study. (Note: You must first select "Certificate" at the top.)

3Request Transcripts

Request one official transcript from the institution where you earned your bachelor’s degree. Transcripts from Colorado State University are not required. Transcripts must be received directly from the originating institution to be considered official.

Electronic (preferred):
Digital Transcripts must be submitted by the originating institution using a secure service such as parchment, eScrip-Safe, the National Student Clearinghouse, or e-Quals. Transcripts received via emails are considered unofficial.

Use institution code 4075 for Colorado State University or gradadmissions@colostate.edu if the secure service requires an email address.

Mail (if necessary)
Graduate Admissions
Colorado State University – Office of Admissions
1062 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062

Check Your Application Status

View your application status at any time to ensure your application checklist is complete or to check on updates.

Once your complete application, including supporting materials, is received, the department admission committee will review your application and notify you of their decision.

Information for International Students

Official transcript translation

Ensure official copies include a certified translation into English (only one set of transcripts is required).

Official test scores

Colorado State University requires that proficiency in English language be demonstrated either by the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE academic tests prior to admission. Please submit one of the official scores from the list below. Tests must be taken within two years prior to admission and submitted directly from the Educational Testing Service (select institution code: 4075).

The minimum TOEFL score for admission without condition is 550 (paper-based), or 80 (internet-based).
The minimum IELTS score for admission without condition is 6.5.
The minimum PTE Academic score for admission without condition is 58.

All applicants who are citizens of countries in which English is not the official language, and who do not have an undergraduate degree from the U.S. must submit TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores.