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International Finance

Types of Degrees International Finance Majors Are Earning

Those studying International Finance have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	124

What International Finance Majors Need to Know

Studies in International Finance develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that International Finance graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing International Finance emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Economics and Accounting — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a International Finance program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to International Finance careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, International Finance graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by International Finance professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Sage 50 Accounting	Accounting software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Oracle Hyperion	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for International Finance graduates include:

• Bond Analyst
• Securities Analyst
• Securities Research Analyst
• Equity Research Analyst
• Corporate Securities Research Analyst
• Analyst
• Securities Consultant
• Compliance Risk Manager
• Loss Control Inspector
• Model Risk Manager
• Bank and Savings Securities Trader
• Financial Risk Analyst
• Estate Executor
• Enterprise Risk Manager
• Risk Management Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to International Finance graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.5%
Master’s degree	30.4%
Doctoral degree	17.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
First professional degree	1.9%
Some college courses	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in International Finance?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 48.4% women and 51.6% men among International Finance graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	60	48.4%
Men	64	51.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of International Finance graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	27	21.8%
Asian	7	5.6%
Black or African American	2	1.6%
Two or More Races	2	1.6%
Race Unknown	1	0.8%
International Students	85	68.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do International Finance Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of International Finance graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$60,617
4 years	$75,528
5 years	$88,287

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,287 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in International Finance Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, International Finance graduates earn a median of $75,528 four years after completion — roughly 99% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Business Administration and Management, General	336,590
Accounting	58,956
Finance and Financial Management Services	57,564
Finance, General	49,828
Financial Planning and Services	5,773
Accounting and Finance	3,502
Actuarial Science	1,363
Accounting and Business/Management	1,270
Banking and Financial Support Services	992
Investments and Securities	414
Finance and Financial Management Services, Other	363
Risk Management	180

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.