The Finance Certificate of Graduate Study (C.O.G.S.) offers students the opportunity to pursue quantitative and analytical concepts and tools that are valuable in corporate, non-profit, and personal finance settings. The Finance C.O.G.S. is a valuable stand-alone credential for those seeking to refresh skills in their current finance-related roles. The Finance C.O.G.S. program can also serve as a micro-credential on the way toward earning a graduate degree, allowing students to sample content prior to being formally admitted into Rowan’s Master of Finance (M.S.F.) or Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with a Finance Area of Concentration.
The Finance C.O.G.S. is also ideal for those who have not yet taken the Graduate Management Admission Test (G.M.A.T.) as G.M.A.T. scores are not a requirement for admission to the C.O.G.S. program. Students who wish to later pursue the M.S. Finance or M.B.A. programs at Rowan may have all C.O.G.S. credits transferred into one of these degree programs.
For students considering the Finance COGS program as an interim step on the way to a degree, it’s valuable to consider the type of career paths each degree affords. The MS Finance prepares students for financial analyst and financial planner positions in corporations and financial institutions, as well as the premier certification exams for the Chartered Financial Analyst (C.F.A.) and Certified Financial Planner (C.F.P.). An M.B.A. with a finance concentration can offer a wide range of jobs across various industries. For example, in the corporate finance area, potential jobs might include chief financial officer, financial manager, corporate controller, accounting manager, or risk manager; it is also possible to pursue a career path in financial service industries in roles such as managers or VPs in banking, mutual fund, or insurance companies.
