Financial Reporting and Analysis

Data-Driven Decision Making

Learn to analyze and make business decisions based on financial information. Located just blocks away from North America’s third largest financial centre, Rotman is the ideal place to build your finance career. The major in financial reporting and analysis leverages the teaching and research strengths of Rotman's faculty, recognized among the global top ten for finance and research.

Topics Covered

In this emphasis, you will learn how to interpret and analyze financial information in order to use this information in formulating business decisions. Specific topics covered include analyzing and interpreting financial statements; understanding the discretion involved in disclosure; the various incentives and pressures impacting on financial reporting decisions; identifying tax implications associated with various business and investment activities; risk management; developing business valuation techniques; forecasting earnings and firm value; and formulating decisions and recommendations based on financial analysis. During your course work in this major, you will learn the key drivers of reporting behavior, develop your understanding of financial statements, and obtain skills to make informed decisions using financial information.

"While there is nothing illegal about the way tech companies report their earnings, these reports can be misleading to investors."

-Ramy Elitzur, accounting professor, in an online article

Requirements to complete

You must successfully complete at least 3 of the following core courses:

Core courses

Taxation and Decision Making
Financial Statement Analysis
Financial Distress and Insolvency
Business Analysis and Valuation
Analytical Insight from Financial Accounting Data

It is also recommended that students in this major choose other courses from the following selection:

Corporate Strategy
Corporate Financing
Financial Management
Financial Institutions and Capital Markets

Career Paths for Financial Reporting and Analysis

Students pursuing a career where one needs to analyze and make decisions based on financial information will find this major to be beneficial. Specific career paths include financial analyst, equity research (buy-side and sell-side), treasury, consulting, corporate finance, investment banking, general management, or internal audit. This major may be particularly helpful to students who plan to pursue a CFA designation, given the volume of accounting material in levels I and II.

Flexible Internship Program

The Rotman Full-Time MBA Program provides a unique opportunity for students to integrate and apply management knowledge gained within the program through a 4-month internship. Students are required to complete the course “Applied Management: Placement” in conjunction with a work placement which may be done in the Summer, Fall or Winter terms. Depending on their academic area of concentration/major and career objectives, students will be guided on the best work term option to secure a placement with an employer. Throughout their work placement, students will benefit from enhanced communication with their host employers, tracking of project deliverables and feedback from faculty supervisors.