Curriculum
The 30-credit hour Butler MSRI curriculum includes foundational risk and insurance courses in the areas of property and casualty as well as employee benefits, plus a series of MBA courses. Students in our program not only gain knowledge in risk and insurance, they acquire competencies in accounting, finance, and leadership, preparing them for all types of management positions. In addition to online courses, the program includes two required in-residence experiences that occur at the beginning and end of the program.
Course Offerings
MRI510 Leadership
This course is intended to expose you to several key concepts in the domain of leadership, to open up the process of thinking of yourself as a leader, to help you analyze organizations and the “leadership gaps” that hinder organizational effectiveness, and to create an environment that encourages you to develop your own “theory” of leadership. The class will require you to be both introspective and participative.
MRI520 Managerial Accounting
This course teaches the application of managerial accounting concepts, techniques, and issues, emphasizing uses of internal accounting information for decisions making, planning or budgeting, and evaluation control. Topics include alternative cost measurement, accumulation, allocation methods, and analysis techniques (job, process, just-in-time, standard, activity based costing, cost behavior, cost, volume profit analysis, contribution approach) that are relevant to various managerial decisions (production, pricing, etc.) and related issues (behavioral implications).
MRI530 Financial Management
An analysis of the theory and practice of financial management, this course expands on the topics covered in the finance primer. In general, the course focuses on how firms properly acquire and invest funds in a corporate setting. Specific topics include capital budgeting, capital structure, dividend policy, derivatives, mergers and acquisitions, and bankruptcy.
MRI540 Fundamentals of Risk and Insurance
Thorough review of principles and theories around technology-supported evaluation of risk, analysis of various risk management products, and current market developments regarding products available for emerging risks. Managerial analysis of risk management processes and decision-making specific to organizational alignment of the risk management function within broader management of company operations.
MRI542 Risk Control
Discussions regarding various managerial approaches to loss control and risk mitigation for property/casualty and life/health exposures, particularly in environments of limited information. A managerial approach to determining corporate governance, employee health and safety, wellness programs, traditional property and casualty, and loss control engineering (property) will also be reviewed with specific attention to their impact on the overall performance of the firm.
MRI544 Big Data and Analytics
Evaluation of current developments, technology, and analysis of how company leaders look at and utilize information available to evaluate risk, facilitate underwriting of particular risks by product line, claims analysis and actuarial support, and overall company financial results and profitability (corporate and insurance company). A key feature of the analysis will be geared to consider how the resulting information will impact managerial decision making.
MRI546 Alternative Risk Financing
Review of current methods to finance risk for both insurance companies and corporations. Since this topic may be foreign to many executives, students will master strategies for how to influence top decision makers that need to know about topics like financial tools, traditional risk transfer, and creative alternatives in the marketplace. There will be applied evaluation of insurance transfer, retention, and non-insurance transfer agreements in order to reinforce mastery of the topics.
MRI545 Capstone with the Butler Captive Insurance Company
Designed to serve as a capstone experience, this course presents students with a client-based challenge that allows students to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills from this Master of Science curriculum to deliver a well thought out and documented solution to a specific business problem. This course will require a trip to Bermuda to participate in an experiential project where students work on a client firm’s business problem. In the short term, this business with be the Butler student-run captive. Students in this class will help provide structure and guidance to undergraduates who are running the day-to-day operations of the Captive but don’t have time to think about its long-term, strategic direction.
Each MSRI elective is 3-credit hours. Electives will include topics such as International Risk Management, Business Valuation, Employee Benefits, Derivatives, Insurance Company Operations, Insurance Law and Contract Analysis, Health Care Economics and Regulation, and Enterprise Risk Management.
Credit for Prior Learning
The Lacy School of Business recognizes that learning occurs through professional experience. As such, MSRI students can receive credit for prior learning (CPL) from the following professional designations or exams. Students are limited to no more than six credits including transfer credits and/or CPL in the MSRI program.
| CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) | MRI530 |
| CFP (Certified Financial Planner) | MRI530 |
| ASA (Associate of the Society of Actuaries) | 3-credit elective |
| CPA (Certified Public Accountant) | MRI520 |
| CMA (Certified Management Accountant) | MRI520 |
| CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) | CPCU 550 and AIDA181 or AIDA 401 combine to replace MRI 540 |
| CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) | CPCU 551 and 552 combine to replace MRI 561 |
| CRM (Certified Risk Manager) | MRI 542 and MRI 546 |
| CFA Level I (Chartered Financial Analyst) | MRI530 |
| SOA exam FM (Society of Actuaries) | MRI530 |
| NASD Series 7 | MRI530 |
Program Costs
The following tuition and fee charges are in effect for the current academic year and are subject to change annually.
Tuition for the MSRI program is $950 per credit hour for a total of $28,500. The MSRI program has a $3,000 total program fee, which is billed at $600 a semester over five semesters. In addition, students will be responsible for travel expenses related to the in-residence and capstone experiences. Meals and accommodations for the in-residence and capstone are provided.