Financial institutions undertake the financial sector's mobilization of resources. Crucial to the sector's growth is its managerial manpower. The effort in developing such managers had been through MBA programs that offer elective courses in financial management. However, MBA programs remain mainly oriented toward training generalist business managers. As a result, substantial resources are still expended in non-formal special training in finance. Furthermore, the growing size and complexity of the Philippine finance sector have created the need for a specialized degree program in finance. In accordance with UP's mandate to be at the forefront of learning and advanced education, the University became convinced about the financial services industry's need for a master's program in finance. In June 1995, with the strong representations from prospective students and finance practitioners, UP finance faculty members conceptualized and designed a master's program in finance. This proposal was later refined by the faculty of the Department of Accounting, Finance, Economics and Law, and by the business community. The latter group included officers and members of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) and the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP).... [-]