Masters Degrees (Quantitative Finance)

The MSc in Quantitative Finance develops sophisticated statistical, programming and economic skills for roles in areas such as quantitative asset management and risk management.

The MSc in Quantitative Finance will equip you with a rigorous understanding of the theory behind asset pricing, fixed income securities and risk management, supported by solid knowledge of numerical analysis and programming languages; special emphasis is on econometric techniques as forecasting and market microstructure analysis.

Typical career paths of graduates from our MSc in Quantitative Finance include research positions (in both financial and academic institutions), or roles involving the assessment of market microstructure across a number of exchanges, stress testing/scenario analysis, development and improvements of asset allocation models and analysis of potential investment vehicles across different asset classes, such as Hedge Funds Risk Analyst, Financial Analyst and Asset Allocation Analyst.

The demand for recruits with strong quantitative skills has spread beyond the pure derivatives area, and graduates from the course move into a range of careers in the financial sector. Cass's proximity to the City of London helps graduates to access outstanding career opportunities, especially as Cass has close links with many City institutions.

Visit the website: http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/courses/masters/courses/quantitative-finance

Course detail

There are two Induction Weeks The Quantitative Finance course starts with two compulsory induction weeks, focused on:

• an introduction to careers in finance and the opportunity to speak to representatives from over 75 companies during a number of different industry specific fairs.

• a reminder course of advanced financial mathematics, statistics and basic computing which forms a prerequisite of the core modules in term 1.

Format

To satisfy the requirements of the degree programme students must complete:

• eight core courses (15 credits each)
and
• two additional core modules plus three electives (10 credits each)
or
• three electives (10 credits each) and an Applied Research Project (20 credits)
or
• one elective (10 credits) and a Business Research Project (40 credits)

Assessment

Assessment of modules on the MSc in Quantitative Finance, in most cases, is by means of coursework and unseen examination. Coursework may consist of standard essays, individual and group presentations, group reports, classwork, unseen tests and problem sets. Please note that any group work may include an element of peer assessment.

Career opportunities

Although investment and hedge funds remain the biggest users and innovators in quantitative finance, other financial sectors such as commercial banking, insurance and fund management are now keenly interested. Fund managers and hedge funds, for example, make extensive use of quantitative techniques to develop trading strategies, optimise portfolios and assess risk.

Some examples of where graduates from the MSc in Quantitative Finance class of 2014 are working are:

• Capita Asset Services - Analyst
• RBS - Graduate Risk Analyst
• Dong MeKong Construction Manufacture and Trading - Project Assistant
• nPOWER - Quant Risk Analyst

How to apply

Apply here: http://www.city.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying-to-city

Funding

For information on funding, please follow this link: http://www.city.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/funding-and-financial-support

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If you are interested in mathematics and finance and you want to learn how to use mathematics and statistics to solve real financial and actuarial problems, the Master's program in Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science is the program for you.

The Master's program in Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science takes the critical field of risk management as its central theme, examined through the lens of quantitative models. Taught by the leading international academics of Tilburg University, content reflects the forefront of world developments in which:
•Investors weigh risks against returns;
•insurers limit their risks by calculating the appropriate premiums;
•option traders balance their books by calculating the sensitivities of their positions with respect to the relevant risk factors.

Delve into these challenging worlds of continuous time finance, empirical applications, and the actuarial sciences of risk theory and asset liability management - giving you a tool-kit of highly practical skills you can apply throughout your entire financial career.

The Master's program in Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science offers you:
•The best preparation for a career in the arena
With a Tilburg University Master's degree recognized for its combined academic rigour and industry relevance.

•Great career prospects
The Master’s program in Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science is one of the programs with the best career prospects. Graduates find work easily, often before graduation, and they earn above average. They work as, for instance, risk management consultants, actuaries or investment analysts. More about the excellent career prospects.

•Customized learning
With a wide range of optional electives available including the possibility to follow courses from the Master's program in Finance or to customize your degree with a specialization in Pensions, Aging and Retirement.

•The possibility to become a fully qualified actuary
After graduation you are eligible to apply for the part-time Executive Master in Actuarial Science offered by TIAS Business School and the Dutch Actuarial Institute.

•Teaching by leading international academics
Giving you a tool-kit of highly practical skills you can apply throughout your entire financial career.

Ranking
#1 in the Netherlands and #10 in Europe in Economics & Econometrics - QS World University Rankings

Future jobs

Your Master's degree in Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science from Tilburg University will open up extensive career opportunities for you in the private sector, as well as in the public and non-profit sectors.

Graduates of our program currently pursue successful careers at:
•Banks
•Insurance companies
•Pension funds
•Consulting agencies
•Trading firms
•Corporate treasuries and risk control departments
•Regulatory institutions and government bodies.

The Master’s program in Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science is one of the programs with the best career prospects. Graduates find work easily, often before graduation, and they earn above average.

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Master’s Degree in Quantitative Finance and Risk Management draws on the recognized excellence of our engineering school in quantitative finance, and makes great use of the collaborations with the Universities of Paris-Dauphine and Cergy-Pontoise. The Master is primarily going to appeal to international students, "free movers" or those from our partner universities or for high-potential foreign engineers who are looking for an international career in the domain of finance. This program leads to a Master degree and a Diplôma accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

Objective

This Master’s degree covers the whole chain of quantitative finance, from theoretical aspects to the application in a professional setting. The chain can be described as follows:
o Description of the market and financial products
o Mathematical models of finance
o Mathematical models of risk
o Numerical resolution: computer-aided simulation
o Calibration and asset evaluation

Specific details of the Master:
o The Master came from the Financial Engineering option (IFI) taught at the ESITI for the last 13 years (all students from the option have found work as soon as their compulsory internships finished, and have an average salary 20% higher than the norm in this sector).
o In and of itself, the Master is intrinsically international.
o The theoretical teaching of this Master is very thorough, covering everything needed to know in the associated professions. As a consequence, the students are very adaptable within the work market.
o The Master offers a 3-skilled approach, in Computer Science, Mathematics and Finance.

Practical information
The Master’s degree counts for 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) in total and lasts two years. The training lasts 1316 hours (646 hours in M1 and 670 hours in M2). The semesters are divided as follows:
o M1 courses take place from September until June and count for a total of 60 ECTS
o M2 courses take place from September until mid-April and count for a total of 44 ECTS
o A five-month internship (in France) from mid- April until mid- September for 16 ECTS. Usual indemnities are around 1000 € per month.

Non-French speakers will be asked to participate to a one week intensive French course that precedes the start of the program and allows students to gain the linguistic knowledge necessary for daily interactions.

Organization

M1 modules are taught from September to June (60 ECTS, 646 h):
• Mathematics
• Measure and Integration (2 ECTS, 20 h)
• Functional Analysis (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Stochastic Processes-Discrete/Continuous Time (5,5 ECTS, 55 h)
• Optimization (2,5 ECTS, 30 h)
• Jump Processes and Application (3 ECTS, 30h)
• Partial Differential Equations (3 ECTS, 30 h)
 Calibration, Simulation and Numerical Analysis
• Monte Carlo Simulations (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Finite Difference Methods (2,5 ECTS, 25 h)
• Calibration of Financial Models (2 ECTS, 20 h)
• Bloomberg trading room (3ECTS, 30h)
• C++ and Object Oriented Design (2 ECTS, 20 h)
• VBA Programming (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Interdisciplinary Project (5 ECTS, 5 h)
 Finance and Insurance
• Introduction to Quantitative Finance (3 ECTS, 25 h)
• Risk Management in a mono-period Financial Market & Derivatives (4 ECTS, 40 h)
• Contingent Claims Valuation (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Portfolio Management and Financial Risks (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Mathematics Applied to Insurance (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• French as Foreign Language
• French as Foreign Language (4,5 ECTS, 96 h)

M1 modules are taught from September to June (60 ECTS, 646 h):
• Mathematics
• Measure and Integration (2 ECTS, 20 h)
• Functional Analysis (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Stochastic Processes-Discrete/Continuous Time (5,5 ECTS, 55 h)
• Optimization (2,5 ECTS, 30 h)
• Jump Processes and Application (3 ECTS, 30h)
• Partial Differential Equations (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Calibration, Simulation and Numerical Analysis
• Monte Carlo Simulations (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Finite Difference Methods (2,5 ECTS, 25 h)
• Calibration of Financial Models (2 ECTS, 20 h)
• Bloomberg trading room (3ECTS, 30h)
• C++ and Object Oriented Design (2 ECTS, 20 h)
• VBA Programming (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Interdisciplinary Project (5 ECTS, 5 h)
• Finance and Insurance
• Introduction to Quantitative Finance (3 ECTS, 25 h)
• Risk Management in a mono-period Financial Market & Derivatives (4 ECTS, 40 h)
• Contingent Claims Valuation (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Portfolio Management and Financial Risks (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Mathematics Applied to Insurance (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• French as Foreign Language
• French as Foreign Language (4,5 ECTS, 96 h)

M2 modules take place from September to Mid-April (60 ECTS, 670h)
• Mathematics
• Mathematical Statistics (2 ECTS, 21 h)
• Mathematical Tools in Finance (4,5 ECTS, 54h)
• Calibration, Simulation and Numerical Analysis
• Advanced Numerical Methods for PDEs in Finance(2,5 ECTS, 30 h)
• Advanced Spreadsheet Programming (2 ECTS, 24h)
• Simulations (2 ECTS, 24 h)
• Calibration (3 ECTS, 30 h)
• Theoretical and Practical Finance
• Theory of Contingent Claims (4,5 ECTS, 54 h)
• Interest Rate, Exchange and Inflation Markets (2,5 ECTS, 30 h)
• Portfolio Managment (2,5 ECTS, 30 h)
• Imperfect Markets (2 ECTS, 20 h)
• Dynamic Hedging and Risk Measures (2 ECTS, 21 h)
• Business Evaluation (2,5 ECTS, 35 h)
• Jump Processes and Applications (2 ECTS, 21 h)
• Careers and financial products (2 ECTS, 30 h)
• Practical Fixed Income Management (2 ECTS, 24 h)
• French as Foreign Language
• French as Foreign Language (4 ECTS, 72 h)
• Master's Thesis (9 ECTS, 150 h)
• Internship (22 weeks from mid-April to)

Teaching

Fourteen external teachers (lecturers from universities, teacher-researchers, professors etc.), supported by a piloting committee, will bring together the training given in Cergy.

All the classes will be taught in English, with the exception of:
• The class of FLE (French as a foreign language), where the objective is to teach the students how to understand and express themselves in French.
• Cultural Openness, where the objective is to enrich the students’ knowledge of French culture.
The EISTI offers an e-learning site to all its students, which complements everything the students will learn through their presence and participation in class:
• class documents, practical work and tutorials online
• questions and discussions between teachers and students, and among students
• a possibility of handing work in online

All Master’s students are equipped with a laptop for the duration of the program that remains the property of the EISTI.

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Alliance Manchester Business School and the School of Mathematics have combined their academic strength and practical expertise to deliver the MSc Quantitative Finance course.

Ensuring that the mathematics element is accessible, the programme offers a good balance between mathematics and finance. They are particularly suitable for students with a degree in Finance, Financial Economics, Actuarial Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, as well as relevant work experience (non-compulsory). It is also suited to those wishing to gain salary enhancements, or students wishing to pursue advanced studies in quantitative finance.

The course provides an advanced knowledge and understanding of the main theoretical and applied concepts in quantitative finance and financial engineering, delivered from a genuinely international and multicultural perspective, and with a `current issues' approach to teaching. The course is particularly useful for careers that involve designing new financial instruments and managing trading in them.

CFA training
We're pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Kaplan Schweser to facilitate student preparation for the CFA exams. Students attending our finance-related Masters - MSc Accounting, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance, MSc Finance and Business Economics and MSc Quantitative Finance - who perform well in Semester one and show a strong interest in CFA, will get free access to Kaplan's online training materials for CFA Part One. Kaplan is a global firm offering professional training and helping individuals and organisations obtain financial certifications and designations. They will support our students by giving them access to tuition material, online question banks and progress tests, as well as mock exam runs. They will also offer tutor support and 1-2-1 sessions.
Students enrol in the CFA Program to build a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills. Preparing for the Level I exam is the first step toward earning the Chartered Financial Analyst ® (CFA) credential, the most respected and recognised investment designation in the world.

Trading BootCamp Week
Each year, Alliance MBS runs a five-day Trading BootCamp for all current students studying MSc Accounting, MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance, MSc Finance and Business Economics and MSc Quantitative Finance. These trading simulations provide students with experience of real world trading and the opportunity to engage with contemporary financial markets, enabling them to apply their classroom theory in practice. To deliver the Trading BootCamp, the School has teamed up with Amplify Trading to provide those looking to enter the financial industry with a crucial skill-set. Amplify Trading are a global financial trading and training firm, which offers training to some of the world's largest financial institutions, such as HSBC, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. They have developed specialist software that enables students to experience a live trading floor and two experienced traders will deliver the week-long training.
Each day there will be four hours of classes in the morning followed by four hours of trading practice in the afternoon. Engaging in live breaking news, economic data and geo-political events, students will be able to apply their understanding, technical expertise and risk management practises in trading different asset classes. This is a fantastic opportunity for accounting and finance students at Alliance MBS and is another way in which we prepare students for successful careers after graduation.

Library Services
The Eddie Davies Library Finance Zone in Alliance Manchester Business School gives you access to one of the UK's most comprehensive collections of specialist financial and business databases that are used by top researchers around the world. These include Bloomberg, Datastream, Thomson ONE, Compustat, WRDS, Capital IQ and many more.

Career opportunities

This course provides ideal preparation for a career in the finance industry specialising in designing and trading financial instruments. These financial engineers are expected to be proficient in computer programming and strong in financial mathematics. They have to be at ease with complex derivatives and creative enough to find solutions for pricing and hedging. The course also provides research skills for those who wish to pursue an academic career by studying at doctoral level.

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The Master Quantitative Finance will provide you with an excellent academic and practical education to become an expert in financial methodology. It is your ideal starting point for a future career in today’s challenging and dynamic financial markets.

Visit the website: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/programs/masters-programs/quantitative-finance/overview/

Course detail

The well-balanced curriculum builds strong quantitative skills combined with a solid knowledge base of the underlying theory of finance. Students acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to use mathematical models to understand complex financial problems.

A special focus lies on using the software 'R', an open source implementation of the language S for data analysis and visualisation. Students benefit from the expertise of the programs' faculty, which is strongly involved in the international development community of R.

Specialize in Science or Industry

The Science Track prepares students for an academic career in the field of finance, while the Industry Track focuses on a career as quants (analysts) in the finance industry, combining financial models with computational skills. You can specialize in the second year of your studies. In both tracks you will benefit from working together with our experienced faculty and from their strong academic networks and links to the finance industry.

A truly international program

The Master Quantitative Finance attracts students from many places around the world which gives you the chance to experience a unique educational culture. The courses of the program have an international orientation and provide all the necessary knowledge and skills to start an international career.

An exclusive, high-quality post-graduate education

Only the best applicants can join the program. An important part is learning in small groups which offers many possibilities to be in contact with and get support from the faculty – both inside and outside the classroom.

Career Prospects

Graduates of the Master Quantitative Finance are qualified to be tomorrow's experts in the increasingly complex world of finance, e.g. in:

- asset management

- credit and market risk management

- treasury and trading

- financial engineering

- research and technical analysis

- corporate finance

Graduates also qualify for a relevant Doctoral or PhD program. Students who want to pursue an academic career are strongly encouraged to choose the Science Track to be well qualified.

How to apply: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/programs/masters-programs/quantitative-finance/application-admission/

Funding

Information on funding can be found at the following webpage: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/students/my-degree-program/masters-student-guide/grants-and-scholarships/

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Start of programme: November / February / April / June / August

Mode of Attendance: Distance Learning

The MSc Finance (Quantitative Finance) has been created principally for postgraduates whose work in banks and other financial institutions requires a knowledge of statistical (particularly econometric) and quantitative approaches to risk and derivatives. It is particularly suitable if you have a first degree in engineering, applied science, applied mathematics, economics, or similar subjects, but is also suitable for others with quantitative skills.

Find out more:
To find out more about this programme, including module details, fees and entry requirements, please visit the MSc Finance (Quantitative Finance) section of the Centre for Financial and Management Studies website (http://www.cefims.ac.uk/cgi-bin/programmes.cgi?func=programme&id=42).

Visit the website https://www.soas.ac.uk/cefims/programmes/mscfinanceqf/

Structure

You will choose five core modules.

Derivatives
Econometric Principles & Data Analysis
Econometric Analysis & Applications
Financial Econometrics
Modelling Firms & Markets
Risk Management: Principles & Applications

You will also choose three modules from the list of elective or core modules.

Banking & Capital Markets
Bank Regulation & Resolution of Banking Crises
Corporate Finance
Corporate Governance
Finance in the Global Market
International Finance
Macroeconomic Policy & Financial Markets
Microeconomic Principles & Policy
The International Monetary Fund & Economic Policy
Research Methods
Dissertation

To find out more about this programme, including module details, please visit the MSc Finance (Quantitative Finance) section of the Centre for Financial and Management Studies website (http://www.cefims.ac.uk/cgi-bin/programmes.cgi?func=programme&id=42).

Teaching & Learning

The MSc is made up of eight modules. Each module is studied in eight-week sessions. You can only take one module at a time, but each module is typically available in at least two of the year's study sessions. This gives you the flexibility to plan how you study during the year, enabling you to fit your study in with your professional, family and personal commitments.

You will be individually assigned an online academic tutor for the duration of each module with whom you can discuss academic queries at regular intervals during the study session. You will also have a named administrator providing you with help and advice throughout your studies.

Before the start of each module you have enrolled on, you will be sent a package containing all of the study materials that you need to complete the module – the core text, textbooks, a collection of key articles, and any module related software.

To make your experience as a distance learning student more complete and rewarding, we provide access to the Virtual Learning Environment, which is a web-accessed learning environment. Via the VLE, you can communicate with your assigned academic tutor, administrators and other students on the module using discussion forums. The VLE also provides access to the module Study Guide and assignments, as well as a selection of electronic journals available on the University of London Online Library.

For each module, you will sit a three-hour examination, held on a specified date in September/October, and complete two assignments during the module study session. Assignments are submitted and feedback given online. Examinations and assignments are weighted 70:30.

For more information about studying with us, please visit the Frequently asked questions section of the Centre for Financial and Management Studies website (http://www.cefims.ac.uk/apply/faqs.shtml).

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section (http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/scholarships/)

Employment

As a graduate of this programme you will be well prepared for senior research and other positions in banking, fund management, consultancy, central banks and international bodies.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.cefims.ac.uk/apply/

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The objective of the Specialised Programme in Quantitative Finance is to train top level specialists able to advance in today’s global financial sector characterised by constant change and continuous innovation.

This 12-month programme has been developed to help graduates from engineering schools and universities, possessing a strong background in mathematics, computer science, physics and similar areas of expertise, launch their career in quantitative finance. After completing this specialised programme, graduates take up various positions like Risk Manager, Financial Engineer or ‘Quant’, Asset Manager, Fund Manager and others.

The academic courses include both the fundamentals of management as well as specialised courses like quantitative methods, economic and financial environments, life insurance and pension funds management. This academic part is complemented by a 6 month period in-company.

The Specialised Programme in Quantitative Finance takes place in our campus in Paris.

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Programme overview

The Advanced Master in Quantitative Finance offers prospective students a rich curriculum combining finance, statistics, econometrics, programming and mathematics. This Master guarantees a full coverage of financial disciplines, such as asset and derivative pricing, numerical methods and programming skills. This advanced course work is designed for students with a quantitative background, obtained either from recent education or through professional experience.

Programme objectives

The main objective of this master is to train a new generation of quants. You will gain cutting-edge knowledge in quantitative finance and will learn how to apply it to real-life problems.
You will not only be exposed to up-to-date models, but you will also understand their advantages and limitations, both in theory and in practice.

By the end of the year, you will be able to:

• Become an analyst and/or manager in a quant group
• Price equities and bonds
• Construct and programme structured products
• Perform tail-risk analysis
• Extract information from massive databases
• Understand and trade in complex derivative products such as volatility derivatives

Job opportunities

The obvious companies for such profiles are large financial institutions, private banking, and hedge funds, seeking to fulfil positions like quant team member, risk manager, quant analyst/risk modeller, asset liability manager, derivatives specialist, financial supervisor and product structure.

Geographically, job opportunities are not only concentrated to Europe, in particular London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Zurich, but are extended to the rest of the world (e.g. Singapore, Hong Kong and New York).

However, to successfully grow in your professional life and make the right choices for your career, it is fundamental to define your goals and have the tools to achieve them. The Solvay Brussels School’s career service will help you in building your career thanks to its strong connection with the business sector and to its dynamic team who will accompany each participant into the professional world. From self-assessment to networking opportunities, our team will assist participants to realise their full potential. Through a full range of seminars, coaching sessions, workshops, events and other resources, we help our participants to discover the career path best suited to their personal fulfilment.

Interested? Visit http://am.solvay.edu/quantitative-finance/

Application Deadline

July 31st 2017
Non-EU citizens shall check visa procedure and length before applying.

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The Master of Science in Quantitative Finance attracts numerate, competitive students seeking careers in finance that stretch their quantitative talents. The two-year full-time programme provides an integrated and balanced curriculum of finance and computational methods that accommodates students of diverse backgrounds.

The 4-semester programme comprises 18 courses, an internship and a major project. The curriculum gives students the knowledge and skills to develop quantitative security pricing models and trading strategies for managing portfolios of equity, fixed income and derivative securities and for managing corporate financial risk.

Programme structure
The MScQF is a small programme limited to about 20 students per year. The design of the curriculum presumes relatively little prior training in either finance or mathematics. The two-year full-time MScQF integrates the content of the one-year MBS in Finance with nearly the
equivalent of a masters in applied financial mathematics. The two-year structure affords the opportunity for a summer internship with a financial firm, a crucial component of the entire training and job-hunting process.
Assessment is by both examination and project work.

Careers
Career options for MScQF graduates include funds management, investment banking, financial engineering, and corporate treasury management. The MScQF also provides the recommended coursework component of the PhD in Finance at
UCD, leading to careers in academia as well as the finance industry.

Entry requirements
Appropriate degree fields include mathematical finance, economics, mathematics, statistics, engineering and physics. As relatively little prior formal training in mathematics is presumed, we welcome applications from quantitatively inclined graduates from a standard commerce programme. Generally, applicants must have high grades and a high score on the mathematics component of the GMAT (or an equivalent test). Work experience can partially compensate for non-competitive grades.

Ask us about our sponsorship and internship opportunities!

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This programme offers training in the core areas of finance. It draws on recent developments in each of the subject areas with a quantitative approach to understanding the structure of financial markets and forecasting their expected movements.

Why this programme

-◾This programme will develop both your understanding of theory in lecture-based teaching and its practical application in computer labs, allowing you to develop real-life skills, such as pricing financial derivatives and forecasting exchange rates.
◾The Adam Smith Business School has been ranked in the top 10% worldwide for economics and finance (RePEc), with two of our academics rated in the top 1%.
◾The Adam Smith Business School celebrates the legacy of Adam Smith by developing enlightened, enterprising and engaged graduates and internationally-recognised research with real social impact.

Programme structure

You will take four core courses, two optional courses and complete a substantial independent piece of work, normally in the form of a dissertation.

Core courses
◾Basic econometrics
◾Financial derivatives
◾Mathematical finance
◾Modelling and forecasting financial markets.

Optional courses
◾Advanced portfolio analysis
◾Applied computational finance
◾C++ in finance
◾Empirical asset pricing
◾Economic fundamentals and financial markets
◾Financial market micro structure
◾Game theory with applications in economics and finance
◾Portfolio analysis and investment (co-requisite for Advanced portfolio analysis).

Career prospects

In addition to providing a strong foundation for PhD research, particularly for our PhD in Quantitative Finance, this programme will prepare you for a career in financial institutions, government organisations and international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Our dedicated College of Social Sciences Employability Officer works with students to enhance their employability.

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Our Quantitative Finance and Risk Management MSc will develop your understanding of generalist finance issues. You'll also develop specialist practical skills in quantitative methodology and risk management.

Worldwide growth in the financial services sector has fuelled the demand for graduates with a sound understanding of generalist finance issues, combined with specialist skills in quantitative methodology and risk management. This course meets this demand. It builds on the Business School’s established strengths in economics and finance.

The course advances your understanding of the:
-Role of finance in a modern economy
-Operation and behaviour of financial markets and investors
-It will enable you to develop a career in the financial services sector. It will also suit future quantitative analysts in economics and finance.

What you'll learn

This course will provide opportunities for you to develop relevant skills and a practical understanding of:
-The behaviour of international financial markets
-The ability to analyse the strategies of financial market investors
-The role of finance in a modern economy

Advanced software

Where possible you will have access to advanced statistical software including:
-Eviews
-SPSS
-Stata
-Gauss
-MATLAB
-SAS
-Maple
-Minitab

You will also have access to a number of financial databases including:
-Bloomberg
-Thompson Financial's DataStream
-Fame
-Amadeus
-WRDS
-Compustat
-CRSP
-Oriana

Your development

On completion of this course, you will be able to demonstrate practical skills and the ability to:
-Deal with complex issues both systematically and analytically
-Use this analysis to make sound judgements
-Deploy advanced analytical techniques in the areas of finance and risk management
-Critically assess the quality of the analytical data generated by these techniques
-Synthesise and present relevant data, conclusions and recommendations to both specialist and non-specialist audiences
-Apply the knowledge, skills and understanding gained on the programme to complex issues within finance and related industries

Career focus

The course will suit those wanting to develop a career in the broad financial services sector. It is particularly relevant to a career as a quantitative analyst in the investment banking and risk management fields.

Graduates from this course have undertaken various roles including:
-Senior Associate Chartered Accountant
-Financial Trader
-Auditor
-Risk Analyst
-Economist
-Financial Analyst
-Investor Relations Advisor

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Why this course?

Globally, financial tools, products and software are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated. There's a demand for market-aware graduates who can demonstrate an understanding of mathematical models used in these products.

The MSc in Quantitative Finance – an innovative cross-faculty alliance between the Strathclyde Business School and the Faculty of Science – has been developed to address this need. The course has been designed so that students who have a strong aptitude for mathematics, statistics and computing but who have not studied these topics in detail in their first degree can learn the necessary skills to move into the financial industry.

This course will prepare you for a career in financial engineering and risk management. Careers include roles as a hedge fund manager or financial analyst.

You’ll gain:
- a good understanding of financial theory and analysis
- an appreciation of financial markets
- a practical understanding of numerical methods in finance
- an introduction to programming for financial applications
- an understanding of the role of computers in business processes

See the website https://www.strath.ac.uk/courses/postgraduatetaught/quantitativefinance/

What you’ll study

The curriculum provides a balance between finance and mathematical theory, computer implementations of this theory, and practical skills and knowledge.

Core classes are undertaken in the first semester, and address themes such as principles of finance and quantitative methods for finance, as well as foundation classes in mathematics, statistics and computing science.

Work placement

You may be able to undertake an industrial based MSc project. This takes place in the third semester of the course between June and September. The placement can be based in the UK or in another country and are typically paid internships. In 2014 we had students placed in banks in France and Malta.

Facilities

The Department of Mathematics & Statistics has teaching rooms which provide you with access to modern teaching equipment and access to University computing laboratories with all necessary software available.

You'll also have access to a common room facility which gives you a modern and flexible area which can be used for individual and group study work and is also a relaxing social space.

Pre-Masters preparation course

The Pre-Masters Programme is a preparation course for international students (non EU/UK) who do not meet the entry requirements for a Masters degree at University of Strathclyde. The Pre-Masters programme provides progression to a number of degree options.

To find out more about the courses and opportunities on offer visit isc.strath.ac.uk or call today on +44 (0) 1273 339333 and discuss your education future. You can also complete the online application form. To ask a question please fill in the enquiry form and talk to one of our multi-lingual Student Enrolment Advisers today.

Learning & teaching

Classes are delivered by a number of teaching methods:
- lectures (using a variety of media including electronic presentations and computer demonstrations)
- tutorials
- computer laboratories
- coursework
- projects.

Teaching is student-focused, with students encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and development. Classes are supported by web-based materials.

Assessment

The form of assessment varies from class to class. For most classes the assessment involves both coursework and examinations.

Careers

Financial tools, products and software are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated and there's a need for the finance industry to self-regulate as it witnesses unprecedented growth. Market-aware finance graduates, who understand the mathematical models used to develop these products and their computer implementations will be much in demand by international organisations.

Drawing on expert academic input from three departments – Accounting & Finance, Mathematics & Statistics, and Computer & Information Sciences – this one-year programme has been developed to prepare participants for careers within areas such as financial engineering and risk management, and for highly quantitative roles, such as hedge fund managers and financial analysts.

We also work closely with the University's Careers Service. They offer advice and guidance on career planning and looking for and applying for jobs. In addition they administer and publicise graduate and work experience opportunities.

Find information on Scholarships here http://www.strath.ac.uk/search/scholarships/index.jsp

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Program Structure

The Master of Quantitative Finance and Risk Management is completely held in English and taught by a highly qualified faculty, which includes teaching and research staff from Università Bocconi and other top universities.The learning process has a practical orientation and takes the form of structured lectures backed up by practical applications through case studies and visiting speakers as well as project works and individual research.The program is completed in 10 months full-time. To qualify for the Master degree participants must successfully complete 16 courses (fundamentals, core and electives) and an individual project or an internship report. The fundamentals are compulsory and will be taken by everyone. The 5 core courses are selected out of the 6 offered. The electives are selected from an extensive list and will reflect each student's individual choices and interests.

7 fundamentals (I term);
5 core courses (II term);
4 electives, from a list of about ten courses (III term);
individual project/internship report.
The first term covers mainly introductory courses with the aim of establishing a common language between the faculty and the participants and to smooth out the differences in academic and working backgrounds.

The second term is intended to enphasize different fields of finance, combining quantitative and risk management subjects. It focuses on the most technical aspects of asset pricing and hedging while stressing the institutional, organizational and regulatory aspects.

The third term offers a number of optional courses, each dedicated to some specific aspects of applied finance.

A final project or an internship concludes the program.

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This exciting new programme introduces modern mathematical techniques and financial modelling, such as portfolios options and derivative pricing, for students with a mathematical background. In particular it will introduce the probability and stochastics often not included in standard mathematics degrees.

Following the Financial Crisis of 2007-2009 there has been a shift in the practice of mathematical finance. The emphasis is now on possessing a broad range of skills that can be applied to practical problems. The aim is to understand, both quantitatively and qualitatively, risks and uncertainty involved.

The MSc focuses on practical computational and applied mathematics aspects of finance and uncertainty, and students graduating from the programme will have excellent employment prospects that are not restricted to any one narrow sector of financial services.

We have a practical applied approach to the material. This will provide you with relevant and modern skills, in demand in the UK and internationally, relating to structured finance.

Students will take a total of 8 courses, 4 in each of the 1st and 2nd Semesters followed by a 3-month Project in the summer. A typical distribution for this programme is as follows:

Core Courses

Modelling and Tools;
Derivative Markets, Pricing and Financial Modelling;
Statistical Methods (recommended);
Stochastic Simulation;
Modern Portfolio Theory.

Optional Courses

Optimization;
Enterprise Risk Management;
Data mining and Machine Learning;
Financial Markets;
Software Engineering Foundations;
Bayesian Inference and Computational Methods;
Financial Engineering;
Numerical Analysis (PDEs);
Advanced Derivative Pricing;
Numerical Techniques for PDE's with either Time Series or Financial Econometrics;
Advanced Software Engineering.

Progression to the MSc project phase is dependent on assessed performance.

Typical project topics may include

Applications of multilevel Monte-Carlo sampling in finance;
An investigation of new numerical methods for stochastic interest rate models;
Space time adaptivity for Fokker—Planck equations.

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This one-year interdisciplinary MSc programme delivered by the Management School and the Faculty of Science and Technology is designed to give you in-depth knowledge of the problems and issues in the financial sector, and enables you to develop advanced analytical, problem-solving and technical skills.

The programme gives you access to expertise and facilities in different but related areas, and offers a wide range of potential topics for your summer dissertation. Optional modules also allow you to develop particular specialisms.

You will acquire skills in data and financial analysis, forecasting, optimisation, and computer programming. You’ll also become proficient in various statistical and econometrics packages.

Modules:
Derivatives Pricing
Microeconomics for Money, Banking and Finance
Financial Econometrics
Financial Programming
Financial Stochastic Processes
Financial Markets
Optimisation
Statistical Methods for Financial and Economic Applications

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