The Northeastern University MS in Quantitative Finance program is a brand new degree offered by the university. They are currently recruiting for their inaugural class and it looks like something that will be of interest to anyone considering a specialized masters program. This is going to be more quantitative than a traditional masters in finance degree, but this might be a positive selling point for some students. I am trying to learn more about it now, but below is an overview of the important points and should give everyone an idea of whether this is something they would have an interest in or not.
STEM Certified
This program satisfies STEM certification requirements. Students who graduate will be able to apply for 12 months of OPT, with an additional 24 months extension available. Effectively, students will have up to 3 years of working ability under the OPT program. Big advantage over non-STEM programs.
Curriculum
What I like a lot if the curriculum of this program and the flexibility it offers students. There are a number of electives that you can take that will allow students the ability to customize and focus their degree program.
FALL
- Corporate Finance
- Fundamentals of Financial Mathematics and Financial Markets
- Investment Analysis
- Career Management
SPRING
- Financial Econometrics and Statistics
- Data Analytics in Finance
- Elective
- Career Management
Students my choose to enroll a summer semester that will allow them the ability to graduate within 12 months. This semester can also be used to intern, while finishing the program in the fall. Either way, Derivatives and 3 other electives will be taken. Some of the electives available are listed below.
OFFERED AT D’AMORE-MCKIM
- International Financial Management
- Financial Modeling
- Fixed Income Securities and Derivatives
- Mergers, Acquisitions and Private Equity
- Corporate Valuation and Fundamental Analysis
- Real Estate Finance and Investment
- Quantitative Portfolio Management
- Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital
- Computational Methods in Finance
- Alternative Investments
OFFERED OUTSIDE OF D’AMORE-MCKIM
- CS 5100 Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
- CS 5200 Database Management Systems
- ECON 5140 Applied Econometrics
Career Services
Students enrolled in the MSQF receive outstanding career services from our Graduate Career Center. Students enroll in Career Management class where students will hone their job search strategy, develop an elevator pitch, create cover letters, resumes, and LinkedIn profiles, and more. Students are offered unlimited one-on-one advising sessions with a designated career counselor and will get to hear from employers and alumni who will serve as guest speakers and offer networking opportunities.
Other program benefits include (I took these directly from the school site):
- Innovative new core curriculum includes increased quantitative rigor and emphasis on technology. Our students will graduate prepared to launch a finance career having mastered quantitative techniques and able to solve complex business problems.
- Increased elective offerings will expose students to computer science, econometrics, and mathematics, preparing them to meet the demands of the increasingly technology-focused financial industry. New electives include Quantitative Portfolio Management, Computational Methods in Finance, Foundations of Artificial Intelligence, Database Management Systems, and Applied Econometrics.
- Faculty will offer cutting-edge modeling techniques and data analytics combined with financial theory. D’Amore-McKim finance faculty are pioneering scholars and business leaders who are committed to student success.
You can read about the full announcement here. I will update the post with a link directly to the program on the school website once it is built and available. Until then, you can find a link to the Northeastern University listed below.
Here is a link to the Northeastern University MS Degree Programs
