Master in Quantitative Finance (M.Sc.)
Quantitative Finance – also sometimes called computational finance, financial engineering or mathematical finance – is a relatively young academic field. As more and more financial services firms applied sophisticated mathematical models in their trading, pricing, risk and asset management functions, the need for more specialized and advanced degree programmes emerged, where students and working professionals can acquire the knowledge they need to competently and responsibly perform these functions.
“With the Master’s programme in quantitative finance, you are opting for one of the most challenging study programmes in the financial area. Upon graduation, you will be familiar with the most up-to-date financial research and knowledge and be able to immediately take on an international assignment.“
Prof. Dr. Jan Vecer Finance Department Centre for Practical Quantitative Finance
Academic rigor and industry relevance
The distinct character of the programme is the combination of academic rigor and industry relevance, which is the result of the fact that all our faculty members are well published in top academic journals and have considerable practical quant finance experience. This fusion of quantitative finance theory and practice is also reflected in the learning objectives of the programme.
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Programme goals
After completing the Master of Quantitative Finance programme, students:
- are able to design, evaluate and manage complex financial instruments for derivatives trading and quantitative asset management,
- understand and solve advanced numerical aspects of quantitative finance problems,
- are proficient programmers adopting industry-standard programming techniques,
- are conscious of limitations and risks in the application of quantitative tools, products and strategies,
- develop advanced quantitative finance tools and make effective graphical and software-based illustrations of quantitative findings, and
- can communicate advanced quantitative solutions effectively also to non-experts.
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Full-time and part-time option
The programme is offered for two different groups of students on a part-time or full-time basis:
Full-time programme
is designed for graduates from quantitative degree programmes (e. g. mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering, statistics, mathematical economics, etc.), who do not yet have work-experience and want to pursue a career in quant finance related work environments. The programme duration is two semesters plus the time spent for the master thesis and the internship project. During completion of the internship project, students will be working as interns in the financial industry in quant finance related work environments.
Part-time programme
is suitable for mathematically trained professionals working in quant finance related fields. It extends over two years with a very flexible time delivery model that enables working professionals to stay in their current jobs while they are pursuing their studies. Admission to the part-time programme requires a first degree in a quantitative subject and at least one year of work experience.
The starting date for both programmes is September.
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Curriculum
The course modules of the full-time and the part-time option of the master of quantitative finance programme are the same, and students without work experience sit side by side with their classmates, who are already working for the quant industry. This also adds to the learning experience of peer-group learning and the applied focus of the course content. Therefore, the content of the programme is “demand driven” in the sense that the modules are focused on what matters for applying the models and methods leaving aside more technical aspects that might also be covered in courses for a mathematics degree.
The curriculum of the full-time and the part-time format of the master of quantitative finance differ in their length, time phasing and the number of courses that need to be completed for graduating.
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Faculty profile
A distinctive feature of the Master of Quantitative Finance at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is the fact that all of the faculty members of this programme are not only well published in top academic journals. Our faculty members also have the type of practical work experience that is necessary to teach an applied field like quantitative finance in an authentic and relevant way and to be aware of the intricacies of putting theoretical insights to work. More details about the faculty profile of the Master of Quantitative Finance.
