Fordham Graduate School of Business:

Master of Science in Quantitative Finance (MSQF)

Degrees Awarded and Program Duration
This Master of Science Program is an intensive one-year program, which is spread over three terms (fall term beginning in September, spring term, and summer term ending in early August). The program is for full-time students only.

Program Size
Between 25 to 30 students are enrolled in the program each year.

Contact Information
For more information, including the bios of our faculty, visit our website at www.fordham.edu/msqf/ or you can write to:

Dr. John D. Finnerty, Director,
MS in Quantitative Finance Program,
Fordham Schools of Business,
113 West 60th Street,
New York, NY 10023
finnerty@fordham.edu

Program Description
The MSQF Program at Fordham Graduate School of Business was developed with the help of financial institutions to ensure the program targeted key areas of need. With their feedback, we crafted a program that produces highly marketable, industry-savvy business professionals. Graduates of the MSQF Program will develop skills that reflect deep knowledge in the following areas (this is not a complete list):

1. Global capital markets – thorough knowledge of all the major sectors of the global capital markets, how they operate, and how economic and other events affect them, including the principal equity, fixed income, foreign exchange, commodity, and emerging markets.
2. Asset valuation - the ability to value assets in any of the major asset classes by applying the most up-to-date valuation techniques used on Wall Street.
3. Derivative instruments - working knowledge of the basic derivative structures along with how they are valued, how they are used to create more structured instruments, and how to design and implement effective hedging strategies.
4. Portfolio management - knowledge of the latest techniques for managing equity and fixed income portfolios and measuring portfolio performance along with the ability to use the latest portfolio management software.
5. Risk management - understanding the basic approaches for quantifying risk in practical situations and developing effective risk management strategies along with the ability to use the latest risk management software to implement those strategies.
6. Excel financial modeling - expertise in building excel spreadsheet models with visual basic to solve complex financial problems and value complex securities.
7. Stochastic modeling - understanding the basic stochastic models and the other mathematical techniques for solving stochastic modeling problems used on Wall Street everyday along with experience in applying these tools to value complex securities and derivative instruments.
8. Econometric modeling - knowledge of time series analysis and how to use multiple regression techniques to build financial models and solve financial problems along with the ability to use standard regression software packages, such as SAS.
9. Large-scale data management - skill in gathering and analyzing the most relevant financial data for solving a financial problem along with the ability to gather and manage a large set of historical data to calibrate a standard valuation model.
10. Simulation - ability to formulate simulation models to solve financial problems along with the ability to use standard simulation software, such as MATLAB.

Small class sizes ensure high-quality faculty interaction and a personalized education. And a sense of community and camaraderie is reinforced by the cohort nature of the program. Students will also benefit from the school’s premier location in New York City, the financial capital of the world, and the many international academic partnerships cultivated throughout the world.

Typical Graduate Career Paths
Prospective employers include the major investment banks, commercial banks, money managers, hedge funds, and other companies with a need for professionals with very strong quantitative skills and a deep knowledge of finance. Graduates of the MSQF Program will be able to model and value complex securities, design and implement creative portfolio management strategies, use the most up-to-date risk management systems, and perform a broad range of financial engineering tasks that will add real value.

Areas of Specialization
Fordham Business School’s Master of Science in Quantitative Finance Program is a specialized program with a set curriculum.

Prerequisites and Entry Process
Students most likely to benefit from the MSQF Program will have an undergraduate degree in mathematics, physics, or one of the engineering fields, or will otherwise be able to demonstrate proficiency in mathematics. They should also have at least two semesters of undergraduate economics. Prior training in financial accounting, probability and statistics, and introductory finance is desirable, but not essential. Prospective students must meet the general Business School admissions requirements found at http://www.bnet.fordham.edu.

Program's Unique Features

• Students will participate in an intensive internship program at a major financial institution during the last term and get hands-on experience in solving real-world financial problems in a real business setting.
• Classes held in a trading-room facility with live transactions data.
• The program’s trimester structure allows students to complete their MS degree in only one year, which reduces the time spent out of the workforce.
• Fordham Graduate School of Business is located in Lincoln Center, the heart of New York City. This gives students access to the financial capital of the world, and internationally respected companies such as Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and the NYSE.