Financial Mathematics
The Departments of Mathematics, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Economics, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Statistics and Business management offer a program leading to the degree of Master of Financial Mathematics. Students choose core courses and electives to suit their individual needs and interests.
Master of Financial Mathematics Requirements
In addition to course requirements (six core courses and five electives), the Master of Financial Mathematics degree requires completion of a 1-credit internship or research project.
Student Financial Support
Some funding is available through a limited number of fellowships. Consideration for the support is automatic. There are no teaching assistantships or research assistantships for this Professional Science Masters.
More Information
Admissions Requirements
Applicants for admission should have an undergraduate degree that would preferably include courses in advanced calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics.
Applicant Information
- Delivery Method: On-Campus
- Entrance Exam: GRE is optional
- Interview Required: None
Application Deadlines
- Fall: December 31 (Scholarship); January 31 (Preferred)
- Spring: August 15 (international); October 15 (domestic)
Full Professors
- David Dickey
- Paul Fackler
- Sujit Ghosh
- Kazufumi Ito
- Negash Medhin
- Tao Pang
- Tom Vukina
- Mark Walker
- Richard Warr
Associate Professors
- Min Kang
- Andrew Papanicolaou
- Denis Pelletier
- Charlie Smith
Assistant Professors
- Ilze Kalnina
- Yerkin Kitapbayev
- Dominykas Norgilas
Practice/Research/Teaching Professors
- Wei Chen
- Richard Ellson
- Jeffrey High
- Ram Valluru
Emeritus Faculty
- Richard Bernhard
- Peter Bloomfield
- Jeffrey Scroggs
- John Seater
- Jim Wilson
Courses
Enhance your professional and career development skills while you are in the Financial Math program with seminar topics on networking, LinkedIn, resumes, interviews, presentations and business writing tips. Learn about workplace etiquette and business ethics. You will also gain resources and important industry information from guest speakers and alumni. Become Base SAS Certified and Bloomberg Certified, and gain hands-on experience with these tools by participating in group and individual projects.Course includes one or more projects that expose students to applications in the area of financial mathematics. Students that wish to develop SAS programming skills are encouraged to take ST 555/556.
Must be in the Masters of Financial Mathematics program.
Typically offered in Fall only
The course covers (i) structure and operation of derivative markets, (ii) valuation of derivatives, (iii) hedging of derivatives, and (iv) applications of derivatives in areas of risk management and financial engineering. Models and pricing techniques include Black-Scholes model, binomial trees, Monte-Carlo simulation. Specific topics include simple no-arbitrage pricing relations for futures/forward contracts; put-call parity relationship; delta, gamma, and vega hedging; implied volatility and statistical properties; dynamic hedging strategies; interest-rate risk, pricing of fixed-income product; credit risk, pricing of defaultable securities.
Typically offered in Fall only
This course explores stochastics calculus with its applications in pricing and hedging problems for financial derivatives such as options. Topics to be covered in the course include 1) discrete and continuous martingales, 2) Brownian motions and Ito's stochastic calculus, and 3) Black-Scholas framework for financial derivatives pricing and hedging.
Prerequisite: FIM 528 and MA(ST) 546
Typically offered in Spring only
Monte Carlo (MC) methods for accurate option pricing, hedging and risk management. Modeling using stochastic asset models (e.g. geometric Brownian motion) and parameter estimation. Stochastic models, including use of random number generators, random paths and discretization methods (e.g. Euler-Maruyama method), and variance reduction. Implementation using Matlab. Incorporation of the latest developments regarding MC methods and their uses in Finance.
Typically offered in Spring only
This course focuses on mathematical methods to analyze and manage risks associated with financial derivatives. Topics covered include aggregate loss distributions, extreme value theory, default probabilities, Value-at-Risk and expected shortfall, coherent risk measures, correlation and copula, applications of principle component analysis and Monte Carlo simulations in financial risk management, how to use stochastic differential equations to price financial risk derivatives, and how to back-test and stress-test models.
Typically offered in Spring only
Special Topics in FIM
Seminar in Financial Mathematics
Prerequisite: FIM 500
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Special Topics in Financial Mathematics
Special Problems in FIM
Development of research and projects in various aspects of financial mathematics under the direction of financial mathematics faculty member on tutorial basis. Requires a faculty sponsor and departmental approval.
R: Graduate Standing
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
The internship experience provides the students the opportunity to use quantitative financial mathematics in a workplace under the supervision of a practitioner. Links academic theory to practice. Develop a heightened awareness of workplace issues as they relate to the student's chosen career path. Clarify and/or confirm professional direction. An internship or project is required of all students in the Masters of Financial Mathematics Program. Restricted to students in the Masters of Financial Mathematics.
Must be a student registered in the Masters of Financial Mathematics program.
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
The project provides the students the opportunity to apply quantitative financial mathematics to a problem of practical interest under the supervision of faculty and/or practitioners. Links academic theory to applications. Examine a practical problem from financial mathematics using marketplace data. Approach solutions to the problem considering aspects of quantitative risk and/or optimal returns. Methods and models will be drawn from academic courses and other sources. Restricted to students in the Masters of Financial Mathematics.
Must be a student registered in the Masters of Financial Mathematics program.
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Non-Thesis Masters Continuous Registration - Half Time Registration
Typically offered in Spring only
Non-Thesis Masters Continuous Registration - Full Time Registration
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Master's Supervised Research
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer