UCF Master of Science in FinTech Brochure

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN

FinTech

“We are committed to making Florida the top destination for FinTech companies to grow and succeed.”

— Governor Ron DeSantis

Jointly offered by the College of Business & College of Engineering and Computer Science

T H E F I N T E C H P R O G R A M AT UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

The Master of Science in FinTech is an innovative, interdisciplinary collaboration between two distinguished departments – the Department of Finance (College of Business Administration) and the Department of Computer Science (College of Engineering and Computer Science), which will provide the requisite academic preparation to succeed in the emerging FinTech industry. It is a STEM program that will forge a new path in interdisciplinary education and contribute to this growing field encompassing finance, computer science, and management.

UCF’s FinTech MS is the first program of its kind in the nation. It will help students develop their computing skills, build awareness of financial markets, and apply their talents to analyze real world problems.

The coursework in the program is designed to develop students with employable technical proficiencies and to promote their critical and entrepreneurial spirit.

Program Start

Fall Semester Only

Program Curriculum

STEM program, 30 credit hours/10 courses

Program Format

Full-Time, Daytime Classes

Program Length

Two years

Application Deadline

July 1

International Student Deadline

January 1

W H AT I S F I N T E C H ?

FinTech, or Financial Technology, refers to the application of technological innovation in the financial services industry. FinTech is a fast growing area focused on simplifying and automating the delivery of financial products.

Technology enables individuals and businesses to use products and services at a lower cost, with greater ease and convenience. Therefore, it is not surprising that FinTech is disrupting traditional financial companies and revolutionizing all main stream financial sectors by rapidly integrating into

the financial world mobile payments and digital wallets, cryptocurrencies, automated financial advice (Robo-advising), digital credit scoring, crowdfunding and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms, computerized regulatory compliance (RegTech), and machine intelligence solutions for complex business challenges.

Jobs requiring advanced FinTech skills are expected to replace many traditional jobs in the financial services industry. There is an increasing need in the market for tech-savvy employees who can think and function in cross-disciplinary teams.

OPPORTUNITY: FINTECH CAREERS

The evolving intersection between the financial services industry and technological innovations is driving the need for professionals with both advanced financial skills and requisite technological skills. Organizations within the financial services sector are hiring technologysavvy employees who can think and function uniquely in cross-disciplinary teams and solve analytical and logistical problems.

Career opportunities in the FinTech market include: • Financial analysis • Investment management • Customer analytics • Credit analysis

• Apps development • Blockchain development • Cybersecurity • Compliance

W H O S H O U L D A P P LY

Candidates for the program should have a strong, academically-based quantitative background and a strong interest in working at the nexus of emerging technologies and the financial sector.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

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Earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA in one of the following: Business, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Mathematics, Natural Sciences or Statistics.

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GRE or GMAT with a competitive score taken within the last five years

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Current resumé

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Letters of recommendation (encouraged but not required)

APPLICABLE

The disruptive force of FinTech is changing the financial services industry. Moving forward, it is expected that many jobs in the financial services industry will require FinTech skills. The MS in FinTech‘s curriculum includes five finance courses and five computer science courses, equipping students with the advanced skills to succeed in the challenging financial sector.

Each year, millions of college students

B E S T VA L U E

The University of Central Florida is a thriving preeminent research university located in metropolitan Orlando. With more than 68,000 students, UCF is one 65% of the largest universities in transferred the U.S. In of UCF students here transfer to another university — and addition to its impressive size and 47.3% more than 10,000 choose to transfer to the University of Central The MS in FinTech’s course schedule consists of daytime of our students are minorities a best value Florida. Whether you’re planning to complete your bachelor’s degree strength, UCF is ranked 24% classes, Monday through Thursday, and is presented in a lockas wellcollege as one or are seeking a new college with bigger opportunities, UCF provides university by Kiplinger, are first-generation students step sequence. the tools and support you need to transfer and succeed. of the nation’s most affordable colleges

by Forbes. It is also among the nation’s “most innovative universities” alongside Fall, Semester 1 Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Duke and Georgia COP 5818 Full Stack Development for FinTech Tech according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges.

COT 5840 Computational Methods in FinTech I

TRANSFER TO UCF

FIN 6406

Strategic Financial Management

Spring, Semester 2 CAP 5619

Artificial Intelligence for FinTech

COT 6481

Computational Methods in FinTech II

FIN 6778

Foundations in FinTech

Fall, Semester 3 COP 5150 Blockchains and Smart Distributed Contracts FIN 6779

FinTech in Decision Making

FIN 6515

Analysis of Investment Opportunities

Spring, Semester 4 FIN 6704 FinTech Entrepreneurship (Capstone Course)

MS in FinTech students will have access to a dedicated GPU server with five GPUs to develop and test AI software using in-house resources.

COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS College of Business Named one of the best business programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the UCF College of Business is accredited by the AACSB and is a nextgeneration business school emphasizing a culture of engagement with the business community.

College of Engineering and Computer Science UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science is ranked in the top 50 public graduate engineering colleges nationwide by U.S. News and World Report and is home to the four-time national champion UCF Collegiate Cyber Defense Championship (CCDC) Team.

REAC

Foun provi the g

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I believe every business school in the country will have to create a FinTech program within the next several years, due to the profound changes that are occurring in the finance industry…

— Dr. David Yermack, Chair, Finance Department, NYU Stern School of Business

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We appreciate the fact that UCF recognizes the need for data engineers and data scientists in Finance…this is a growing area…UCF continues to be pioneers in many ways. We are in full support of this direction and will do what we can to provide opportunities to the students within this program.

— Carrie Callahan, Former Managing Partner, Galliard Capital Management

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I believe this program will increase the number of high paying employment opportunities in an emergent area with strong potential of high growth and demand…this in turn will make it far more likely for companies with attractive high-paying jobs to locate or stay in our state. I will be among the many to seek interns from among the students as well as permanent employment opportunities upon their graduation.

— Robert B. Case, President, Demetree Global

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…your students will be at the cutting edge of innovative developments…I am particularly impressed by the fact that your future graduates will have backgrounds and training in both engineering and finance. This program will be an asset not only to UCF but will also be a magnet for Central Florida for start-up activity in the FinTech space.

— Raj Trikha, Head, Industrial, Energy and M&A Groups, KeyBanc Capital Markets, Inc.

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If UCF can train students with skills in both finance and technology, and provide a foundation in tools to harness the power of data…I do believe it will better prepare them to hit the ground running at financial services firms. There definitely is significant need for these skills in the financial services industry.

— Amol S. Naik, Former Partner, Goldman Sachs

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FOR MORE INFORMATION B U S I N E S S . U C F. E D U / F I N T E C H F I N T E C H @ U C F. E D U

U N I V E R S I T Y O F C E N T R A L F LO R I DA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS P. O . B O X 1 6 1 4 0 0 ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32816-1400