Iowa State launches new master of financial technology degree
The Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business, in collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will offer a master of financial technology program, approved by the Iowa Board of Regents at their April meeting.
Delivered on campus, the new program is designed to meet the needs of current Iowa State University students and working professionals. The program will forge a new interdisciplinary teaching and research path, with a multi-department curriculum encompassing financial analysis, computational methods, and business analytics.
The proposed degree can be completed by taking 10 classes — five in computer science and five in finance and business analytics.
Technology-driven products such as mobile payments, digital wallets, robo-advisors, and crypto-currencies are rapidly being integrated into the traditional financial world, making this degree highly valuable for students and future employers
Students will benefit from the strong collaboration between the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Department of Computer Science) and the Ivy College of Business (Department of Finance and Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics).
“Rapid advances in computing — from descriptive and predictive data analytics to machine learning and blockchain — are transforming the financial industries. In today’s data-driven world, it is essential for financial and business leaders to be fluent in AI and machine learning technologies and to understand the security and privacy considerations that come with them,” said Pavan Aduri, professor and interim chair of the Department of Computer Science. “The curriculum is designed to equip students with high-demand technical skills that align with the evolving needs of the financial services industry.”
The curriculum gives students employable technical skills in areas of high demand by the financial services industry, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, software development, and quantitative portfolio management.