Columbia – NUS
Double Professional Degree in Financial Engineering

Program Introduction

Columbia University (CU) and National University of Singapore (NUS), the two top-ranked institutions, are partnering to launch the double Professional Degree in Financial Engineering.Graduates of the joint venture will earn:

Professional Degree in Financial Engineering by Columbia University
Professional Degree in Financial Engineering by the National University of Singapore

Columbia University

Columbia University, founded in 1754, is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

The Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Department at Columbia University launched the MS in Financial Engineering program in 1998. Today, the program is known for its excellence in providing theoretical and practical training in the application of engineering methodologies and quantitative methods to finance. It is designed for students who wish to obtain positions in the securities, banking, and financial management and consulting industries, or as quantitative analysts in corporate treasury and finance departments of general manufacturing and service firms.

National University of Singapore – A Global Knowledge Enterprise

The National University of Singapore is a multi-campus university of global standing with distinctive strengths in education and research with an entrepreneurial dimension. It offers a comprehensive range of disciplines with a cosmopolitan mix of students from 88 countries. NUS is ranked as 19th best university in the QS World University Rankings 2006 conducted by the Times Higher Education Supplement.
Since 1999, NUS offers the Master of Science in Financial Engineering program through NUS Risk Management Institute. The well established program has trained hundreds of graduates for the finance industry.

Program Description

The Program, which is the first of its kind in the world, is a post-master level degree program in financial engineering. It teaches advanced quantitative methods, financial markets and instruments, and advanced topics in financial engineering, utilizing a highly distinguished faculty comprised of professors from the two prestigious universities. Coursework emphasizes both the theoretical background and practical aspects of pricing derivatives and managing assets, and is designed for students to attain a deeper knowledge and understanding in financial engineering.

The Demand for Training beyond the Master Level

While the MSFE programs at CU and NUS have been very successful in attracting and positioning students in industry, there is a clear demand for training beyond the Master level. Indeed, leading global financial organizations (such as Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, etc.) have expressed interest in students with an additional year of training. While they will continue hiring graduates at the MS level, we expect a number of more prestigious positions going to graduates with an additional year of training. The double Professional Degree will serve the increased demand for quantitative professionals in global financial organizations. Globalization and the increasing sophistication of financial markets drive this joint initiative to offer students a truly global opportunity to study in two leading financial centers.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Professional Degree in Financial Engineering will be trained for professions in Investment banking, Central Banks and Governments, Asset-Liability Management, Risk Management, Primary and Derivative Securities Valuation, Financial Information Systems Management, Portfolio Management and Securities Trading.