Princeton University Master in Finance
The interdisciplinary Bendheim Center for Finance offers a Master in Finance degree. The distinctive feature of Princeton’s Master in Finance program is its strong emphasis on financial economics in addition to financial engineering and computational methods.
Graduates of our program have a solid understanding of the fundamental quantitative tools from economic theory, probability, statistics, optimization and computer science, all of which are becoming increasingly vital in the financial industry. While there has been much debate in recent months about the role of quantitative finance in the financial crisis, the financial industry has increasingly placed strong emphasis on quantitative tools and analysis as it seeks to rebuild itself and strengthen risk management practices. A driving force behind these developments is a lively exchange of ideas between academia and the financial industry, a collaboration that is the closest parallel in the social sciences to the academic-private sector interactions routinely seen in engineering and the applied sciences.
The Master in Finance program is intended to prepare students for a wide range of careers both inside and outside the financial industry, including financial engineering and risk management, quantitative asset management, macroeconomic and financial forecasting, quantitative trading, and applied research. Although the program does not require prior work experience in finance, in recent years having some exposure to finance -- an internship, e.g. -- has been essential in an increasingly challenging job market. The Bendheim Center provides extensive career assistance to students, including help with internships and job placement, and our placement record has been excellent (refer also to these recent newspaper articles).
The curriculum is designed to be completed in either two or four semesters. The length of study is a function of the student's prior knowledge of the field, mathematical aptitude, work experience and job offers upon graduation. It is determined on an individual basis.
Princeton’s Master’s program draws upon the combined strength of a variety of departments at Princeton, including the Department of Economics, the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering, the Department of Computer Science, and others.
The program has two major course components. First, required core courses will provide (1) the prerequisite skills in mathematics, economics, and probability and statistics necessary for the study of finance at a sophisticated level and (2) an integrated introduction to modern financial analysis. Second, a wide range of elective courses, drawn from many departments, will allow students to tailor the program to fit their own needs and interests. These courses will permit a range of opportunities for specialization and in-depth study of topics of interest to the student, along a number of coherent tracks.