Finance Degrees at The University of Washington
The University of Washington appears in our ranking of the 25 Great Master of Financial Engineering Programs.
Students wishing to pursue an online Master of Finance degree from the University of Washington will learn about asset and financial risk management methods as well as how to enhance investment returns by studying portfolio construction. Students will explore quantitative finance theory and master modern computational tools and methods, including R programming. Students may choose to pursue the degree completely online, on-campus or a combination of both. Those wishing to earn their degree on a part-time basis can expect to complete it in approximately three years, while those attending on a full-time basis will finish the program in 18 months. Students may complete the standard 42-credit general program or as an extended course of study.
The online option is designed for working professionals who wish to pursue an MS-CFRM while maintaining their current positions or other outside obligations. Online students are not required to come to the UW campus and can complete all of the coursework at a distance. In most cases, online students will earn their degrees on a part-time basis by taking less than 10 credits per quarter, or one 4-credit course.
The Master of Science in Computational Finance and Risk Management investigates the demand in the financial services field for advanced computational and quantitative finance skills as well as next-generation risk management competencies. For current professionals and students with strong quantitative and mathematical skills, the CFRM MS degree program provides new opportunities for advancement in a current or new career pathway within numerous financial fields.
The MS-CFRM at the University of Washington covers the rigorous statistical and mathematical foundations of quantitative finance. Students are exposed to extensive instruction in the rapid growth of cutting-edge R finance packages as well as to the use of the open-source R-programming environment. The online degree program also looks at mean-variance and classical volatility methods of portfolio optimization and risk analysis as well as tail risk and fat tail methods of risk management. Students will be introduced to the integration of computation, methods, and theory while pursuing separate study options in risk management and computing as important focal points in today’s markets.
Students pursuing the online MS-CFRM are required to take courses in Investment Science, Financial Data Modeling and Analysis, Ethics in the Finance Profession, Portfolio Optimization and Asset Management, Monte Carlo Simulation Methods in Finance, Options and Derivatives and either Optimization Methods in Finance or Financial Data Access with SQL, Excel, and VBA. Elective courses include studies in quantitative risk management, credit risk management, financial risk management, advanced trading systems, machine learning for finance, stochastic calculus for derivatives, computational methods for data analysis and financial software development and integration with C++. Students may also choose to take Portfolio Performance Analysis & Benchmarking, Endowment and Institutional Investment Management, Financial Time Series Forecasting Methods or complete an internship or independent research project.
The school relies on an interdisciplinary faculty that is complemented not only by a dedicated management and student advising team but also by a number of experienced industry professionals. UW’s program advisory board further reinforces the university’s practical emphasis and industry connections, allowing students to gain a solid, comprehensive understanding of the field.
Online students may take advantage of the school’s career services that range from a presence on Facebook and LinkedIn, career workshops and boot camps, sponsoring local finance industry events, hosting networking seminars and other activities that help to facilitate internships and, ultimately, career placements. UW has developed partnerships with organizations such as the Seattle Alternative Investment Association, the Global Association of Risk Professionals and the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Seattle to sponsor these events and provide networking opportunities for the students in attendance. Upon earning the online MS-CFRM degree from the University of Washington, graduates have embarked on careers worldwide with companies such as Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Kavout Corporation, Federal Home Loan Bank, T-Mobile and Synergy Financial Management.
About The University of Washington
Also known as UW, Washington or “U-Dub,” the University of Washington is a public research university. Founded in 1861, the school is one of the oldest colleges on the West Coast, and its original, largest campus is located in Seattle, Washington. UW also consists of two other schools in Bothell and Tacoma, and it occupies more than 500 buildings, 26 university libraries, and numerous conference centers.
University of Washington Accreditation Details
The University of Washington is a member of the Association of American Universities and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Individual colleges and schools are also members of the various accrediting associations in their respective fields.
University of Washington Application Requirements
In order to be accepted into the University of Washington Graduate School, students must complete an online application and pay the $85 nonrefundable application fee. Students are required to hold a minimum of a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university or college. All incoming students must provide a degree statement and transcript for verification. For entry into the online master’s program, students must have also earned at least a 3.0 grade-point-average from an accredited institution.
Tuition and Financial Aid
UW does not charge international or nonresident tuition rates. In other words, all MS students pay the same price per credit, which the school assesses annually and is subject to change each summer quarter. Students seeking an online Master of Finance degree can expect to pay $975 per credit. The complete 42-credit program costs approximately $40,950 in course fees, excluding UW student activity fees, the universal U-PASS for public transit, technology services, registration, and other UW student assessments and fees.
However, some students may be required or recommended to take pre-program courses to refresh their coursework or fill in gaps. These 400-level courses may be taken at a reduced rate of $500 per credit. In addition, the school offers limited financial aid and scholarship funding to students, and financial aid is typically evaluated at the time of application. Students should keep in mind that opportunities for funding through TA appointments or research are infrequent for online MS students. Also, upon an offer admission, online students must pay an Enrollment Confirmation Deposit (ECD) of $250.00 to reserve their place in the program. The amount of this deposit will be applied to the students’ account balances, but if a student chooses not to enroll in the program, the ECD is nonrefundable.
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