While a Master’s in Business Administration would be nice, it would also entail more time and money than some students want to invest. Fordham offers a specialized a one-year Master’s of Science in Quantitative Finance degree. The program offers a sharper focus on finance theory and quantitative methods.
According to an article that ran in the Wall Street Journal in December, “more students are looking to business schools for shorter and more focused alternatives to the M.B.A., with in-depth education in everything from science of management to international finance.”
Schools are beefing up the specialty programs they already offer and adding more to keep up with the increased demand, the article said.
Fordham’s Graduate School of Business Administration saw this trend coming. Two years ago, it debuted a Master of Science in Quantitative Finance.
Gautam Goswami, Ph.D., associate professor of finance, is director of the program.
Sris Chatterjee, Ph.D., associate professor and area chair of finance of finance and economics, said the MS in Quantitative Finance offers “hands on learning for students.”
“What people need today in this competitive environment is more specialized training,” Chatterjee said. “Students gain the quantitative tools they can use to solve complex financial problems, such as asset pricing and risk management.”
The program has proved successful and not just for graduates. Many MSQF students supplement their coursework by joining internships at companies, including Wachovia Securities, Standard and Poors, Alliance Bernstein, Morgan Stanley and Citizens Bank.
The MSQF is also an “excellent compliment” to the MBA, Chatterjee said.
For more information on other specialty programs offered at the Graduate School of Business Administration, visit the school’s Web site.
-Gina Vergel
