QUANTITATIVE

WHAT IS A QUANTITATIVE FINANCE B.S. MAJOR? CAREER POSSIBILITIES

he B.S. degree with a major in quantitative finance §§ Commodities Analyst §§ Pension Fund Manager is designed to prepare students for careers in T §§ Consultant financial , structured finance, , §§ Portfolio Analyst securitization, , financial analysis and portfolio §§ Emerging Markets §§ Portfolio Manager management. Derivatives Trader §§ Quantitative The focus of this major is on problem-solving in the §§ Financial Analyst Management Associate quantitative areas of finance, with an added emphasis on §§ Financial Engineer the application of complex securities to a variety of financial §§ Research Analyst situations. §§ Financial Product §§ Risk Consultant Designer §§ Securities Pricing QUANTITATIVE FINANCE IS... §§ Financial Risk Manager Analyst §§ Investment Analyst §§ Securities Trader §§ a highly structured program, requiring minors in both Underwriter and , engaging the students §§ Mutual Fund Manager in the application of mathematics and economics to financial decision-making §§ exploring analytical, technical approaches to problem solving, crucial in the development of the critical thinking CO-CURRICULAR ORGANIZATIONS skills demanded in the ever-changing financial landscape §§ Madison Investment Fund §§ Madison Venture Group §§ Association §§ Beta Alpha Psi

Michael Habib James Madison University ‘17 Chief Risk Officer, Madison Investment Fund

‘The Quantitative Finance program at JMU is a unique program for undergraduate students that provides rewarding rigor and challenge. This program has given me a vast array of technical skills, and its collaborative environment has allowed me to develop my soft skills such as communication and teamwork.’

CONTACT INFORMATION

Finance and Business Law Department Academic Success Center

Dr. Hui Sono Michelle Duncan Department Head Academic Advisor Zane Showker 315 Zane Showker 205 (540) 568-6530 (540) 568-3078 [email protected] [email protected] QUANTITATIVE FINANCE WITH A MINOR IN ECONOMICS AND MATH

Degree Requirements Mathematics Courses General Education MATH 235 - Calculus I Scientific Literacy requirement MATH 236 - Calculus II Free electives MATH 237 - Calculus III Major requirements (listed below) and electives MATH 238 - Linear Algebra and Differential Equations Total 120 credit hours MATH 248 - Computer Methods in Engineering and Science MATH 318 - Introduction to Probability and General Degree Course COB 241 - Financial Accounting MATH Elective (Select one) MATH 423 - Stochastic Processes Finance Courses MATH 424 - Statistical Decision Theory FIN 250 - Introduction to Quantitative Finance MATH 426 - Probability and Mathematical Statistics I FIN 365 - Intermediate Financial Management MATH 440 - Fourier Analysis and Partial Differential Equations FIN 371 - Principles of Investments FIN 380 - Elemental and Securities Economics Courses FIN/MATH 395 - ECON 200 - Introduction to Macroeconomics FIN/MATH 405 - Securities Pricing ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomic Theory FIN 450 - Financial ECON 331 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory FIN 480 - Seminar in Financial Engineering ECON 332 - Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory ECON 385 - Econometrics (or MATH 322 - Applied Linear Regression) FIN Elective (Select one) Plus one other upper-level economics elective FIN/MATH 328 - Time Series Analysis FIN/ECON 372 - and Payments FIN 451 - Risk Management II FIN 471 - Advanced Topics in Investments FIN 475 - Financial Modeling and Risk Analysis

QUANTITATIVE FINANCE/MATHEMATICS DOUBLE MAJOR

Degree Requirements Economics Courses General Education ECON 200 - Introduction to Macroeconomics Scientific Literacy requirement ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomic Theory Free electives ECON 331 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory Major requirements (listed below) and electives Mathematics Courses Total 120 credit hours MATH 235 - Calculus I General Degree Course MATH 236 - Calculus II COB 241 - Financial Accounting MATH 237 - Calculus III MATH 238 - Linear Algebra and Differential Equations Finance Courses MATH 245 - Discrete Mathematics FIN 250 - Introduction to Quantitative Finance MATH 248 - Computer Methods in Engineering and Science FIN 365 - Intermediate Financial Management MATH 318 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics FIN 371 - Principles of Investments MATH 410 - Advanced Calculus I FIN 380 - Elemental and Derivative Securities MATH 430 - Abstract Algebra I FIN/MATH 395 - Mathematical Finance FIN/MATH 405 - Securities Pricing MATH Electives FIN 450 - Financial Risk Management (Select one) FIN 480 - Seminar in Financial Engineering MATH 411 - Advanced Calculus II MATH 431 - Abstract Algebra II FIN Elective (Select one) MATH 435 - Introduction to Topography FIN/MATH 328 - Time Series Analysis MATH 441 - Analysis and Dynamics of Differential Equations FIN/ECON 372 - International Finance and Payments FIN 451 - Risk Management II (Select one) FIN 471 - Advanced Topics in Investments MATH 322 - Applied Linear Regression FIN 475 - Financial Modeling and Risk Analysis MATH 423 - Stochastic Processes FIN 488 - Advanced Financial Policy MATH 424 - Statistical Decision Theory MATH 426 - Probability and Mathematical Statistics I MATH 440 - Fourier Analysis and Partial Differential Equations RISK MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

focus in risk management is designed for quantitative Required Courses A finance majors pursuing a more in-depth review of the FIN 380 - Elemental and Derivative Securities Analysis issues facing organizations and the tools needed to address FIN 450 - Financial Risk Management those uncertainties. FIN 451 - Risk Management II In the risk management concentration, students focus on the FIN 475 - Financial Modeling and Risk Analysis theory of risk management, risk identification, risk measurement and applications in the form of risk modeling techniques such as FIN 380 and FIN 450 are requirements for quantitative finance majors and FIN 451 and FIN 475 are possible electives for this Value-at-Risk and Monte Carlo simulations. major.

SOFTWARE & TECHNICAL SKILLS DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS §§ Bloomberg §§ Gaglioti Capital Markets Laboratory with 11 Bloomberg §§ Statistics (SAS) terminals § §§ Finance Databases such as CRSP and Compustat § CFA University Recognition program § §§ Excel VBA § Student-run Madison Invest Fund won 1st place in the core investment competition at the 2019 Global Asset §§ Matlab Management Education Forum

QFIN MAJOR WITH ECON AND MATH MINORS

Freshman - 1st Semester Freshman - 2nd Semester Sophomore - 1st Semester Sophomore - 2nd Semester MATH 235 ECON 201 MATH 237 FIN 250 ECON 200 COB 241 GenEd MATH 238 GenEd MATH 236 GenEd MATH 318 GenEd GenEd GenEd MATH 248 GenEd GenEd GenEd GenEd

Junior - 1st Semester Junior - 2nd Semester Senior - 1st Semester Senior - 2nd Semester FIN 365* FIN 395 FIN 405 FIN elective FIN 371* ECON 332 FIN 450 FIN 480 FIN 380* ECON 385 MATH Elective Economics Elective ECON 331 GenEd GenEd GenEd GenEd GenEd GenEd

Financial Risk Management Concentration

Junior - 1st Semester Junior - 2nd Semester Senior - 1st Semester Senior - 2nd Semester FIN 365* FIN 395 FIN 405 FIN 451* FIN 371* ECON 332 FIN 450 FIN 480 FIN 380* ECON 385 FIN 475 GenEd ECON 331 Economics Elective MATH Elective GenEd GenEd GenEd GenEd

* FIN 365, FIN 371 and FIN 380 requires a minimum of a C in FIN 250; FIN 450 requires a B- in FIN 380; FIN 451 requires a B- in FIN 450 STEPS TO CAREER SUCCESS

FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE JUNIOR SENIOR

§§ Adjust to campus life §§ Participate in the CoB §§ Apply for internships §§ Update your resume Career KickStart §§ Explore majors §§ Practice with mock §§ Practice with mock §§ Identify skills and interviews and interviews and §§ Build rapport with interests InterviewStream InterviewStream faculty §§ Continue to work on §§ Attend JMU Career §§ Apply for full-time §§ Establish a solid GPA your resume and build and Internship Fairs positions §§ Join a student a reference list §§ Seek leadership roles §§ Follow up on job leads organization §§ Activate your on campus (e.g., §§ Network with business §§ Attend professional Handshake account student organizations) professionals and JMU development events §§ Create a LinkedIn §§ Join a professional alumni §§ Consider study abroad profile organization related to §§ Use the on-campus programs your interests §§ Attend JMU Career recruiting program §§ Practice professional and Internship Fairs §§ Consider graduate (OCR) behavior school §§ Attend career related §§ Connect with the JMU §§ Create a resume/make events §§ Develop a job search Alumni Relations office an appointment with strategy §§ Research employers §§ Apply to graduate a career advisor to §§ Network and conduct school review §§ Apply for externship/ informational internship §§ Negotiate salary §§ Ask your network interviews with about part time/ §§ Join a CoB student business professionals summer job leads organization and JMU alumni §§ Shadow professionals §§ Apply for a CoB §§ Participate in case in a field of interest Career Trek competitions to you §§ Apply for a study §§ Polish your online abroad program presence

Choosing/Changing Majors Resource Center Student Success Center Job Search/Graduate School Room 3210 Career Counseling (540) 568-6555 On-Campus Interviewing [email protected] Handshake Questions https://www.jmu.edu/cap Employer Relations

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS CLASS OF 2018 PROFILE

Average Starting QFIN Salary $69,825 95% of CoB graduates are employed, in Average Starting CoB Salary $57,837 continuing education or engaged in other career related endeavors. % CoB Jobs with Signing Bonus 58% Average CoB Signing Bonus $5,580 The Class of 2018 includes 800 students graduating August 2017, December 2017 and May 2018.

Updated 9/2019