NC State’s Financial Math program continues recognition as global leader

The Master of Science in Financial Mathematics (MFM) program at NC State was recently awarded the sixth position in the 2022 Risk.net annual rankings of the top 25 quantitative financial master’s programs globally. The MFM program also received recognition this year by the 2022 QuantNet ranking of the best financial engineering programs, ranking 13th nationally.

These rankings are based on a variety of factors that include class size, acceptance rate, ratio of students to lecturers, number of industry guest lectures, employment rate and average salary six months after graduation. Specific to the Risk.net ranking, 55% of the total ranking is established by employment rate and average salary of graduates 6 months upon completion of the program. According to the most recent December 2020 data, graduates from the MFM program have obtained an average salary of close to $110,000 and there is a 100% employment rate.

The program’s recent recognition and success is evidence of the exceptional faculty and combined interdisciplinary approach unique to the MFM program. Admitted students come from a variety of academic disciplines including Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Statistics, Economics, Finance. Students can select concentrations or tracks depending on their specific career aspirations. These tracks include risk management, data science for finance, portfolio management, actuarial science, and PhD preparation. In addition to these unique career tracks, during the summer, students can choose industry-originated projects under the supervision of industry mentors and faculty that provide increased real-world experience.

Along with these experiential learning opportunities, another unique aspect of the MFM program is the established Financial Math Ambassadors program. This leadership opportunity allows current MFM graduate students the ability to lead their peers as project managers, support industry guest lecturers, and gain further professional experience.

To support the students further, the MFM program also provides career development training, networking events, and a dedicated career services director, whose background includes over a decade of experience in career counseling and placement.

“We help our students achieve excellence and become extraordinary,” said Professor Tao Pang, PhD, CFA, FRM, Director of the MFM program. “At NC State, we work with each individual student based on their background and career goals. Our program is not only a place for students to get their degrees, but also a place to pursue their dreams. We are proud to be one of the best quantitative finance programs worldwide and are excited to see that the quality of our program is recognized by these rankings.”

For more information about the MFM program at NCSU visit: https://financial.math.ncsu.edu/