Financial Technology Major

Educational Objectives

• Key technologies of the FinTech industry, including artificial intelligence (AI) & machine learning (ML) & natural language processing (NPL), blockchain & cryptocurrency, and smart contracts.
• Relevant programming skills.
• Recent innovations in the financial services industry, including payment, credit, capital markets, insurance, and real estate.
• The limitations and challenges of FinTech (e.g., inclusion, regulation).
• Emerging areas for entrepreneurial opportunities in the FinTech sector
• The operational and strategic goals of financial institutions and intermediaries, and how technology is reshaping not only the traditional areas of finance (e.g., alternative lending ("alt- finance")) and wealth management but also in related fields such as insurance ("Insur-tech") and real estate.
• The information and communication tools, technologies, and standards integral to consumer, merchant, and enterprise services in the payments and financial service sectors. These technologies span messaging, communication networks and gateways, core processing, mobile and online software, and application program interfaces (APIs).
• The basic legal frameworks of the U.S. banking and securities sectors, how new technologies ("FinTech") are transforming legacy banking and securities business models, and how new information technologies may be able to deliver financial services to communities historically excluded from the banking and/or securities sectors.

Program Distribution Requirements for the Financial Technology Major

MQP must have a business focus related to FinTech.