Specialisation: Financial Technology

Through MISCADA’s FinTech specialisation, students will be introduced to the mathematical principles behind modern financial markets. Financial mathematics draws on tools from probability theory, statistics, partial differential equations, and scientific computing, and is widely used in investment banks, hedge funds, insurance companies, corporate treasuries, and regulatory agencies to solve such problems as derivative pricing, portfolio selection, and risk management.

The FinTech specialisation has a very strong mathematical flavour and educates students who will later on work within the quantitative divisions of fintech companies. To succeed, you need a very strong mathematical background (BSc in maths in recommended).

Advanced Financial Technologies

develops your understanding of financial technologies, with a particular emphasis on the practical implementation of innovations such as distributed ledgers, smart contracts, and decentralized finance. In this module, you will also gain hands-on experience in designing and deploying financial infrastructures

Financial Mathematics

introduces the mathematical theory of financial products and provides advanced knowledge and critical understanding of the pricing of financial products and derivatives.

Preparation/Reading list

To prepare for this specialisation area, we recommend consulting An Introduction to Financial Option Valuation by D. Higham for an overview of some relevant financial concepts and models (Durham library access: here), and Introduction to the Mathematics of Finance by R. Williams for a thorough mathematical treatment (Durham library access: here). Both of these books will also serve as good companions to MATH52230. A full reading list will be provided once term starts.