Quantitative Financial Economics (MS)
Program Code: G-QFE-MS
Degree Designation: Master of Science
Department: Economics Department
Website: gradschool.duke.edu/academics/programs-degrees/quantitative-financial-economics
Program Summary
Students preparing to enter the Quantitative Financial Economics Program will find an undergraduate background in mathematics, engineering, computer science, statistics, and economics to be very helpful. It is designed to train and develop quantitative skills linked to economics, finance, and related areas to prepare graduates for PhD studies or related professions. Graduates will be awarded an MS in quantitative financial economics as their degree.
Academic Requirements
The MQFE program requires a minimum of 30 graded course credits in financial economics and related fields. Students’ course selections are based on their specific interests and on recommendations made by their academic advisors in order to meet their longer-run goals. Courses offered through The Graduate School—those listed under the subject Graduate Studies (GS)—do not count toward the 30-course credit requirement.
All MQFE students must complete five core courses (15 course credits) offered by the Economics department; the following 3 credit classes: Economics 571, 623, 672, and 676; and the following 1.5 credit classes: 882: Finance in Macroeconomics, and Economics 885: Continuous Time Finance. Students must also complete a combination of five electives (15 course credits), which may include: Economics 514, 573, 590: Regulation & Ethics in Financial Markets, 674, 883: Time Series. Certain other Master’s level economics courses (500-699) and PhD-level economics courses (700-999), as well as 900-level finance courses at Fuqua. Certain courses in the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics departments may also be taken for elective credit with advance approval from the student’s advisor. Students must also complete a Capstone course from among a list of approved such courses.
Each student has a completion meeting with their committee, involving presentation and discussion of either a portfolio of completed work from course projects and papers, and/or a summary of applied work from an internship, and/or an independent study project mentored by a faculty member. The completion exercise will be reviewed and approved for master’s credit by the student’s faculty advisor in conjunction with the MQFE director. Each student will be expected to submit a hard copy of the portfolio to the committee two weeks prior to the completion date.