Before the program you are applying to is scheduled to begin, you should have taken—or have a plan in place to take—the prerequisite courses listed below for a grade of "B" or higher. You should also plan to take all of the pre-program courses in addition to the prerequisites to reinforce your understanding of the basic concepts.

Prerequisites include: 

For students who have not taken a math course in more than 5 years, we do recommend some type of refresher course in order to excel in the program.

Please note that you do not necessarily need to complete all of the prerequisites and coursework prior to submitting your application. However, you do need to have a clear plan in place to complete the coursework if you have not already done so via your prior studies between the time you submit your application and the time the program begins.

More information on Preparation Resources as well as where to take classes can be found in the MFE Preparation Resources.

Computer Programming Experience

  • C++ Programming
  • Advanced Python

  • Hands-on experience, whether through job or academic projects, with a low-level language such as C++, or a high-level language such as Python
  • An understanding of data ETL and algorithm design
  • Ability to pick-up a programming language is also very helpful, and therefore being comfortable with development tools such as Jupyter Notebooks, GitHub, CLEs goes a long way.

  • Hands-on experience with:
    • Training/validation/inference of AI/ML models from common open-source libraries
    • large data sets management through tools such as (and not limited to): kX (formerly kdb), Spark, Databricks/Snowflake
  • In-depth understanding, even experience, with memory management and algorithm optimization (I/O, alternative implementations with trade-offs in average vs worst-case complexity)

Quantitative Background

A strong quantitative background including multivariate calculus, linear algebra, partial differential equations, numerical analysis, and advanced statistics and probability.

Training in Finance

Sufficient training to undertake graduate study in the chosen field.

Language Skills

Excellent writing, speaking, and presentation skills (in English).

Learn More & Apply

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