AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH Regularly ranked 1 across several global academic rankings, Princeton BCF’s two-year Master in Finance program provides students with the necessary background in financial economics, data analysis and technology, financial engineering, and computational methods to earn competitive positions in both the public and private sectors.
As an interdisciplinary program, the degree’s curriculum is strengthened by drawing from a variety of departments across Princeton, including the Department of Economics, the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering, the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Mathematics, and more.
Over the last several years, the program has expanded to include new courses in machine learning, fintech, data science and entrepreneurship, and more. In all its coursework and activities, the program educates and trains students at the frontiers of finance so they are prepared to lead at the world’s most innovative firms and organizations.
WHAT SEPARATES THE MASTER IN FINANCE FROM AN MBA Many prospective students inquire about the differences between the Master in Finance program and a traditional MBA. While an MBA is valuable for understanding corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions, the Master in Finance degree has become the preferred degree for algorithmic trading, quantitative asset management, risk management, derivatives pricing and trading, fixed income analytics, and other areas where the pricing and analysis of complex securities require significant quantitative input. The program also prepares students for opportunities outside of traditional investment banking, including opportunities in insurance, commercial banking, commodities and energy trading, and risk management for traditional industrial companies.
GO FURTHER WITH PRINCETON BCF Regularly placing among the top schools across several global academic rankings, Princeton Bendheim Center for Finance offers innovative, interdisciplinary academic programs and conducts research activities to shape existing practices and knowledge around modern finance and monetary economics.
The Master in Finance degree prepares students for a wide range of careers both inside and outside the financial industry, including financial engineering and risk management, quantitative asset management, macroeconomic and financial forecasting, quantitative trading, and applied research. Enrolling approximately 35 students out of more than 600 applicants, the program is highly competitive.
You’ll learn theory from top Princeton faculty and academic researchers, while also gaining practical skills from leaders in the financial services industry.
APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE Prospective students interested in applying to the Master in Finance Program should apply through the Graduate School at Princeton University. The application deadline is January 3.
Students will be required to submit academic transcripts, including math courses taken, three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. GRE or GMAT test scores are accepted, but not required. For students whose primary language is not English or who did not either complete their entire undergraduate instruction entirely in English or at least one year of full-time graduate instruction entirely in English, TOEFL, DET, or IELTS test scores are required.
All applicants should receive a response to their application by March 15. Due to the large number of candidates that apply each year, it is not possible for us to inform applicants if their applications are incomplete, or give other information during the review process.
Admitted students will need to respond by April 15. On-campus housing will be guaranteed only to students.
