Finance: Duisenberg Honours Programme in Finance and Technology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Data science: a shock to the financial system, or its biggest opportunity?

The availability of big data, in combination with rapidly increasing computing power, is uncovering mechanisms not visible before. Blockchain has the ability to fundamentally change the way we register and administer information. Networks provide the opportunity to build robust and stable interactions. Major challenges lie ahead in understanding what these fascinating new technologies imply for our financial infrastructure. These developments call for a new type of finance graduate.

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Finance: Duisenberg Honours Programme in Finance and Technology

The programme trains you to master traditional finance techniques in combination with developments in data science.

Having graduated from the programme, you’ll have the ability to understand the data techniques, how they can be applied in the financial sector, and how they can transform businesses. While you won’t be a data science specialist, you’ll form a bridge between the programmer and the manager. You’ll understand the technicians, apply the techniques in the financial sector, and sell them to the outside world.

To break it down:

• In the first period, you’ll study the structure of the financial sector and financial markets. You’ll also follow the first data science course on Python –  the most widely used programming language for big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
• In the second period, you’ll study financial econometrics as well as the main new data science techniques, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence and blockchain.
• In the third period, you’ll conduct a research project – applying your Python and machine learning skills, ideally through an internship or company assignment.
• In the fourth period, and fifth period, you can choose from a set of electives in which you’ll apply your data science knowledge to different financial settings. For example, you can choose how to run a HFT firm, how the payments landscape is changing, how to manage financial risks, how regulation is adopting to the latest innovations, or how to market your FinTech innovation.  
• During the last two periods, you’ll also write your Master’s thesis. Again, ideally you’ll be applying your knowledge at a large financial institution or start-up in practice.

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Finance: Duisenberg Honours Programme in Finance and Technology

On finishing the challenging honours programme, you will both have excellent data science and finance skills and know how to implement apply data science into the finance practice.

That is why you will stand out with a rare and specific skill set that is much needed in a wide variety of (financial) business sectors.

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Finance: Duisenberg Honours Programme in Finance and Technology

Admissions requirements with an international degree

The Duisenberg Honours Programme in Finance and Technology is aiming at highly ambitious students with a background in economics or business, who have a special interest in modern technology. Alternatively, students from a more technical bachelor programme, such as business analytics, (applied) mathematics, or physics, with some training in finance and economics might qualify. It is an 84 credit honours programme, which makes it quite challenging. It is less technically oriented than the Duisenberg Honours Programme in Quantitative Risk Management, but is broader as it focuses on the bridge function between data science and finance.    

In order to gain admission to our Master’s programme, you need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 EC or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score. You are admissible to this programme, provided you have a grade-point average of at least 7.0/10 and have successfully finished the following courses:

• Investments - Bodie, Kane, and Marcus: Investments, or equivalent
• Financial Markets and Institutions - Mishkin, Matthews and Guiliodori: Economics of Money, Banking and Financial Markets, Pearson or equivalent
• Mathematics - Sydsaeter, Hammond and Strom: Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, or equivalent
• Business Statistics - Berenson, Levine, Szabat: Basic Business Statistics, Pearson, or equivalent
• Programming - At least 6ec training and experience in a programming language (e.g., MatLab, Python, R, C++)

 English language requirements

The admission board wants to stress the intensity of the programme: reading scientific articles and writing papers will be a key part, all in a very high pace. Your English language skills, both oral and written, are extremely important in this programme. As you will have to communicate frequently with your fellow students and you will be working with and for international companies.

VU Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test. You can, however, begin your application without having the test results. Exceptions are made for students who have completed a bachelor or master in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia.

I have a Dutch university level (WO) bachelor’s degree (VU bachelor’s degree, VU premaster or bachelor’s degree at another university)

The Duisenberg Honours Programme in Finance and Technology is aiming at highly ambitious students with a background in economics or business, who have a special interest in modern technology. Alternatively, students from a more technical bachelor programme, such as business analytics, (applied) mathematics, or physics, with some training in finance and economics might qualify. It is an 84 credit honours programme, which makes it quite challenging. It is less technically oriented than the Duisenberg Honours Programme in Quantitative Risk Management, but is broader as it focuses on the bridge function between data science and finance.  

Admission requirements

In order to gain admission to our Master’s programme, you need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 EC or equivalent. We do not require a GRE or GMAT test score. You are admissible to this programme, provided you have a grade-point average of at least 7.0/10 and have successfully finished the following courses:

• Investments - Bodie, Kane, and Marcus: Investments, or equivalent
• Financial Markets and Institutions - Mishkin, Matthews and Guiliodori: Economics of Money, Banking and Financial Markets, Pearson or equivalent
• Mathematics - Sydsaeter, Hammond and Strom: Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Prentice Hall, or equivalent
• Business Statistics - Berenson, Levine, Szabat: Basic Business Statistics, Pearson, or equivalent
• Programming - At least 6ec training and experience in a programming language (e.g., MatLab, Python, R, C++)

This MSc is an honours programme, which means we select the students for this program on the basis of:

•     Motivation letter
•     Grade average achieved in the Bachelor program

Approval is in most cases given to students who hold a Bachelor degree in:

•     Econometrics
•     Economics with sufficient quantitative elements
•     Engineering with sufficient finance elements
•     Physics with sufficient finance elements
•     Computer Science with sufficient finance elements
•     (Applied) Mathematics with sufficient finance elements

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Übersicht der Masterstudiengänge - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

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