Academic Programs > Master Programs > MFIN > Program Structure
The MFIN has five major instructional components: the common core, the pathway focus, the capstone applied project, the practical activities module, and the professional development and career planning unit.
All MFIN students complete the common core (CC).
In the nine CC courses students examine a broad variety of financial products, markets, and players in these markets. CC courses encompass the
theoretical framework and analytical tools essential to a thorough understanding of the principles of advanced finance, and are taught by
full-time professors who bring their practical experiences and know-how into the classroom.
On completion of the CC students will have explored current concepts and best practices in finance, while developing a holistic and cross
functional view of their own experience and finance in general.
On successful completion of the CC, MFIN students are streamed into the pathway focus (PF) where they enroll in a suite of seven courses according to their chosen area of specialization. The MFIN offers pathways in financial engineering, hedge funds and private equity, and international wealth management.
Financial engineering is a cross-disciplinary field that relies on mathematical finance, numerical methods, and computer simulations to make trading,
hedging, and investment decisions. It also facilitates the risk management of those decisions. Practitioners of financial engineering aim to precisely
determine the financial risk that certain financial instruments create by utilizing a range of methods.
Financial engineering is a mathematically oriented discipline so the ideal MFIN-FE applicant will be comfortable with quantitative reasoning and
computational techniques. MFIN-FE courses are highly quantitative; prior financial knowledge or work experience is not essential to be successful in
the program.
Although applications are accepted from a wide range of undergraduate majors, students with a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in mathematics,
statistics, quantitative economics, engineering, computer sciences, physics, or similar quantitative fields are ideal candidates.
The MFIN-FE is a mathematically-oriented degree intended for students who aspire to a career where they will apply theoretical finance and computer
modeling skills to make pricing, hedging, trading, and portfolio management decisions. Courses and projects emphasize the practical applications of
these skills while providing the rigorous theoretical framework essential to a thorough understanding of the principles of financial engineering. As
well, students master the programming and computing skills necessary to implement financial models and strategies.
MFIN-FE students learn established financial models and techniques, recognize their reach and limitations, and apply them to a variety of investment
situations. Graduates will possess a comprehensive technical knowledge of arbitrage, hedging, futures and options pricing, portfolio management,
trading, and dynamic investment strategies in bond, currency, options, and other financial markets. They will be able to combine these analytical
skills with business sense to manipulate, analyze, and interpret data, and devise original approaches to complex problems in order to make sound
investment or risk management decisions.
The MFIN-FE prepares students for a wide range of careers with financial institutions, financial service providers, suppliers of financial consulting
services, financial software and systems providers, and corporate treasuries. Specific areas where MFIN-FE graduates might be employed are primary and
derivative securities trading, quantitative modeling of derivatives, structured products, portfolio management, risk management and analysis, corporate
financial engineering, hedge fund strategies and management, and fund of hedge fund management and analysis.
The MFIN-HF is aimed at students who wish to master the full spectrum of traditional and alternative investment strategies on a global scale.
Graduates will display an understanding of all aspects of the investment process employed by hedge funds and private equity firms: from data analysis
and management to quantitative modeling; from securities trading to portfolio management; from risk management to back office and compliance, and
reporting performance and risks.
MFIN-HF graduates will acquire the technical and operational knowledge to coordinate and supervise the different departments of a complex investment
firm. They are business savvy and have the strategic vision that will help firms attain superior performance.
The MFIN-HF pathway requires a combination of quantitative and qualitative skills, and excellent oral and written communication skills. Due to the
complex and quantitative nature of many products and strategies, the ideal MFIN-HF candidate will be analytically oriented and comfortable with
quantitative reasoning and advanced spreadsheet applications. While prior financial work experience is not essential, a fair knowledge of international
financial markets and products is desirable.
Although applications are accepted from a wide range of undergraduate majors, ideal candidates will possess a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in
business management and administration, international business, finance, economics, or accounting. Candidates with previous graduate degrees (for
example, an MBA) and financial work experience will be given special consideration.
The MFIN-HF prepares students for careers in financial consulting, corporate financial strategy, investment banking, asset management, hedge fund
management, fund of hedge fund management, private equity investing, and structured product sales.
The MFIN-IWM is based on an up-to-date curriculum developed in association with the Certified International Wealth Manager organization (CIWM) based
in Zurich and offers balanced instruction from both academic experts and practicing financial professionals.
The MFIN-IWM pathway focuses on wealth management in a truly international context. It aims to produce graduates who can meet the investment management
needs of high net worth individuals: Surveys by Merrill Lynch and Cap Gemini-Ernst & Young indicate that the 8 million individuals globally with more
than US$1 million available for investment is expected to grow by 10% per year in the period 2007-10.
From September to April MFIN-IWM students complete all common core and pathways courses at IUM. On successful completion of this period of intensive
learning they sit for the Intermediate Level Exam (Level I) of the CIWM in Monaco.
After passing this examination students embark on the capstone applied project which is discussed later in the leaflet.
On successful completion of the capstone applied project students will sit for the final CIWM® examination (this requires an intensive preparation of
100 hours). Providing all graduation requirements have been met MFIN-IWM students will be awarded the MFIN-IWM and the CIWM® certificate on graduation.
The MFIN-IWM is designed for students and professionals who wish to master a wide range of wealth management techniques and plan to pursue a career as
a financial advisor or client advisor, or in private banking, asset management, or family office. Graduates will also be qualified as investment
advisors to affluent private investors, as well as to high net worth individuals who wish to invest and maintain wealth for future generations.
Potential candidates include family members whose assets are in transition from illiquidity to liquidity, or families in which management is shifting
from one generation to the next.
Although applications are accepted from a wide range of undergraduate majors, ideal candidates will possess a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in
business management and administration, international business, finance, economics, or accounting. Candidates with previous graduate degrees (for
example, an MBA) and financial work experience will be given special consideration.
The MFIN culminates in a required capstone applied project (CAP) in an area where a student wishes to specialize.
The CAP may take three forms.
Students may complete a research thesis during which they work under the guidance of an academic advisor. After reviewing the latest specialized
research on a current finance problem, students create a usable tool or model providing a practical and original solution then work in collaboration
with a faculty expert.
The CAP may take the form of an applied research project working with one of the firms associated with IUM in Monaco, Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt, London,
Singapore, or another financial center.
Finally, the CAP may involve completing a structured internship. IUM will encourage and assist MFIN students to undertake internships - especially in
the field of wealth management and private banking - with prestigious enterprises to enable them to begin their international career with the most
up-to-date expertise.
The practical activities module offers MFIN students direct contact with the financial world. It consists of seminars, guest lectures and financial
conferences, firm and educational visits, and supervised field projects.
Seminars in the practical activities module focus on aspects of the finance industry such as behavioral finance, structured products, volatility and correlation trading, and exotic options that fall outside the coursework components of the program but are nevertheless extremely important. Please note that MFIN students may audit courses offered in pathways other than the one they have chosen provided there is no schedule conflict.
IUM enables students to access numerous events such as investor conferences and hedge fund symposia in Monaco and elsewhere, and offers them first-hand contact with high profile experts and financial managers who visit IUM as guest lecturers on a weekly basis. Because of IUM's location, students are often invited to a wide range of social and professional events. Past activities have included monthly Bankers Association meetings, participation in the NeXT Generation Entrepreneurs Forum. Students also take part in discussion forums, seminars, and workshops throughout the year that provide an opportunity to meet with successful executives from many different industries and countries.
The University organizes firm visits in Monaco and educational visits to major financial centers around the world. During these visits students visit financial exchanges, investment banks, private equity firms, hedge funds and funds of hedge funds, and wealth management firms; and have the opportunity to talk and interact with senior executives and junior employees. In 2006 destinations included London, Geneva, Zurich and the Swiss canton of Zug.
Highly motivated MFIN students will have the opportunity to work on practical financial projects proposed to them by IUM's network of corporate
partners during the program. Chief among these is the principal corporate sponsor of the MScFE: Alpstar Management. Alpstar Management is a member of
the DMF Group, an international investment management organization headquartered in Geneva and with offices in Paris, London, New York, Nassau, and
Monaco.
In recent projects students created a platform for merger arbitrage investing on a quantitative basis and a tool for statistical arbitrage in illiquid
markets.
As part of a University tradition, four IUM graduate students take part in the Rotman International Trading Competition held in Toronto in February or
March each year.
The Office of Career Development and Corporate Relations (OCD) assists students in leveraging their unique professional and personal abilities, and
guides them in their pursuit of a successful career.
The OCD has built its services as a coherent and structured educational program around three types of activities: the Personal Development Program (PDP),
designed to identify and enhance students' potential in view of their future careers; interactive workshops designed to build each student's personal
marketing strategy and job search approach; and the cultivation of corporate relationships dedicated to developing connections with the professional
world, stimulating networking opportunities, and soliciting job offers.
An important component of the PDP is the Mentorship Program. This initiative connects eligible students with local business leaders who volunteer to
share their knowledge and experience, and help guide students into a suitable career choice. All students meet individually with their mentor
throughout the year for professional and personal guidance. IUM regards its mentors as "artists of encouragement." All the mentors in the 2006-2007
Mentorship Program are or have been CEOs or managing directors of corporations.