Programme Structure 

• What was the employability of MFE students after graduation? What kind of career support will be provided by the School?

The NTU MFE Programme is offered under the auspices of a business school with the combined expertise the Nanyang Business School (NBS) and the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) in NTU. As a result, NTU MFE students learn about financial engineering within the context of business and economic principles, benefit from the expertise of faculty from the Business school as well as SPMS, and enjoy the additional advantages of the business school's career services, corporate contacts, and orientation towards business applications.

The NTU MFE programme also includes an optional 7-week term at Carnegie Mellon University, USA, bringing financial practices in the east and west live to the classrooms. Upon successful completion of the 7-week term, students will be awarded a Certificate in Computational Finance from CMU.

MBA: There are many differences between an MFE and MBA. Some of the differences are obvious, for example the MFE programme can be completed in 1 year (full-time study), while an MBA typically takes 2 years. The MFE is a graduate degree in a highly specialized type of Finance, and an MBA is a more general, well-rounded business degree, offering courses in areas such as Marketing, HR/Management, Strategy, Accounting and Finance. Most MBA programmes do not require the high-level of math, analytic ability, or computer programming experience required by the MFE programme. The combination of skills obtained by MFE graduates (understanding of complex financial strategies, financial modeling ability and computational proficiency) are difficult for employers to find in graduates of general MBA or Engineering programmes.

Other MSc Finance related programmes such as Applied Finance, Wealth Management etc.: Like the MBA programme, these programmes do not offer the combination of skills obtained by MFE graduates. These programmes have less emphasis on math and programming skills and do not offer a combination of finance, mathematics and computing.

CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst): The main difference is that a CFA is an independent certification process, not an academic distinction. Also, unlike the MFE programme, the CFA has little emphasis on math and programming skills to solve financial problems. Many people in the Finance Industry get their CFA in addition to advanced degrees in Finance. For some jobs it is desirable to have both, but they are not interchangeable by definition.

The MFE programme looks for candidates with a background in applied mathematics, applied science, statistics, computer science, engineering, economics, or other similar quantitative fields. Applicants from other disciplines with strong academic performance may also be considered. We are looking for individuals for whom the programme is a good "career-fit", and who are likely to have successful future careers. Above all, candidates will need to demonstrate that they have the commitment, experience, motivation and potential to benefit from, and contribute to, the programme.

Individuals who hold a good undergraduate degree can apply for admission to the programme. GRE or GMAT is a compulsory requirement for admission to this programme. Work experience is preferred but not mandatory. Please click here​ for details on admission requirements.

Though there is no specific degree requirement, most students will have undergraduate or graduate degrees in applied science, statistics, mathematics, engineering, computer science or other similar quantitative fields. Applicants from other disciplines will also be considered. The common requirement for all students in the programme is that they enter it with a high level of intellectual curiosity and a strong interest in finance.

The MFE programme is highly quantitative. While the math background of our students varies, most have taken engineering-level math courses beyond Calculus such as Differential Equations and Linear Algebra. If you have not done much math during your undergraduate study, you should be able to demonstrate your mathematical ability through other ways such as GMAT/GRE, good GCE ‘A’ Level (or high school equivalent) math, or work experience.

GMAT or GRE is required and a good GMAT or GRE score would enhance your application. The GMAT or GRE score provides us with another platform to evaluate your application especially if academic results, work experience, etc are not comparable with other applicants. Please note that a low GMAT or GRE score will not exclude your application from being considered. There is no minimum cut-off score for GMAT or GRE. Either the GMAT or GRE is accepted. Original copies of the test scores are required. You must have taken the test within the last five years of submitting your application.

No, every applicant is required to take GMAT/GRE, regardless of their academic background, prior qualifications or work experience. We receive many international applications, so it is very helpful to have one measure on which we can compare all candidates in the applicant pool.