General Information
MQF has both the part-time and full-time programme. The part-time track takes 24 months to complete, while the full-time track takes 12 months to complete. For the full-time programme ONLY, students may choose between two tracks: (1) Singapore-based Track, or (2) International Track for which students will need to spend two terms in London, UK.
While no work experience is required for the full-time track, any relevant experience might be helpful. Work experience is strongly preferred for the part-time track.
The MQF programme equips finance and banking industry professionals and fresh graduates with current knowledge, skills, and industry best practices in risk management, algorithmic trading, portfolio optimisation, model validation, pricing and hedging across multiple asset classes and markets.
On the other hand, the MAF programme is ideal for finance (or related fields) practitioners who wish to pursue their Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation or wish to enhance their knowledge and skills in applied finance.
Both MAF and MQF programmes are applicable to candidates planning to switch career from non-finance to the finance and banking industries.
Both tracks offer the same curriculum and list of modules, both core and elective. The key difference lies in the exposure, where students of the International track will spend 3 months in Cass Business School in London completing 5 core modules, and students of the Singapore track will complete their entire programme in SMU. The additional exposure offered by the International track can be a valuable addition to resumes.
Admission requirements for the two tracks are similar, with an additional mandatory IELTS requirement for all applicants to the International track as imposed by the UK government. All applicants are encouraged to decide carefully on the track of choice, as switching between tracks will strictly not be entertained once the programme begins.
The programme provides graduates a bridge to enter the finance and banking industries, especially those that require a high degree of computing and mathematical skills.
For some current examples of quantitative finance jobs available in Singapore, please refer to https://www.quantaccountants.co.uk/sector/contractors-freelancers/.
