The objective of the MS in Financial Engineering program is the training of graduate students with engineering, applied mathematics or physics backgrounds in the application of mathematical and engineering tools to finance.
This multidisciplinary education program involves the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Marshall School of Business and the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences (Department of Economics). Financial engineering uses tools from finance and economics, engineering, applied mathematics, and statistics to address problems such as derivative securities valuation, strategic planning and dynamic investment strategies, risk management, etc. Graduates with these skills are of interest to investment and commercial banks, trading companies, hedge funds, insurance companies, corporate risk managers, and regulatory agencies etc.
International Students: This program is eligible for the OPT STEM extension.
Please Note: Requirements for graduation, course offerings, course availability, track offerings, and any other degree requirements are subject to change. Students should consult with an academic advisor prior to registering for any classes.- A minimum of 30 units is required for the MS in Financial Engineering degree
- Every plan of study requires prior written approval by the contact faculty of the program
- Required courses: 18 units
- 2 advisor-approved electives in the areas of finance, business, and economics: 6-8 units
- 2 advisor-approved electives in the areas of optimization, simulations, and stochastic systems: 6-8 units
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required for graduation
Detailed Program Curriculum and RequirementsSchedule of ClassesAPPLICATION DEADLINES| SEMESTER | DEADLINE |
|---|
| Spring 2021 (Final Deadline) | September 15, 2020 |
| Spring 2021 (Scholarship Consideration Deadline) | August 31, 2020 |
| Fall 2021 (Final Deadline) | January 15, 2021 |
| Fall 2021 (Scholarship Consideration Deadline) | December 15, 2020 |
| |
Visit our
Application Deadlines page for more information.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTSBachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in any engineering or engineering-related disciplines including but not limited to: Finance, Mathematics, Financial Engineering, Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, Physics, Business Administration, and Accounting.
The following materials are required to be included with your online application:
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTSEnglish Language Proficiency: In addition to application requirements above, international students whose first language is not English are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS. There is no minimum TOEFL or IELTS score required for admission to the Viterbi School. For possible exemption from additional language requirements, you must achieve an Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 90, with no less than 20 on each section or an IELTS score of 6.5, with no less than 6 on each band score. Please review USC Graduate Admission – Proficiency in English.
USC GRADUATE APPLICATION
The following is an overview of the tuition & fees for graduate engineering students. Both on-campus and DEN@Viterbi students pay the same tuition.
TUITION
| Academic Year | Per Unit Rate | 3-unit Course | 4-unit Course |
|---|
| Fall 2020 - Summer 2021 | $2,148 | $6,444 | $8,592 |
| Fall 2019 - Summer 2020 | $2,075 | $6,225 | $8,300 |
TUITION & SAMPLE COURSE PLAN FOR 30 UNIT PROGRAM
STUDENT FEES
| Fee Description | Fee Amount | On-Campus | DEN@Viterbi |
|---|
| Mandatory Fees (approximate) | Fall 2019: $475
Spring 2020: $420 | | |
| Health Insurance | Fall 2019: $730
Spring 2020: $1,311 | | |
| Norman Topping Student Aid Fee | $8/semester | | |
| ENGR Computing Access Fee (On-Campus students) | $75/semester |
| |
| ENGR Computing Access Fee (DEN@Viterbi students) | $35/semester | |
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| Exam Proctoring | $40 - $100 per course | | |
Detailed Information on Tuition & Fees
Want to find out where our graduating class of 2019 Financial Engineering Master’s students did their internships and where they went after commencement? Visit our Electrical and Computer Engineering Employment Outcomes page. (Financial Engineering is listed after all of the other ECE programs.)
This program is also available online to professional engineers through DEN@Viterbi. Because the DEN@Viterbi program provides a fully equivalent academic experience, the degree a USC engineering student earns is the same whether they are on-campus or online.
If you are interested in beginning classes as a DEN@Viterbi student next semester, explore the requirements and steps to enrolling as a Limited Status Student.
Learn More About DEN@Viterbi
Detailed Program Curriculum and RequirementsSchedule of Classes
DEN@VITERBI ONLINE COURSE OFFERINGS
The following courses and program requirements serve as program planning for DEN@Viterbi students. Course offerings and availability are subject to change. Please consult with advisor if you have any questions.
| Required Courses |
| All Courses Required – 17 units total. |
| GSBA 548 | Corporate Finance (3 units)* |
| ISE 563 | Financial Engineering (3 units) |
| EE 503 | Probability for Electrical and Computer Engineers (4 units) |
| EE 512 | Stochastic Processes (3 units) |
| EE 518 | Mathematics and Tools for Financial Engineering (4 units) |
| Do NOT register for the 2-unit version of GSBA 548. |
| Elective Courses |
| Two Courses from each area – 6-8 units from each respective area total. |
| Finance, Business, and Economics Area |
| FBE 543 | Forecasting and Risk Analysis (3 units) |
| FBE 555 | Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management (3 units) |
| Optimization, Simulations, and Stochastic Systems Area |
| CSCI 455x | Introduction to Programming Systems Design or CS 570 (4 units) |
| CSCI 570 | Analysis of Algorithms or CS 455 (4 units) |
| ISE 525 | Design of Experiments (3 units) |
| ISE 536 | Linear Programming and Extensions (3 units) |
Please complete the following form for more information.
