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JMU Major: Quantitative Finance
Description of the Major | Degrees Offered | Concentrations | Minors |
Declaring the Major | Progressing in the Major

Description of the Major

The quantitative finance major is highly quantitative and computer intensive, and is designed to prepare you for careers in financial engineering, structured finance, financial modeling, securitization, actuarial science and portfolio management. The focus of this major is on problem solving in quantitative areas of finance with an added emphasis on the application of complex securities to a variety of financial situations. This interdisciplinary major is a highly structured program that requires you to minor in both mathematics and economics. Many quantitative finance majors choose to complete a second major in mathematics or economics.

You should consult with your adviser as early as possible to identify the appropriate sequence of courses. You should start planning your program in your freshman year because of the significant prerequisites and the fact that some of the upper-level courses are only offered once per year. The first finance course that you take is Introduction to Quantitative Finance (FIN 250), during the spring semester of their sophomore year. You are encouraged to complete a summer internship between the sophomore and junior years, as well as between your junior and senior years.

The faculty prides itself on staying current and innovative through a commitment to excellence in education and research. In our classes we emphasize both a theoretical understanding of financial management and markets as well as the practical application in relating financial and economic theory to real-world problems. The Department of Finance and Business Law faculty members have published in journals including the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, the Financial Analysts Journal and the Journal of Futures Markets. Faculty members have also published numerous books, cases and monographs.

Degrees Offered

B.S.

Concentrations

None

Minors

None

Declaring the Major

New Freshmen and Transfer Students
Declare the quantitative finance major when you register for orientation.

Currently Enrolled Major Changers
Submit a "Change or Declaration of Major" form to the College of Business, Office of Student Academic Services, Zane Showker Hall, room 205.

Progressing in the Major

Students who wish to pursue a B.S. in the Quantitative Finance degree program must be formally admitted to the program in order to enroll in the 300-level quantitative finance and finance courses required for the major. In order to be admitted, you must meet all four of the criteria listed below:

  • You must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher in all JMU course work.

  • You must have a 2.500 grade point average in the following six courses: COB 241, ECON 201, GECON 200, MATH 235, MATH 236 and MATH 237.

  • You must have no more than two D, F, and WF grades, including any courses for which there has been repeat-forgiveness to replace a grade in your GPA for COB 241, ECON 201, GECON 200, MATH 235, MATH 236 and MATH 237.

  • You must have completed at least one mathematics course from the following list:

    • Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (MATH 238)

    • Computer Methods in Engineering and Science (MATH 248)

    • Introduction to Probability and Statistics (MATH 318)

    • Fourier Analysis and Partial Differential Equations (MATH 440)


In addition, you should consult the JMU Undergraduate Catalog (for your class year) in order to make sure that you are thoroughly familiar with the progression and admission standards. The online catalog can be accessed at http://www.jmu.edu/catalog.