Financial Programming Certificate
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Ready yourself for career positions at the intersection of finance and technology
The objective of this College of Business certificate is to attract, develop, and mentor undergraduate students who want to develop both a theoretical understanding and applied capabilities in computer programming related to the financial services industry. Students will develop competencies and applied skills necessary for success and advancement in positions at the intersection of finance and technology.
Interested COB students can tailor their education to add programming skills in preparation for a career in the financial services industry, while non-COB students can broaden their education and attain an industry-specific application of their complementary skills. Certificate graduates will have an understanding of the areas within finance that are most impacted by technology while learning multiple computer programming languages applicable to these areas. All students will learn about financial markets, institutions, and assets; the basics of programming and program structure; and how to obtain, organize, analyze, and present financial data.
The program will incorporate two finance courses and three computer programming courses which include coverage of: (1) financial assets, institutions, and markets; (2) investment theories and applications; and (3) structure, design, and implementation of the computer programming languages C#, C++, and SQL.
Courses in Financial Programming Certificate
Core Courses (6 credit hours)
All students complete the following two courses:
- FIN 3270 – Financial Markets and Institutions
- FIN 3410 – Investments
Elective Course from Group 1 (6–8 credit hours)
Complete two of the following courses from the certificate's Group 1 "C++ and C#" section:
- CS 2400 – Introduction to Computer Science I
- CS 2401 – Introduction to Computer Science II
- MIS 3200 – Systems Development
- ETM 3030 – Applications of Object Oriented Programming
Elective Course from Group 2 (3 credit hours)
Complete one of the following courses from the certificate's Group 2 "SQL" section:
- MIS 2800 – Business Intelligence and Information Management
- ETM 3310 – Database Applications & Analytics
- CS 4620 – Database Systems
Admissions Requirements
- Submit your resume (to demonstrate your strong work ethic, previous bank experience or course work, leadership positions, etc.) and a copy of your most recent DARS to verify your 2.75 or higher GPA to Travis Davidson in the COB's Finance Department.
- Completion of interview, if requested, with Finance Department faculty
Admission into the Financial Programming Certificate Program is expected to be competitive, thus, admission cannot be guaranteed to all students meting the criteria.
Growing Demand
The financial industry is currently being disrupted by technological advancements in a variety ways. A few examples include robo-advising, high frequency trading, cryptocurrencies and other distributed ledger applications, mobile banking, and big data. These disruptions are so large in number and affect so many aspects of the industry that they originated a new word, fintech. As the term suggests, opportunities in this field require both a financial background and a technological background.
Having skills and knowledge in these two distinct disciplines would be highly advantageous for employment and advancement in the financial industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates healthy employment and salary data for positions in which financial programming would be beneficial. The table below displays a sample of these statistics.
| Occupation | Number of Jobs (2016) | Median Pay (2017) | Expected Job Growth (2016–2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agent | 375,700 | $63,780 | 6% (average) |
| Operations Research Analyst | 114,000 | $81,390 | 27% (much faster than average) |
| Financial Analyst | 296,100 | $84,300 | 11% (faster than average) |
| Database Administrator | 119,500 | $87,020 | 11% (faster than average) |
| Computer and Information Research | 27,900 | $114,520 | 19% (much faster than average) |
Contact Us
For more information about the Banking and Financial Services certificate, contact Travis Davidson.