Certificate of Professional Achievement in Financial Engineering
Please note: This certificate program requirements page is applicable to students who are seeking acceptance into
the Certificate Program in Financial Engineering for the Summer 2007 semester and later.
For those students admitted into the program prior to the Summer 2007 semester, please refer to the
old program requirements.
About Financial Engineering
Financial Engineering is a multidisciplinary field integrating financial theory with economics,
methods of engineering, tools of mathematics, and practices of programming. It is designed to
provide training in the application of engineering methodologies and quantitative methods to finance.
Students studying this field are prepared to enter careers in securities, banking, financial management,
consulting industries, quantitative roles in corporate treasury, and finance departments of general
manufacturing and service firms.
Prerequisites
Students admitted to the program must possess an undergraduate degree in engineering, science, mathematics,
computer science or other related field from an accredited academic institution.
Students entering the Certificate Program in Financial Engineering should have an appropriate mathematical
background in probability, calculus and linear algebra. Those students who have this background should be
able to do most of the questions found through this link (Prerequisite Questions). It may be necessary for some people to first review some of their
undergraduate material. This is particularly true of prospective students who have been working in industry
and are not applying directly from an undergraduate program.
Students that do not have a sufficient mathematical background should take the appropriate mathematics
courses before starting the FE certificate program.
Preparatory courses offered regularly by CVN are
SIEO W4150: Introduction to Probability and Statistics
APMA E3101: Linear Algebra (NEW for Fall 2007)
Required Courses
Sequence 1 (Must be completed first)
1) IEOR E4007: Optimization Models and Methods for Financial Engineers
2) IEOR E4106: Intro to Operations Research: Stochastic Models
The Department requires grades of B- or higher in the Sequence 1 courses
before continuing to Sequence 2. Students who do not meet this
criterion may be asked to transfer to the Certificate Program in Operations Research
(view) or the Certificate Program
in Business and Technology (view).
Students may choose either 2 courses from sequence 2 or 1 course from sequence 2 and 1 course from the electives below to complete the certificate.
Sequence 2
3) IEOR E4403: Advanced Engineering and Corporate Economics
(formerly known as Advanced Corporate Finance)
OR:
3) IEOR E4003: Industrial Economics
4) IEOR E4703: Monte Carlo Simulation
5) IEOR E4706: Financial Engineering: Discrete-Time Asset Pricing
(formerly known as Financial Engineering I)
6) IEOR E4707: Financial Engineering: Continuous-Time Asset Pricing
(formerly known as Financial Engineering II)
Elective Courses:
IEOR E4601: Dynamic Pricing and Revenue Management
IEOR E4709: Data Analysis for Financial Engineers
IEOR E4718: Introduction to the Implied Volatility Smile
IEOR E4731: Credit Derivatives
Certificate Program Requirements
· 4 Graduate-level classes all earned through CVN, under non-degree student status. Students
currently in any degree program at Columbia University are not eligible for the Certificate Program through CVN.
· Minimum of 12 credit points
· Minimum GPA of 3.0
· Completion of program within two (2) calendar years.
Credits earned to fulfill the requirements of a Certificate Program may be applied toward an MS or PD degree,
subject to the approval of an Academic Advisor. However, students must apply for admission to the University
and meet all admissions requirements. Entry into, and completion of a Certificate Program does not ensure
acceptance into an MS or PD program.
In order to apply for acceptance into the Certificate Programs, please visit the link below:
Certificate Application and Instructions Page