Master of Science in Digital Financial Technology (MSc DFinTech)
Financial technology (abbreviated as FinTech) refers to a broad spectrum of the technologies and innovations that are being used to improve and automate the delivery of financial services. The FinTech industry has grown explosively in the last decade, with the advances being made in cloud computing, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). To meet surging demand for high quality FinTech talent in Singapore and globally, this graduate programme in FinTech is designed to help students build a strong foundation in computing and finance, and features a range of elective courses organised along three tracks: Computing Technologies, Financial Data Analytics and Intelligence, and Digital Financial Transactions and Risk Management.
The Master of Science in Digital Financial Technology (MSc DFinTech) is designed primarily to help prepare graduates for challenging but rewarding careers as AI software developers, data scientists, FinTech security specialists, financial quantitative analysts and other similar professions in financial institutions or FinTech firms.
In addition, to help build a strong foundation in computing and finance, this programme offers elective courses that cover deep computing and finance expertise to help prepare graduates for future career challenges in the FinTech sector.
Structure of Programme
The MSc DFinTech is a master’s degree by coursework programme. Students are required to complete 40 Units (equivalent to 10 courses), in addition to 12 Units from the capstone project, to fulfil the total programme requirement of 52 Units, as outlined below:
| 7 core/essential courses | 16 Units used to strengthen computing and finance foundations of MSc DFinTech students |
|---|---|
| 12 Units used to strengthen FinTech foundations of MSc DFinTech students | |
| 3 elective courses | 12 Units of courses from the prescribed elective list |
| 1 capstone project | 12 Units (spanning across 2 semesters) |
28 Units of Core/Essential Courses
Among the 7 core/essential courses (28 Units), two courses cover the basics of finance and are offered by the NUS Business School. The courses offered by School of Computing cover the basics of computing and instil core FinTech competencies covering Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Data Analytics. The objective is to ensure all students graduate with solid training in both computing and finance foundation.
12 Units of Elective Courses
Elective courses offered by the School of Computing cover areas such as computing systems, cybersecurity, AI, data analytics, and enterprise IT. Students can also take electives in risk management and investment from the NUS Business School and NUS Risk Management Institute.
This two-semester Capstone Project is designed to aid students to be equipped with in-depth skills and knowledge in a focused area through experiential learning. Students can choose either an academic research project under the supervision of world-class scholars at NUS, or a FinTech internship that will allow graduating students to obtain industry work experience.
Note: Students may opt to replace the capstone project with 12 Units of courses from the prescribed elective list.
Courses Offered under this Programme
The details of the Core/Essential courses are listed in Core Courses.
The details of the Elective courses are listed in Annex A – Elective Courses.
Duration of Programme
The normal candidature period for full-time and part-time students is 1.5 and 2.5 years respectively. The maximum candidature is 3 years for all students.
Workload
The maximum and minimum workload for full-time students is 20 and 12 Units respectively per semester. For part-time students, the maximum and minimum workload is 12 and 4 Units respectively per semester.
Course Plan
The normal candidature period for full-time and part-time students is 3 and 5 semesters respectively. For full-time students, we recommend the following course plans:
| Course Plan 1 (Full-Time) | Semester 1 4 courses (16 Units) | Semester 2 3 courses (12 Units) | Semester 3 3 courses (12 Units) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 2 and 3) | |||
| Course Plan 2 (Full-Time) | Semester 1 5 courses (20 Units) | Semester 2 3 courses (12 Units) | Semester 3 2 courses (8 Units) |
| Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 2 and 3) | |||
| Course Plan 3 (Full-Time) | Semester 1 4 courses (16 Units) | Semester 2 4 courses (16 Units) | Semester 3 2 courses (8 Units) |
| Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 2 and 3) | |||
For part-time students, we recommend the following course plan:
| Course Plan (Part-Time) | Semester 1 2 courses (8 Units) | Semester 2 2 courses (8 Units) | Semester 3 2 courses (8 Units) | Semester 4 2 courses (8 Units) | Semester 5 2 courses (8 Units) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 4 and 5) | |||||
Generally, students have some flexibility to complete more or less courses as long as they do not exceed the maximum or fall below the minimum workload per semester. When planning for their workload, students should also take into consideration their academic and capstone project workload.
Continuation/Graduation Requirements
The MSc DFinTech programme uses the Grade Point Average (GPA) as a criterion for continuation and graduation. The University sets the minimum standards and specific programmes may implement stricter or additional requirements. For more information on the University’s continuation and graduation requirements, please click here.
In order to graduate from the MSc DFinTech programme, students are required to fulfil the programme requirements and achieve a minimum final GPA of 3.0.
Students who have fulfilled their degree requirements will be required to proceed with graduation and will not be allowed to stay on for an additional semester or more.
To apply, please click here.