MSc in Financial Technology

MSc(FinTech) Banner

Financial Technology (FinTech) is a cluster of emerging innovations with the potential to revolutionise the finance industry, enhancing the productivity of financial firms through data science and advanced digital technologies.

Global investment in FinTech has been so active in recent years that the Monetary Authority of Singapore has launched an initiative, the FinTech and Innovation Group, and pledged to spend hundreds of millions of Singapore dollars to develop the FinTech sector in Singapore.

Nanyang Technological University offers the Master of Science in FinTech hosted by the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. The curriculum is built on data science, artificial intelligence, and information technology and provides students with the FinTech skills necessary to navigate the changing landscape of the finance industry. Students will develop in-depth mastery of disruptive technologies in finance, including financial automation (e.g., Robo-advisors), financial cryptography (e.g., blockchain technology), and digital financial services (e.g., financial inclusion).


Click here for the MSc in Financial Technology programme brochure
 

 

The MSc in FinTech Programme is an intensive one-year full-time or two-year part-time programme by coursework taught in 3 trimesters per academic year. The curriculum consists of two specialisations: Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) and Digital Financial Services (DFS).​​The courses are delivered in intensive periods of 7 weeks (i.e., each trimester is split into two halves). All courses are conducted at the NTU main campus in the evenings (6:30 PM-10 PM) on weekdays or Saturdays (9:30 AM-1 PM or 2 PM-5:30 PM).

The programme consists of a total of 30 Academic Units (AU), with 12 AU of compulsory courses, 12 AU from the chosen specialisation's electives, and 6 AU from other electives:

Compulsory Courses (12 AU)  
Compulsory courses12 AU
Elective Courses (12+6 AU)
Prescribed Electives of the chosen specialisation12 AU
Unrestricted Electives  6 AU
Total 30 AU

The requirements for graduation are:

  • ​​Successful completion of the courses of a total of 30 AU as prescribed by MSc in FinTech; and
  • Attaining a minimum CGPA of 2.50 at the completion of the programme of study.​ 

Programme Features

Applicants must select one of the following two specialisations:

  • The Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) specialisation (code: 270) is designed for students interested in the technical aspects of FinTech. Candidates opting for this specialisation should have a good bachelor’s degree in a quantitative major or a good track record in mathematics and programming (especially for non-science/engineering graduates).

  • The Digital Financial Services (DFS) specialisation (code: 271) is designed for students interested in the managerial aspects of FinTech. Candidates opting for this specialisation should have a good bachelor’s degree in a relevant programme (e.g., quantitative majors, business, etc.) or relevant working experience in the finance industry.

The specialisation is chosen at the point of application into the programme, and a change of specialisation is generally not allowed. However, candidates are allowed to submit two separate applications, one for each specialisation; in that case, the preferred specialisation should be indicated in the applications.

The practicum course, MH6838, starts in Trimester 3 and comprises either a research-based project or a self-sourced internship where students work on a professional consulting project mentored by experienced instructors to solve financial problems. The School will assist students in seeking internship opportunities. The internship companies our students were previously involved with include GIC, Grab, Julius Baer, Lumiq, DBS, OCBC, UOB, Macquarie Bank, CIMB, etc.

Compulsory Courses

MH6800  Foundations of Statistical Modelling1.5 AU
MH6801  Introduction to ​FinTech
1.5 AU
MH6802  FinTech Ecosystem and Innovations
1.5 AU
MH6803  Python Programming
1.5 AU
MH6804  Python for Data Analysis
1.5 AU
MH6805  Machine Learning in Finance3 AU
MH6806  Principles of Finance and Risk Management
1.5 AU

Prescribed Elective Courses for Intelligent Process Automation Specialisation

MH6301  Information Retrieval and Analysis 3 AU
MH6812  Advanced Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning 3 AU
MH6813  Blockchain Systems I: Concepts and Principles1.5 AU
MH6814  Blockchain Systems II: Development and Engineering
1.5 AU
MH6815  Algorithmic Trading and Robo-Advisors
1.5 AU
MH6816  Introduction to Cybersecurity 1.5 AU

Prescribed Elective Courses for Digital Financial Services Specialisation

MH6331  Financial and Risk Analytics I 1.5 AU
MH6332  Financial and Risk Analytics II 1.5 AU
MH6821  Anti-Financial Crime and Compliance 1.5 AU
MH6822  Regulatory Technology 1.5 AU
MH6823  Financial Inclusion and Decentralized Finance 1.5 AU
MH6824  Fundamentals of FinTech Entrepreneurship 1.5 AU
MH6826 Investment and Portfolio Management1.5 AU
MH6827 Financial Data Management and Business Intelligence1.5 AU

Unrestricted Elective Courses

Prescribed Electives of one specialisation can be Unrestricted Electives for another specialisation. Moreover, students can take the following courses as Unrestricted Electives.

MH6825 FinTech Entrepreneurial Practice1.5 AU
MH6831 Quantitative Methods in Finance 1.5 AU
MH6832 Reinforcement Learning for Finance1.5 AU
MH6838 Practicum 3 AU

Remarks:

  1. On average, full-time students take 4 courses a week, and part-time students take 2 courses a week. Part-time students can, at most, take 3 courses a week.

  2. A 1.5 AU course refers to a 7-week course, with each week consisting of 3.5 teaching hours, including breaks. Similarly, a 3 AU course is a 14-week course consisting of 3.5 teaching hours, including breaks.

Academic Calendar

For the Trimester Calendar (for NTU Graduate Programmes such as this one), please click here.

Changes specific to MSc in FinTech: In the NTU trimester calendar, Trimester 1 (originally 13 weeks) is extended for one more week and the 14th week is our exam week; Trimester 2 has 14 weeks and students will have a one week break in-between. Trimester 3 starts one week earlier such that the first half has seven weeks.

Admission Requirements

  • A good Bachelor's Degree in a relevant programme (e.g. quantitative majors, business, etc.)
  • A good TOEFL score (92 or more) or IELTS score (6.5 or more) for graduates of universities in which English is not the medium of instruction
  • A good GMAT score or GRE score is preferred but not required
  • A minimum of two years of relevant working experience is preferred but not required
  • A recommendation letter/referee report is preferred but not required

Applicants may upload their TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT or GRE score via the online application.

Refer to Coursework Programmes Admission Guide for general requirements for admission.

NOTE: Complete set of supporting documents (must be legible) have to be uploaded via the fully digital application portal. Do not send a hardcopy admission package unless requested.

Application Procedure and Timeline

Application
Apply online here
November 2022 to January 2023

Offer and Acceptance
Acceptance and deposit payment must be completed within two weeks of the offer. Check the application status here.

March to April 2023
Matriculation June/July 2023
Non-credit-bearing Preparatory Lessons (Linear Algebra, Calculus, and R programming)
Complimentary for matriculated MSc in FinTech students
August 2023
Course CommencementAugust 2023


Check Application/Result Status
Owing to a large number of applicants, we are unable to attend to phone or email enquiries on application status/results. Click here to check your application status after you have made a successful online payment.


Medical Check-Up

Enrolling students must undergo a medical check-up and obtain a receipt certifying that they are medically fit for studies. This certification must be presented before matriculation. Details about the check-up will be provided upon acceptance into the programme.

The programme fees for Academic Year 2023/24, inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST), are as follows:

S$ 59,400

*This programme fee is calculated based on the current Singapore GST rate of 8% and will be revised from 1 January 2024 due to the adjustment of GST to 9% in 2024.



Singapore Citizens are eligible for a grant of S$ 10,000.

The subsidy, granted upon the offer letter (i.e., will not be awarded during the programme study), can only be used to offset the tuition fee (second payment); see the instalment schedule below. Fees and the grant are reviewed annually and subject to revision.

Please note the following:

  1. This programme is not eligible for government subsidies. The university currently has no scholarship, government service agreement, or service obligation scheme available for students (however, please see the Financial Assistance section below).

  2. Tuition fees do not include the cost of recommended textbooks and other course materials. The costs of travel, accommodation and miscellaneous expenses are also not included and must be borne by the student. Successful international applicants must ensure that they have sufficient funds for the normal duration of the programme after accepting the admission offer. Currently, the required amount is based on S$18,000 per year for living expenses, in addition to the tuition and miscellaneous student fees.

 

Instalment Schedule

                                                                                    Singapore Citizens Singapore Permanent Residents / International Students
 
Deposit* (non-refundable)
All students: Due upon acceptance of the offer
 
S$   5,400
 
First Payment
All students: Due at the start of Year 1 Trimester 1
 
S$ 24,300
 
Second Payment
Full-time students: Due at the start of Year 1 Trimester 2

Part-time students: Due at the start of Year 2 Trimester 1


S$ 18,900S$ 29,700

*
The deposit is payable upon acceptance of the offer and is non-refundable.

**This programme fee is calculated based on the current Singapore GST rate of 8% and will be revised from 1 January 2024 due to the adjustment of GST to 9% in 2024.

 

Financial Assistance

 
  • The OCBC AI Scholarship is offered by the OCBC bank.

This scholarship provides financial assistance to students of any nationality who are seeking or are currently pursuing the programme. Terms and conditions apply. Click here for more information about the scholarship.

  • The Singapore Digital (SG:D) Scholarship is offered by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

(Singapore Citizens only) The terms and conditions of the scholarship have been enhanced to groom aspiring Infocomm Media (ICM) talent to be industry-ready for an exciting career in a fast-evolving digital economy.  Click here for more information about the scholarship.

Contact Us

For general enquiries, email [email protected].

For academic enquiries, email the Programme Director, Associate Prof Patrick PUN ([email protected]).