Master of Quantitative Finance
Master of Quantitative Finance
Advance Your Quantitative Finance Career
The Robert H. Smith School of Business Master of Quantitative Finance (MQF) program allows you to put your quantitative, technology and problem-solving skills to full use as you guide companies toward making strategic financial decisions. You’ll gain in-depth, specialized knowledge of financial markets, institutions and the latest analytics techniques. Our MQF students are methodical problem solvers who are highly proficient in statistics, calculus and other quantitative subject areas.
Why Earn a Master of Quantitative Finance at Smith?
Smith’s STEM-designated MQF prepares you to excel in the challenging, specialized quantitative roles within financial institutions. You'll develop data-driven decision-making abilities and proficiency with AI tools to collect and process data from various sources and analyze data with state-of-the-art econometric techniques. You'll also have exclusive access to valuable financial resources through Bloomberg and Mergent. Your experience in the program helps refine your critical thinking and technological skills, positioning you to earn more in the job market and stand out when applying for future opportunities.
Manage a portion of the university’s endowment in the Global Equity Fund or the Mayer Fund.
Participate in case competitions and network with major employers who hire our students. Employers value our students' ability to identify, forecast and evaluate financial risk using large amounts of data.
Gain access to cutting-edge analytics resources to refine your programming, data management and global investment skills.
Upcoming Master of Quantitative Finance Events
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8:30 AM EST
Smith Social - Baltimore
6:30 PM EST
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7:00 PM EST
Our Faculty Is Name-Brand
Did you know that two Smith professors who teach in the MQF program have prominent financial models named after them? Pete Kyle, one of the foremost financial economists of our time, is the namesake of the Kyle Model, which provides a foundation for the modern theory of market microstructure. The Heston Model is named after Steve Heston, and it describes the evolution of the volatility of an underlying asset.
Top 20
Public college for high-paying jobs in finance, U.S. (Wall Street Journal, 2023)
Alumni Profiles
Our MQF students pursue competitive and exciting opportunities in their fields after graduating. Their experiences at Smith help them to expand their network, solidify their career goals and prepare them to perform their job responsibilities a step above the rest.
“When I first came to Smith, what stood out to me most was that the student-run clubs came together to make our experience better professionally and personally. Everyone looked out for us.”
Poulami Ghosh
Master of Quantitative Finance ’21
Senior Associate at PwC
“For my experiential learning project, my team worked with data to develop models assessing housing risk in different markets. We looked at housing prices and general trends in the economy to create a housing risk index for each metropolitan statistical area. It was relevant to a real-world industry, and great to talk about at job interviews.”
Iordan Koulov
Master of Quantitative Finance ’23
Quantitative Analytics Associate at Wells Fargo
“The logic behind many programming languages is connected. I came into the program already familiar with Java and C+ from my computer engineering background. It felt easier to transfer that knowledge when learning new languages for finance, like Python and R..”
Wenrui Liu
Master of Quantitative Finance ’20
Data Scientist (Enterprise Counterparty Risk) at Fannie Mae
“As a finance student, I’m representing Smith in the CFA Institute Research Challenge. It is a competition where my team and I have the chance to compete with other students from around the world.”
Xiaotong Zhang
Master of Quantitative Finance ’21
Financial Analyst at Freddie Mac
Master of Quantitative Finance at a Glance
Available as a Plus 1 Program
If you’re a current University of Maryland freshman, sophomore or junior, you can pursue your Master of Quantitative Finance degree through the Plus 1 program. You'll save time and thousands of dollars on graduate tuition through this accelerated business master’s program.
Apply and Receive Admissions Benefits
Maryland Advantage can make it easier for applicants who have completed their undergraduate and/or graduate degree in the United States to transition into the business master’s program by helping them save money on tuition, skip graduate entrance exams and get personalized career counseling before starting their program.
STEM Advanced Skills You’ll Use
As an MQF student, you’ll lean into a wide range of concepts ideal for a career in corporate finance, risk management or asset management. You’ll put your quantitative skills to full use as you explore concepts and tools, such as:
Industry-Specific Tools and Skills:
- Big data and machine learning in finance
- Financial data analytics
- Financial programming
- Python, R and SAS
- Risk modeling
Key Topics:
- Financial engineering
- Financial programming
- FinTech
- Institutional asset management
- Numerical methods and simulation
- Portfolio management
- Quantitative investment
- Textual analysis
State-of-the-art Finance Lab with these tools:
- Bloomberg
- Thomson Reuters
- Morningstar
- Mergent
- S&P Capital IQ
- Wharton Research Data Services
Learn from Expert Faculty
Your professors are industry experts and scholars who are invested in your success and will challenge you to take your skills to the next level. They are well-connected business leaders who offer guidance as you navigate through your professional journey.
Former Finance Executive at Citigroup, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Washington Mutual.
Expert in Risk Management, Bank Capital Issues and Housing Finance Reform.
Previous industry experience includes Goldman Sachs in Fixed Income Arbitrage and in Asset Management Quantitative Equities.
Known for analyzing options with stochastic volatility and international stock risk.
Main research interests include studies of the efficiency of securities markets, as well as the role of institutional investors in setting stock prices.
Directory of Smith's Center for Financial Policy.
Academic Director
Michael Cichello
Academic Director, Master of Finance & Master of Quantitative Finance Programs
mcichell@umd.edu
Faculty
Lecturer
kfuller5@umd.edu
Professor
sheston@rhsmith.umd.edu
Associate Professor
skozak@rhsmith.umd.edu
Senior Lecturer
skroncke@rhsmith.umd.edu
Distinguished University Professor
akyle@rhsmith.umd.edu
Associate Professor
mloewens@rhsmith.umd.edu
William A. Longbrake Chair in Finance
vmaksimovic@rhsmith.umd.edu
Professor of the Practice
crossi@umd.edu
Professor
unal@umd.edu
Paul J. Cinquegrana ’63 Endowed Chair in Finance
wermers@umd.edu
Associate Professor
lyang1@umd.edu
Where Your Degree Can Take You
Sources: GMAC, Smith’s Office of Career Services 2020 reporting; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Information Network
**Data for 2023 graduates who reported their salaries to Smith's Office of Career Services. Please note these figures do not meet the 75 percent MBACSEA reporting threshold.
Picture Yourself in These Careers
"The MQF program has not only deepened my understanding of equity market dynamics and big data analytics in finance, but also cultivated the curiosity and relentlessness within me.”
Emma Li
Master of Quantitative Finance ’19
Analyst at BlackRock
Businesses who have hired our Master of Quantitative Finance Grads
- ANT Financial
- BlackRock
- Capital One
- Citi
- Freddie Mac
- HSBC
- Morgan Stanley
- PWC
- RiskSpan
- UBS
- Wells Fargo
Boost Your Professional Skills
Smith’s Office of Career Services (OCS) can help you bridge the gap between being a student and an employed professional. You’ll have one-on-one access to a career coach who will provide you with personalized tips on how to articulate your strengths when interacting with your future employer.
Connect With Your Classmates
You’ll have plenty of opportunities to make connections at Smith and engage in exciting social activities through the Smith Masters Student Association. You can join an accounting-related club or others that provide you with general connections and skills.
Finance Advisory Council
Advisory Councils keep us actively engaged with industry leaders and experts, who bring their real-world experience to help shape what students learn, match classroom lessons to real-world needs, and widen the pipeline for internship and job opportunities.
Contact Us
Business Master's Office
2303 Van Munching Hall
College Park, Maryland 20742-1815
Phone: 301-405-2559
E-mail: SmithMasters@umd.edu
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Questions? Contact the MBA & Business Master's Admissions Office at 301-405-2559 or SmithMasters@umd.edu.