{"id":264,"date":"2023-04-08T21:00:10","date_gmt":"2023-04-08T21:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/mathematical-finance\/?page_id=264"},"modified":"2026-02-23T19:23:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:23:21","slug":"degree-requirements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/mathematical-finance\/degree-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"Degree Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Students are required to complete a minimum\u00a0 of thirty-one (31) units of course work. For course descriptions, please use the “Courses of Instruction”<\/a> search tool on the Catalogue. Students are required to satisfy a summative experience for degree completion. This will be in the form of registration in one unit of Math 590 Directed Research with a final summative report at the end of the term. Topics of research will be determined by the Program Director. For students who obtain an internship, Math 590 can be replaced with Math 596. The program consists of:<\/p>\n

Required Core Courses (6 courses, 18 units)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Mathematics and Mathematical Finance<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
COURSE<\/th>\nCOURSE TITLE<\/th>\nUNITS<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 530a<\/td>\nStochastic Calculus and Mathematical Finance<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 530b<\/td>\nStochastic Calculus and Mathematical Finance<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 512*<\/td>\nFinancial Informatics and Simulation<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 590<\/td>\nDirected Research<\/td>\n\n
1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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*MATH 512 should be taken after MATH 530a as it requires knowledge from this course<\/em><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Financial Economics and Econometrics:<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 500*<\/td>\nMicroeconomic Analysis and Policy<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 515<\/td>\nTime Series Analysis<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 577<\/td>\nFoundations of Financial Economics<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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*ECON 500 can be waived for students who have successfully completed a calculus-based microeconomics course, with departmental approval. Students who must take ECON 500 will complete three electives from the list below instead of four.<\/em><\/p>\n

Elective Courses (4 courses, 12 units)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Select one elective from each category. The 4th elective can be chosen from any of the three categories, or can be another course in the FBE, ECON, or MATH department, subject to the approval of the program directors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

COURSE<\/th>\nCOURSE TITLE<\/th>\nUNITS<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Computational and Empirical Finance (must take 1 course from this category)*:<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FBE 551<\/td>\nQuantitative Investing<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FBE 555*<\/td>\nInvestment Analysis and Portfolio Management<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FBE 559<\/td>\nManagements of Financial Risk<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
* FBE 555 Highly Recommended<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Statistics or Numerical\/Optimization\/Other Methods (Must take at least 1 course from either topic)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Statistics <\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH541a<\/td>\nIntroduction to Mathematical Statistics<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH541b<\/td>\nIntroduction to Mathematical Statistics<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 547<\/td>\nMathematical Foundations of Statistical Learning Theory<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 550<\/td>\nStatistical Consulting & Data Analysis<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PM 511a<\/td>\nData Analysis<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PM 511b<\/td>\nData Analysis<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Numerical\/Optimization\/Other Methods<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 501<\/td>\nNumerical Analysis and Computation<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH502a<\/td>\nNumerical Analysis<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 502b<\/td>\nNumerical Analysis<\/td>\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 548<\/td>\nMachine Learning in Quantitative Finance<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MATH 585<\/td>\nMathematical Theory of Optimal Control<\/td>\n\n
3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Financial Economics (Must take at least 1 course)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 504<\/td>\nGame Theory with Economic and Financial Applications<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 508<\/td>\nNeurofinance<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 514<\/td>\nEmpirical Finance<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 555<\/td>\nTopics in Asset Pricing Theory<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 570<\/td>\nBig Data Econometrics<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 652<\/td>\nEconomics of Financial Markets II<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ECON 659<\/td>\nEconomics of Financial Markets I<\/td>\n\n
4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Pre-requisites for any of the above courses can be waived based on students\u2019 knowledge of the subject area. Approval from the course’s department is required.<\/p>\n

Other electives, not on this list, may sometimes be approved after consultation with program directors.<\/p>\n

Effective August 2024<\/strong>,\u00a0 ECON 659 will no longer be a required course for the degree and ECON 577 will take its place as a required course. ECON 659 can count as an elective from the “Financial Economics” category.<\/p>\n

All graduating students will also be required to complete an exit survey to fully complete the MSMF program. You will typically receive this survey when you complete your degree check in your last semester of studies.\u00a0 Please see your advisor for additional information.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n Sample Course Plans\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n \n