Aims

Financial mathematics is a challenging subject, the methods of which are deployed by sophisticated practitioners in financial markets on a daily basis. It builds on the application of advanced concepts in modern probability theory to enable market professionals to tackle and systematically resolve a huge range of issues in the areas of pricing, hedging, risk management, and market regulation.Ê

The main objective of the Financial Mathematics course offered by Brunel University London is to provide candidates with the knowledge they need to be able to enter into this exciting new area of applied mathematics and to position themselves for the opportunity to work in financial markets.

Among the main distinguishing features of our programme are the following:

• We aim to teach the key ideas in financial asset pricing theory from a thoroughly modern perspective, using concepts and methods such as pricing kernels, market information filtrations, and martingale techniques, as opposed say to the more traditional but old-fashioned approach based on the historical development of the subject.
• In our programme candidates are asked at each stage to undertake a critical re-examination of the hypotheses implicit in any financial model, with a view to gaining a clear grasp of both its strengths and its limitations.
• The programme includes courses on high-performance computing that provide candidates with the techniques whereby financial models can be implemented.

Employability

The modelling and management of financial risk is an expanding field worldwide, offering numerous opportunities for fulfilling and engaging careers. Our graduates will be well positioned for pursuing jobs in a number of different areas of financial modelling and risk management in the financial services industry, with employment prospects in banks, asset management firms, hedge funds, pension funds, insurance and re-insurance companies, exchanges, corporate and sovereign treasuries, financial consultants, financial software developers, financial regulators, financial publishing houses, and companies specialising in the analysis and distribution of financial information and data. There is also a demand in financial institutions for well qualified mathematically literate graduates with higher degrees for positions in the trading, structuring and marketing of financial products.