Financial Mathematics is a great choice for someone who likes maths and wants to work in the business, financial or banking sectors. Business degrees tend to have very little maths, so most employers are very keen to hire graduates with good quantitative skills as well as a financial background.

Why Study Financial Mathematics at UL?

The aims of the degree are to produce graduates with developed mathematical, statistical and computing skills, and the ability to apply them to the quantitative analysis of industrial, commercial or financial business decisions.

The programme also aims to produce graduates with sufficient mathematical, statistical and computing skills for them to undertake postgraduate work in these or related areas

These aims give rise to the following objectives:

To provide an education at a suitable level in the appropriate branches of mathematics, both by exploring and developing standard methods and techniques with due use of mathematical, symbolic and statistical computing packages and by having due regard to the fundamental ideas of proof, rigour and generalisation.
To introduce you to state of the art theory and methodologies in the world of pricing of financial products and modelling of markets and the practical implementations of these models.
To demonstrate the application of mathematics to problems drawn from industry, commerce and financial services.
To provide you, through Cooperative Education placement, with experience of working in a company or department where your own developing skills can be utilised.

Module Electives - what are they?

Electives give you the opportunity to choose modules that you want to study.

Each Semester you will be given a choice of a number of modules and you will be asked to select a certain amount to study. This can range from 1 module to 4 modules, based on the course.

For example, you may be given a list of 4 modules, and will be asked to choose 2 to study for the upcoming semester.

Electives in Financial Mathematics

You must choose to study one of the 2 modules listed below:

Financial Accounting
Microeconomics

If you choose Financial Accounting in term 1, then you must proceed and take Accounting (for Financial Decision Making) in term 2. Similarly, if you take Microeconomics in term 1, you must take Macroeconomics in term 2.

Whatever the student's choice, there are no consequences for the rest of the programme, in higher years.

You will learn about trading, asset management and risk analysis of complicated financial products while at the same time developing solid mathematical skills. Typical modules include;

Calculus
Mathematical and Statistical Models of Investments
Stochastic Differential Equations for Finance
Numerical Computation

Employability skills from this degree

Numeracy and the ability to research, interpret and use business and financial data
Advanced numeracy and analysing large quantities of data
Logical thinking
Teamwork and the ability to work independently

Finding patterns and drawing conclusions
Approaching problems in an analytical and rigorous way
Formulating theories and applying them to solve problems
Dealing with abstract concepts
Presenting mathematical arguments and conclusions with accuracy and clarity