About M-Phimac

Banking and Investment are two fields that offer a wide range of exciting career opportunities to ambitious, quantitatively minded people. M-Phimac, the M.Sc. program offered by the Mathematics and Statistics Department at McMaster University, is for the student who wants a fast track to a finance industry career in the areas of risk management, derivative securities analysis and portfolio design. With seven specialized grad courses in the first eight months, followed by an industrial project through the summer, you will be well prepared to go after one of many opportunities available in banking, insurance and the investment business.

What is it?

M-Phimac is an intensive M.Sc. program in Financial Mathematics that is completed within one year. Eight months of coursework emphasize the development of strong mathematical foundations, with the goal to understand the applications of mathematics to finance and investments. The summer industrial project will explore a topic of current interest with guidance from an industry professional and can be completed while working full time or as an intern.

Who is this for?

This program targets ambitious new and recent graduates in mathematics, or related subjects such as statistics, physics, computer science, and engineering, who are interested in a career in finance. Successful applicants will have a minimum B+ average across their level 3 and 4 undergraduate courses, or the equivalent standard from another university. Beyond academic achievement, other key indicators of potential success in the program are analytical expertise, excellent communication skills and computer programming capability.

What will you gain?

You will have a competitive advantage in exciting careers in the expanding quantitative finance industry. Having mastered sophisticated mathematical techniques, and having gained a deep understanding of valuing financial securities, you will have the confidence to face the challenging interview process that marks the entrance into the finance profession. You will be prepared to start a career as a quant working on financial modeling, risk management, or as a trading analyst. Quantitative career paths accessible to our graduates are also expanding in the insurance and investment management industries.