Master Program in Finance for International Students 

Discipline: Economics      Major Code: 025100    Major：Finance

According to the master student program of Nanjing University of Information Science &Technology (hereinafter referred to as NUIST), and with reference to the relevant regulations of NUIST on international students, the international student master program of NUIST is formulated as follows:

1. Introduction to the Major

The financial major is based on the economic activities of financing money, and the discipline of how individuals, institutions and governments acquire, spend and manage funds and other financial assets is divided from economics. The term finance refers to two parts. The first part refers to money banking, the second part refers to international finance, the study is the balance of payments, exchange rate and other issues.

As a finance major, the students will learn the fundamental concepts and tools to make informed and responsible financial decisions using data and creativity. Finance students know how to estimate economic value and evaluate the risk of a project or a financial asset, to advise firms about paying for projects, and to appraise a firm’s performance on the stock market. We successfully placed our graduates in business, industry and non-profit organizations. 

2. Objectives 

The major in finance is committed to cultivating the basic theories and methods of studying contemporary economics in an all-round way, mastering the basic theoretical knowledge and basic skills of finance, being familiar with financial investment and banking, having strong financial practical ability, and being able to engage in many jobs in the economic and financial fields, and the application-oriented composite talents with all-round development of moral, intellectual and physical development. The objectives in detail including：

To master modern financial theory, financial theory, quantitative methods in finance;

To be capable of developing, designing and applying new financial instruments to solve financial issues creatively;

To be financial analysts in financial institutions and multinational corporations.

3. Study Directions

（1）Weather Derivatives; 

（2）Quantitative Investment and Decision;

（3）The Big Data Finance;

（4）Finance Risk Management;

（5）Blockchain;

（6）Finance.

4. Educational System, Length of Study and Credit Requirements

The length of education for master students is two (2) years.

If due to special circumstances a master student is unable to graduate on time, the student must apply in person, following the writing of the supervisor’s opinion and signature, the approval of the school affiliated. The application should be submitted to the Graduate School for approval and College of International Students for archiving. The maximum length of time that students can study at the University is five (5) years and during this extension period international students shall pay for the study and accommodation fees as required.

Credit Requirements: For master courses, a credit system has been implemented and consists of degree and non-degree courses. Degree courses must be no less than fifteen (15) credits, and the total credits must equal twenty-six (26) credits or above.

5. Course Introduction

Finance: Starting with the analysis of financial operation objects - money, monetary funds, financial instruments, financial assets, this course expounds the principle of monetary time value, introduces the specific types and businesses of financial institutions and financial market systems, explains their important role in modern finance, and studies monetary policy and the theory of goods on which it is based.

E-commerce: The course mainly introduces the development trend of e-commerce, the social environment and technical environment for the operation of e-commerce, the basic theory of e-commerce, the collection and arrangement of e-commerce information, the methods of network marketing and promotion, the theory and flow of e-payment, the basic ideas and methods of network transaction security, and the basic principles of logistics. Through curriculum, students have the initial ability to independently engage in e-commerce, and have the knowledge framework for the follow-up course learning and thee-commerce application capabilities improvement.

Corporate Finance: This course emphasizes the role of the financial manager as a decision maker and illustrates the need for manager input and judgment. The goal of this course is to develop the analytical skills for making corporate investment with regards to financial decisions and risk analysis.  This course will examine various theories including the concept of present value, discounted cash flow analysis, a consortium of valuation techniques, issues between short- & long-term financial management, risk and return, capital asset pricing model, capital budgeting, corporate capital structure and financing decisions.

Statistics: Statistics is the methodological science of data collection, collation and analysis. Statistics covers all substantive sciences, and its basic method of understanding is to summarize and summarize the general quantitative characteristics of things on the basis of a large number of observations, including statistical survey, statistical collation, statistical analysis, statistical inference and other basic content. Statistics, as a methodological discipline, can provide methodological support for students in economic management to understand and discover the quantity law of economic management phenomena and carry out empirical research in this field.

Frontiers of Financial Theory: This course discusses the background of each financial frontier topic. It tracks the development of contemporary financial theory to better guide the future financial practice. It involves the development of leading-edge financial theory in the contemporary international context, with a focus on behavioral finance, corporate governance, capital market effectiveness, asset prices and monetary policy, financial risk warning, modern credit risk, financial derivatives pricing and other topics.

Application of Financial Measurement Software (Practice course): Application of Financial Measurement Software is a professional practice course. Through the teaching of this course, students will understand the computer technology in the financial econometric model analysis and should use the current situation and development trends and requirements, understand the design concept of the financial measurement economic model and the basic methods of financial market analysis, master the use of computer technology, especially the use of Eviews, MATLAB, Python data calculation functions, model estimation and testing of the basic methods and basic operating skills, learn the financial econometric model analysis and application of the basic procedures and methods.

Econometrics: Econometrics is an important basic course in modern finance. On the basis of qualitative analysis of economic phenomena, it explores how to use statistical model methods to quantitatively describe the relationship between economic variables with random characteristics. This course introduces the basic theories and methods of econometrics and aims to develop the ability to use them in empirical research. Students are required not only to master econometric theory, but also to use econometric software to conduct empirical analysis of real economic problems at the end of the course.

Futures, Options and other Derivatives: This course is one of the core courses in finance engineering and finance. By the conclusion of this course, students should have achieved the following objectives:  After a review of previous material, they will be able to understand the history of the derivatives market and the mechanism of the derivatives market. They will familiar with the derivatives like forward, futures, swaps and options, including the contract details, the payoff and how to delivery. They will have an understanding of how to hedge with forward futures and options. They will have a theoretical and practical understanding of how to value the derivatives.

Financial Information System: This is a selective course for students majoring in Finance. The objectives of the course are to help students understand the role of MIS in improving operations efficiency, achieving business excellence and competitive advantages; guide students to be aware of the intimate relationship between MIS and business strategies, processes, products, suppliers, customers, know the core technologies used in MIS, and improve the practical abilities in MIS.

Securities Investment: Securities Investment is an important part of finance and a link between macro-analysis and micro-pricing. This course focuses on value investment strategies for corporate financial analysis. It involves the contents of securities pricing, collect information, industry trends analysis. Considering the impact of micro-company characteristics on enterprise valuation and the modern investment concept of behavior and expectation, this course summarizes the securities valuation and investment strategy of enterprises.

Financial Risk Management: Financial Risk Management is a major course in financial engineering, which mainly introduces the quantification and management of financial institutions' risk, and is a core course of financial engineering. Through the course, students will have a deep understanding of market risk management, credit risk management, liquidity risk management, interest rate risk management, off-the-table business risk management and capital adequacy ratio management.

Stock Simulation Experiment (Practice course): Stock Simulation is an important comprehensive practical teaching course for investment and financial management majors. After the futures simulation trading experiment, students can soberly recognize the risks in stock trading, learn how to carry out investment risk analysis, provide a variety of employment opportunities for future careers, and choose careers related to stock trading, such as brokerage, market analysis, accounting and computer, etc.

Operation and Supply Management: Operation and Supply Management is an advanced graduate course for students majoring in Finance and is designed to study rules of operational activities and scientific management approaches for practices. The course focuses on theoretical aspects of the operational system as well as its activities, such as strategy formulation, process selection, location and facility layout strategies and methods, production scheduling strategies and method, inventory control models and the ability of applying theoretical knowledge to management practices.

6. Training Style and Methods

The program of master students is combined course work with thesis work. Usually, course work will be done within one (1) year and thesis work takes more than one year.

The training of master students is implemented by the supervisor tutorial system. In this way, supervision is carried out under the supervisor and with a group of experts.

7. Midterm Evaluation 

Master students in the third semester will have midterm evaluation which is to evaluate students’ moral behavior, course score, research progress and other related issues. Failed students can apply for re-evaluation after six (6) months whereas the postponed period is no longer than one (1) year.

8. Degree Thesis

（1）Topic Selection and Thesis Proposal

The master’s degree thesis proposal should be completed in the early third semester. For those who need to postpone the submission of the proposal due to special circumstances, a written application should be submitted to the Graduate School in advance and the time limit for delay shall not exceed two (2) months. After the proposal is accepted, changes are not permitted in principle. If there is, however, a major change in topic selection, the proposal should be rewritten.

（2）Thesis Writing Requirements

This is in accordance with the University thesis writing requirements.

（3）Thesis Pre-defense and Defense

  Master’s students must complete all the required courses, pass all the courses and midterm evaluation, complete academic and practice activities and acquire required credits before they are allowed to apply for thesis pre-defense which is held before the end of March each year. Then they will go for blind review of the thesis. Only those students who have passed the pre-defense and blind review can apply for the final defense.

（4）Degree Applications

Degree applications is carried out according to the specific implementation procedures outlined in the Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology Masters and Doctorate Degree Conferment Regulations and the Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology Regulations on the Program and Qualifications of International Master Students (Trial).

Students shall pass sufficient courses in the program to get no less than twenty-six (26) credits, achieve required academic results, pass HSK Level 3 (or above) and pass the thesis defense.

9. Practice

Practice is combined with Academic Reports and other practice activities. It is worth two (2) credits.

During the period of master thesis work and excluding the Thesis Proposal, a public academic report should be held at least once. The student’s supervisor and the school affiliated are responsible for assessing the quality of the academic report. Master students should also participate in no less than six (6) academic activities including but not limited to academic reports, conferences, teaching and technology competitions both on and off the University campus. Students are required to take records on Academic Activities Brochure and only qualified students can attend final defense.

Attachment: Curriculum for International Master’s Students in Finance

Note：A) Public Courses; B) Specialized courses（degree courses）; C) Compulsory courses; D) Major Elective Courses; E) Practice