International Dual Degrees

Business success requires a global perspective. The Belk College of Business offers innovative dual international degree master’s programs that allow students to study on two continents while earning two graduate degrees from two world-class institutions.

Milan, Italy

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore atrium

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC)

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is an internationally recognized and accredited urban institution located in Milan, the commercial heart of Italy. It is the largest private research university in Europe and the largest Catholic university in the world with over 27,000 students.

Charlotte students in this program may earn the M.S. in Mathematical Finance with a Concentration in Risk Management from UNC Charlotte and a Laurea Magistrale (LM) in Banking and Finance from UCSC.

Curriculum

This is a 48 credit hour program in which students earn 24 credit hours at UNC Charlotte and spend one year at UCSC to earn the additional 24 credit hours.

Year 1 – UNC Charlotte

Financial Economic Theory
Fixed Income Securities and Credit Risk
Asset and Portfolio Management
Risk Management in Insurance Companies
Quantitative Risk Management
Financial Econometrics
Cross Section and Time Series Econometrics
Stochastic Calculus I

see the course descriptions

Year 2 – UCSC

Advanced Financial Accounting
Quantitative Methods for Finance
Corporate Finance
Monetary Economics
Principles of Financial Regulation
Derivatives Securities Pricing
Risk Management
Foreign Language*
Theology**

In addition to these courses, students are also required to pass the comprehensive exam through UNC Charlotte as well as complete a thesis through UCSC.

* Part of the requirement for the degree is to take a practical Italian language course to learn essential day-to-day words and phrases.
** Part of Italian learning is to take a theology course. This is an appreciation/culture course.

Admissions

Students should apply through UNC Charlotte’s Graduate Admissions online application. Once admitted, you’ll meet with your advisor to determine your fit for the program. If approved, you’ll meet with UNC Charlotte’s Office of Education Abroad to begin the application process with the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore during the fall semester of their first year.

Those interested in pursuing this dual degree option should plan to pursue the Risk Management concentration in the M.S. Mathematical Finance program at UNC Charlotte, as it aligns best with the course requirements for both programs.

Tuition + Fees

Students applying to UNC Charlotte for the dual degree in the M.S. in Mathematical Finance program will pay UNC Charlotte’s tuition for the duration of the program.

Tuition Assistance

A limited number of scholarships may be available each year for students participating in this double degree program through UNC Charlotte.

The Office of Education Abroad at UNC Charlotte may also have scholarships available for students planning to study abroad. You may be eligible for such scholarships during the year spent in Milan. For more information on these scholarships as well as eligibility requirements, visit the Office of Education Abroad’s website.

Additional information on financial aid and student loans is available on Niner Central.

Shanghai, China

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE)

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) is the oldest financial university in China and is situated in the heart of Shanghai, one of the largest cities in China. Founded in 1917, SUFE is now a modern, top-ranked research university that has enjoyed a reputation of being among the best finance and economics universities in China for many years.

SUFE students travel to UNC Charlotte after their first year. This is a one-direction program: UNC Charlotte students cannot apply for this program.

Curriculum

Year 1 – SUFE

Two of the following courses offered by the program at SUFE can be used to replace corresponding courses offered by the program at UNC Charlotte:

Analysis of Financial Derivative Instruments
Stochastic Process
Fixed Income Securities
Financial Econometrics
Credit for the above-mentioned courses can be transferred to UNC Charlotte.

Year 2 – UNC Charlotte

Cross-Section and Time-Series Econometrics
Financial Economic Theory
Fixed Income Securities and Credit Risk
Advanced Methods in Mathematical Finance
Stochastic Calculus for Finance I
Computational Methods for Asset Pricing
Financial Computing
Stochastic Calculus for Finance II

see the course descriptions

In addition to these courses, students are also required to pass the comprehensive exam through UNC Charlotte.

Admissions

Students must meet the normal graduate admission requirements for both SUFE and UNC Charlotte. In addition to a written application, the major requirements for admission are:

A baccalaureate degree in a related field with a GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, with an average of 3.0 in the junior and senior years
A transcript of all previous academic work
Acceptable scores on each portion of the GRE or a GMAT score with a minimum score of at least the 85th percentile on the quantitative section
At least three evaluations from persons familiar with the applicant’s professional and/or academic qualifications
A motivational letter indicating interest in the program
A personal interview with a selection committee consisting of one of more faculty members appointed by each institution
A minimum score on an accepted language exam: IELTS – 6.5, TOEFL – 83
Specific prerequisite coursework. See the prerequisite form to find specific descriptions for each of these courses

Students should apply to and enroll in the Master in Finance program in Shanghai. Students who are not selected for the double degree but who are in otherwise good standing may continue in the Master of Finance program at SUFE.