International Dual Degrees

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

Year 2 – USCS

• 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.  

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
• Specific prerequisite course work. See the prerequisite form to find specific descriptions for each of these courses

Students should apply through UNC Charlotte’s Graduate Admissions online application. Students will also need to apply to Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore during the fall semester of their first year.  Students should meet with UNC Charlotte’s Office of Education Abroad to begin the application process with UCSC.  

Those interested in pursuing this double 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.

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.

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

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

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. No more than 15 students will be selected from students enrolled in the Master of Finance program at SUFE each year to participate in the double degree program. 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.

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.