2021 Master of Engineering in FinTech Graduates All Receive Employment Offers Prior to Graduation

Echoing their 100% summer internship employment success, the December 2021 graduates of Duke’s Master of Engineering in Financial Technology program have done it again with 100% having either received or accepted job offers prior to their graduation this month. “These are remarkable students in every sense of the word” said the Director of the Master’s Program, Dr. Jimmie Lenz, “I’d like to say that I’m surprised by all of them being employed before graduating, but I’m really not.”

All but one of this semester’s graduates have accepted a job, where they’ll be working in a variety of roles for companies across the U.S.. The diverse list of positions and companies—from Big Four consulting firms like Ernst and Young, to financial services firms like Goldman Sachs, and even a data science role at a large manufacturing firm—also underscores the importance of the FinTech program’s interdisciplinary and hands-on approach. When asked about her experience in the FinTech program with regards to securing employment offers, Grace Li, one of the new graduates said “I think the summer internship and the capstone experience really help me a lot. I shared a lot about those two projects during the interviews”.

To prepare students for the wide range of opportunities that make up today’s fintech landscape, the FinTech program works closely with industry partners to develop a dynamic curriculum that is attuned to the fast-evolving needs of the industry. When asked to consider the most impactful course during his time in the FinTech program, graduating student, Pancheng Qu, listed two. “The first class gave me a broad view of the financial industry and let me know which track and path I should take. The second class gave me a solid idea about asset management and technical knowledge.”

Graduates of the on-campus program are not the only FinTech students getting ready to apply their classroom experiences to a new job. “Similar to the on-campus students approaching graduation we have seen some of the online students utilizing their education to move from existing roles to new roles at firms like JP Morgan Chase” said Lenz in discussing the students’ success.

The December graduates will become the first alumni of the 3-4 semester on-campus program, with the remaining members of the inaugural class anticipated to graduate in Spring 2022.