Program Overview

Master of Science in Digital Financial Technology (MSc in DFinTech)

The Master of Science in Digital Financial Technology (MSc in DFinTech) is designed to help students build a strong foundation in computing and finance. The programme features a range of elective courses organised along three tracks: Computing Technologies, Financial Data Analytics and Intelligence, and Digital Financial Transactions and Risk Management.

Structure of Programme

The MSc DFinTech is a master’s degree by coursework programme. Students are required to pass the requirement of 40 Units (equivalent to 10 courses), together with an additional 12 Units of bridging courses, meeting the following programme requirements:

• 28 Units Core/Essential Computing Courses
  • 16 Units used to strengthen computing and finance foundations of MSc DFinTech students
  • 12 Units used to strengthen FinTech foundations of MSc DFinTech students
• 12 Units Elective Courses
  • 12 Units chosen from courses offered by the School of Computing or Business School
• Capstone Project
  • 12 Units (spanning across 2 semesters)

28 Units of Core/Essential Courses

FT5001 to FT5013 are new courses designed to instill core FinTech competencies covering Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Data Analytics. Among the 28 Units essential courses, BMD5301 and BMD5302 cover the basics of finance and are offered by the NUS Business School. IT5001 and IT5003 cover the basics of computing.

12 Units of Elective Courses

Elective courses offered by the School of Computing cover areas such as computing systems, cybersecurity, AI, data analytics, and enterprise IT. Students can also take electives in risk management and investment from the NUS Business School.

12 Units Capstone Project

This two-semester Capstone Project is designed to aid students to be equipped with in-depth skills and knowledge in a focused area through experiential learning. Students can choose either an academic research project under the supervision of world-class scholars at NUS, or a FinTech internship that will allow graduating students to obtain industry work experience.

Duration of Programme

The normal candidature periods for full-time and part-time students are 1.5 and 2.5 years respectively. The maximum candidature is 3 years for all students.

Workload

The maximum and minimum workload for part-time candidates per semester are 12 and 4 Units respectively. Candidates who are on full-time candidature can have a maximum and minimum workload of 20 and 12 Units respectively per semester.

Course Plan

The normal candidature periods for full-time and part-time programmes are 3 and 5 semesters respectively.

• Course Plan 1 (Full-Time)
  • Semester 1: 16 Units
  • Semester 2: 12 Units
  • Semester 3: 3 courses (12 Units)
  • Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 2 and 3)
• Course Plan 2 (Full-Time)
  • Semester 1: 20 Units
  • Semester 2: 12 Units
  • Semester 3: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 2 and 3)
• Course Plan 3 (Full-Time)
  • Semester 1: 16 Units
  • Semester 2: 16 Units
  • Semester 3: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 2 and 3)
• Sample Course Plan 1 (Part-Time)
  • Semester 1: 3 courses (12 Units)
  • Semester 2: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Semester 3: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Semester 4: 3 courses (12 Units)
  • Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 2 and 3)
• Sample Course Plan 2 (Part-Time)
  • Semester 1: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Semester 2: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Semester 3: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Semester 4: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Semester 5: 2 courses (8 Units)
  • Capstone Project (12 Units) (spans over Semester 4 and 5)

Continuation/Graduation Requirements

The MSc DFinTech programme uses the Grade Point Average (GPA) as a criterion for continuation and graduation. Students may refer to the information on the University’s continuation requirements and duration of the programme. In order to graduate from the MSc DFinTech programme, students are required to fulfil the programme requirements, as well as achieve a minimum final GPA of 3.0. Students are allowed a maximum of two level 4000 courses, with the remaining courses at level 5000 or above.