Programme in Advanced Mathematics of Finance

If you are interested in this degree, but are unsure what it entails, please download this document and read it carefully.

Certain financial transactions, governed by sophisticated mathematical relationships, have become ever more important in everyday international finance. Options contracts are an outstanding example of these. Derivative securities pricing is only fully understood through a practical knowledge of the behaviour of markets and a theoretical understanding of partial differential equations, stochastic calculus and other mathematical tools. The Honours in Advanced Mathematics of Finance degree supplies the knowledge needed to understand and implement such financial transactions. The School of CAM administers the degree. This degree offers entrance to the MSc by dissertation degree.

The degree attracts full time Honours Students from the Mathematical Sciences & Economic Sciences at Wits and other universities. Advanced Mathematics of Finance is a demanding professional degree, designed for students who have a strong mathematical undergraduate degree and are interested in financial markets.

The Honours degree requires a total of 144 points, of which 36 are allocated to the major project, and the balance to lectured topics. Details of the core topics can be found here. The topics introduce the student to relevant ideas in derivatives, the language of derivatives and their mathematical foundations.

Prerequisites are flexible. If students have come from the Mathematical Sciences at Wits then we require one of Mathematics III, Computational and Applied Mathematics III, Statistics III or Computer Science III (with a very good mark for Maths II). Students from other universities will have to have completed a degree in a Mathematical Science discipline such as Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, Statistics or Actuarial Science. Applicants should have at least a basic understanding of statistical techniques. Because of demand, entrance to the programme is on the basis of prior academic achievement. Consequently, the most important entrance criterion is the result of the last degree completed by the applicant.

Applications must be made by OCTOBER 31. Each applicant who has studied at an institution other than the University of the Witwatersrand MUST submit a certified copy of their most recent academic transcript with their application form. (Late applications will be considered.)

The School of Computational and Applied Mathematics is particularly keen to facilitate enrolment from other institutions.

Applicants may approach the University funding scheme for both Merit and Financial Aid bursaries.For further information please contact the University. All applicants to the Programme are strongly encouraged to submit a Merit Bursary application.