Postgraduate Diploma in Quantitative Finance

Is this programme for me?

The Postgraduate Diploma in Quantitative Finance is designed principally for postgraduates whose work in banks and other financial institutions requires knowledge of statistical (particularly econometric) and quantitative approaches to risk and derivatives. Graduates with strong previous quantitative training (such as engineers) and graduates with lower levels of previous training can both benefit from the programme by choosing appropriate courses. (The Programme Director will advise on your course choices).

The programme can also provide a suitable route towards entering the MSc Finance (major: Quantitative Finance).

Programme aims

This programme will equip you with the necessary statistical (particularly econometric) skills and quantitative approaches to risk and derivatives.

Programme details

	You study	Study period	Cost (2011-2012)
Postgraduate Diploma	4 courses	1-5 years	£4,920
Individual Professional Courses	You can take up to three individual courses from this distance learning programme. Each course lasts eight weeks and you are registered for two years. The fee per course is £1,230.

Prestige

The programme has been developed by academics at the Centre for Financial and Management Studies (CeFiMS), a postgraduate research and teaching department within SOAS, University of London. Staff at CeFiMS have international reputations and are involved in researching their subjects at the very limits of current knowledge.

Career progression

As a graduate of this programme you will be well prepared for research and other positions in banking, fund management, consultancy, central banks and international bodies.

Comprehensive study materials and support

You will be given all of the learning materials that you need to complete each course. These will typically include:

The Study Guide, a core text specially written for the course. This takes the form of a looseleaf binder containing eight ‘course units’. The units are carefully structured to provide the main teaching of the course, defining and exploring the main concepts and issues, locating these within current debate and introducing and linking the further assigned readings.
Textbooks and collections of key journal articles and book extracts.
Online and multimedia tools. You will have access to the Online Study Centre (OSC), which is a web-accessed learning environment. Via the OSC, you can communicate with your assigned academic tutor, administrators and other students on the course using discussion forums. The OSC also provides access to the course Study Guide and assignments, as well as a selection of electronic journals available on the University of London Online Library. In addition, some courses materials will also include video lectures on DVD, CDs of case studies, and econometric software.
A Welcome Pack is available online, which provides you with resources and tips on effective distance learning. We will also send you a Study Skills textbook to help you manage your studies.

Your time commitment

This will depend partly on choices you make, but most students take two years to complete Postgraduate Diploma. The study calendar consists of five sessions per year. Each session is devoted to a specific course and lasts eight weeks (with the exception of the first session which runs for 10 weeks). During each session you will need to allocate between 15-20 hours per week to complete the programme.

Summary of key dates

Application deadline	5 September 2011	21 November 2011	2 April 2012
Programme starts	November 2011	January 2012	June 2012
Examinations	October