Electives, Minor, or a Finance Major with a Fintech Emphasis

All University of Utah undergraduate students (with a GPA of 3 or higher) are welcome to enroll in new financial technology study options. Students may choose from electives, a minor, or a finance major with a fintech emphasis to learn the range of business models and technologies disrupting financial services. They will gain the advanced knowledge and skills to succeed in the future, build a career, and improve financial accessibility. The programs were developed jointly by the David Eccles School of Business and the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering. Students join a rapidly growing industry, fueled by the rising demand for digital financial services, including mobile banking, e-commerce, and digital wallets, among others, and supported by advances in artificial intelligence, distributed-ledger technologies, and cloud-based services.

How to Get Started

To begin the journey into the digital future of financial services, start with an introductory course (FINAN 2140: Introduction to Global Fintech). Those pursuing a minor or major will then complete the set of required courses and select electives from finance, information systems, computer science, operations, marketing, and more. The final step in these programs is a hands-on capstone course to demonstrate and refine practical skills students have developed.

Ways to Study Fintech

Elective Courses in Fintech

Begin studying fintech by registering for one or more elective courses then advance to the other options. The courses are offered by the Eccles School and John and Marcia Price College of Engineering.

Minor in Fintech

The fintech minor is a great option for students who want to add a well-rounded understanding of financial technology to their major. This minor is designed for students in any major.

Finance Major with Fintech Emphasis

Take a deep dive into fintech by enrolling in the finance major with an emphasis in financial technology. This is a great option for business students at the Eccles School.

Why Study Fintech?

The fintech minor and electives are a great way to add more value to your existing major. It will allow you to find new ways to apply the skills you are already developing to a new and growing field with lots of options.

The fintech industry is constantly adding new companies and jobs. Tap into these opportunities and advance your career by studying fintech. You will be more prepared for these opportunities and a stronger candidate when applying.

The fintech minor and major emphasis both include required hands-on activities that will allow you to learn by doing. All students participate in real projects where they apply what they learn in class to a real business. Students complete this experience through a required capstone project.

The University of Utah is known for its exceptional faculty in finance and computer science. This is your opportunity to get the best of both worlds by taking classes and engaging with faculty from both fields.

By studying fintech, you will learn how to work across disciplines. Fintech is not one-dimensional. It requires business and technical skills. The fintech curriculum will help you develop both and how to coordinate with diverse people and groups to drive innovation.

Fintech is one of the fastest growing fields in the world, and Utah is one of the leading locations for this exciting new industry. By studying fintech at the University of Utah, you will be in a perfect position to get involved and grow with this industry to create the future.

Fintech is a lot more than finding efficiencies, cost savings, and entrepreneurial opportunities. It is also an important tool that can be used to improve the world. It can be applied to any problem where an understanding of finance and technology is important. The only limit is your creativity.

Fintech covers many interesting topics such as blockchain, big data, artificial intelligence, and more. Fintech works to apply these things to help businesses and individuals improve their financial processes. Take your interest in these topics to the next level by enrolling in the fintech academic programs.

The future will see many more innovations in technology and financial management. Studying fintech and pursuing a related career is a great way to help create the future and be a central part of it.

Take your interest in finance or computer science a step further by specializing in fintech. This is a growing field with lots of exciting developments. The fintech minor and major emphasis are a great option for those already studying a related field. Students in finance or computer science can double count credits toward a fintech minor or major emphasis.

What is Fintech?

“Fintech” is short for “financial technology.” It involves the use of innovative technologies to refine and automate many types of financial services, including digital lending, payments, blockchain, digital wealth management, and more.

Careers in Fintech

People with knowledge of financial technology are qualified to hold many types of jobs, including:

  • Software engineer
  • Data analyst
  • Machine learning engineer
  • Sales manager
  • Entrepreneur
  • Operational manager
  • Application developer
  • Financial analyst
  • Cybersecurity analyst
  • Marketing manager
  • Blockchain developer
  • Compliance expert
  • Data specialist
  • & More

Program Courses

[Subject to Change]

Here are sample courses and electives available in the minor and major emphasis program. See the program website for more detailed information about course requirements:

  • Introduction to Fintech
  • Humans & Bots
  • Financial Management
  • Introduction to Computer Programming
  • Programming with Python
  • Fair Machine Learning Algorithms for Business Decisions
  • Accounting and Big Data
  • Ethics in Data Science
  • Foundations of Data Analysis
  • Mobile Application Programming
  • Introduction to Computer Security
  • Database Systems
  • Hands-on Capstone
  • & More

Stena Center for Financial Technology

The Stena Center for Financial Technology at the University of Utah unites education and industry to accelerate financial innovation and inclusion. It is a collaborative effort of the David Eccles School of Business and the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering. Organized as an interdisciplinary effort, the center provides workshops, labs, research, an annual conference, and other projects and programs for students, faculty, and industry partners.

Contact Us

Department of Finance

David Eccles School of Business
Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building
1655 East Campus Center Dr.
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
finance@eccles.utah.edu
801-581-7463 (Department of Finance)
801-581-7676 (main line for Eccles School)

Academic Advising

For General Inquiries & Eccles Students

Do you have questions about enrolling in courses at the David Eccles School of Business? The academic advising office is a great resource for you. Read them 801-581-7853, advising@eccles.utah.edu or visit the Eccles Academic Advising here.

For Engineering Students

Are you an engineering student and want detailed help to navigate your options? Contact Dianne Leonard at the College of Engineering at dianne.leonard@utah.edu.