Graduate Certificate in Financial Technology

The Graduate Certificate in Financial Technology allows current graduate students to gain specialized expertise at the intersection of finance and digital innovation. This 15-credit certificate provides a strategic advantage for those seeking to understand the technologies reshaping global finance markets, from decentralized finance to digital credit markets.

Core courses and faculty are shared with the Master of Science in Financial Technology (MSFT) program and provide the same high level of instruction and interaction. If you have questions, please contact the academic advisor of your graduate program.

Curriculum

  • The certificate requires 15 credit hours of coursework.
  • All credits must be completed within three years.
  • Certificate credits can cross-count toward your graduate program requirements.
  • Grades, credits, and the certificate will appear on an official university transcript.
  • A 3.0 cumulative GPA in certificate courses is required for successful completion of the certificate.

Core Courses

Course Number: FINAN 6140
Credits: 3

This course explores how money and payments are being transformed in the digital economy. Students will examine the technologies, institutions, and regulatory frameworks that power modern payment systems, from traditional banking rails to digital wallets, stablecoins, CBDCs, and blockchain‑based networks. Through lectures, in‑class exercises, case studies, and AI‑assisted research projects, the course provides a deep understanding of how value is created, transferred, verified, and stored in an increasingly digital world. Students develop the analytical and strategic insight required to work in fintech, digital banking, payments strategy, financial innovation, or regulatory policy.

Benefits:

  • Explain historical and modern definitions of money, including fiat, digital, and crypto‑based forms
  • Understand how money is created and managed by central banks and commercial banks
  • Compare traditional payment systems (ACH, card networks, SWIFT) with modern rails (real‑time payments, blockchain, API‑based transfers)
  • Evaluate emerging technologies such as stablecoins, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and blockchain‑based payments
  • Analyze current trends in digital custody, identity management, and data privacy, including wallet security and authentication
  • Interpret U.S. and global developments in Open Banking and Open Finance, including major regulatory and technological shifts
  • Conduct rapid, informed research on emerging PayTech topics using AI‑enhanced research methods
  • Communicate findings through structured presentations, collaborative discussions, and applied case study work

Course Number: FINAN 6145
Credits: 3

This course is designed for students who want to move beyond headlines about blockchain and actually understand and apply the technologies reshaping today’s digital economy. FINAN 6145: Foundations of Blockchain & Digital Asset Systems gives students a comprehensive, graduate‑level foundation in distributed ledger technology, consensus mechanisms, tokenization, smart contracts, and Web3 infrastructure. Building on knowledge from foundational finance, fintech, and technology courses, this class teaches students how blockchain networks operate at the protocol level, how tokens represent both digital and real‑world assets, and how decentralized applications use smart contracts and oracle networks to function. You will evaluate real‑world blockchain applications across fintech, supply chains, identity, capital markets, and more all while gaining practical readiness for hands‑on project work in the Fintech Blockchain Lab. With weekly concept briefs, smart‑contract workshops, case studies, and a capstone tokenization project, students gain the analytical ability, technical understanding, and critical reasoning skills needed to navigate and contribute to the rapidly evolving blockchain and Web3 ecosystem. Whether you intend to work in fintech innovation, asset tokenization, product development, risk analysis, or digital asset research, this course provides the intellectual and practical foundation that modern blockchain‑enabled roles require.

Benefits:

  • Understand how blockchain and distributed ledger technologies actually work, including cryptography, hashing, digital signatures, and consensus protocols such as Proof of Work, Proof of Stake, and BFT models.
  • Differentiate between Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchain architectures, gaining clarity on scalability, interoperability, rollups, sidechains, and state channels through platforms like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, and Arbitrum.
  • Gain practical exposure to smart contracts, including a guided Solidity demonstration using the Remix IDE and an applied smart‑contract assignment.
  • Learn how oracles and cross‑chain infrastructure enable real‑world connectivity, examining systems like Chainlink, API3, and UMA.
  • Master the concepts and mechanics of tokenization, covering fungible tokens, NFTs, and the rapidly growing space of real‑world asset (RWA) tokenization.
  • Analyze major crypto assets and stablecoin models, understanding token economics, value drivers, risks, and protocol design.
  • Explore key DeFi mechanisms, including automated‑market makers (AMMs), decentralized exchanges (DEXs), and yield aggregators.
  • Build an informed perspective on custody, wallets, regulation, AML, MiCA, and securities considerations, giving you the regulatory literacy essential for blockchain‑related roles.
  • Apply your learning toward a final group project, developing a real RWA tokenization pitch ideal preparation for fintech product, innovation, or blockchain lab work.
  • Develop the technical and strategic readiness for capstone work in the Fintech Blockchain Lab, positioning you for hands‑on innovation experiences and future fintech‑oriented roles.

Course Number: FINAN 6155
Credits: 3

This course explores technologies, business models, and regulatory forces reshaping the global lending ecosystem. Students examine the transformation from traditional bank‑centered lending to a diverse digital landscape of marketplace lenders, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) providers, embedded finance platforms, and AI‑driven fintechs. The course blends technical understanding with strategic analysis, enabling students to evaluate how alternative data, machine learning, and open finance frameworks are redefining underwriting, risk modeling, customer acquisition, and financial inclusion. Through applied case studies, industry insights, and strategic projects, students build the interdisciplinary perspective required to lead, innovate, or regulate effectively within the rapidly evolving credit economy.

Benefits:

  • Analyze and compare digital lending archetypes including P2P marketplaces, BNPL providers, embedded finance platforms, direct‑to‑consumer fintechs, and SME lenders
  • Understand the architecture of the modern credit stack, including APIs, KYC/AML protocols, identity verification systems, and data‑sharing layers
  • Master the principles of Open Banking and Open Finance and evaluate their impact on competition and innovation
  • Critically compare traditional underwriting with modern, data‑driven approaches using alternative and open‑banking data
  • Evaluate the role of AI/ML in credit decisioning, risk modeling, automation, and fraud detection
  • Assess the challenges of algorithmic bias, explainability, fairness, and the ethical implications of automated underwriting
  • Navigate key regulatory frameworks (TILA, Dodd‑Frank, fair lending laws) and apply them to emerging fintech products
  • Critique the financial inclusion narrative by weighing expanded access against systemic risks, algorithmic discrimination, and predatory models
  • Analyze decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocols, tokenized credit, and associated systemic risks
  • Conduct strategic case analysis of major fintech lenders—both successful and defunct—to extract lessons in strategy, risk, operations, and regulation
  • Formulate informed, perspectives on the future of lending, including the rise of DeFi, PropTech integrations, AI‑driven underwriting, and “credit‑as‑a‑software‑feature”

Elective Courses

Students may take any 6 credits of graduate-level courses approved by their Academic Advisor at the David Eccles School of Business.

Admission Requirements

  • Applicants must be current graduate students at the University of Utah.
  • Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA or a minimum 3.0 GPA in their current graduate program.
  • Courses may have individual pre-requisites.
  • A GMAT/GRE score is not required.

Application Deadline

  • Students must apply for the certificate at least one semester prior to the semester in which they will graduate.
  • Applications are accepted throughout the year and reviewed on a rolling basis.
  • Students may start the program in Fall, Spring, or Summer semester.*

*Certificate pending final approval by the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE). Approval expected April 2026.