In today’s competitive job market, employers are looking for candidates who truly stand out. Earning a bachelor’s degree used to be the standard pathway to a successful career. However, for highly motivated students who wish to stay ahead of the curve and gain a competitive edge over their peers, an accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s degree programme may just be the key.

An accelerated programme allows students to complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees at the same time. Graduates can develop a deeper understanding of their chosen field and gain expertise more quickly. Not only that, but such programmes can also save time and money in the long run, all while taking one’s career to the next level.

To provide an avenue for its high-potential undergraduate students to accelerate their studies and gain a head start in the working world, SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) is launching the Fast-Track BBM-MQF Programme. It allows students in the Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) programme with the Quantitative Finance (QF) major to enrol in the Master of Science in Quantitative Finance (MQF) programme and graduate with both the BBM and MQF degrees in four years.

“Students generally expect a broad-based, holistic educational experience when it comes to undergraduate studies,” says Professor Tee Chyng Wen, Academic Director of the MSc in Quantitative Finance (MQF) programme.

“On the other hand, when pursuing a master’s degree, the objective is usually to study in-depth in a technical area to obtain specialised skillsets.

We combine the best of both worlds in this fast-track programme, allowing students to have exposure to both types of learning experiences and graduate within the same duration it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree.”

The fast-track programme is intended to provide students with the flexibility and ability they need in order pursue their career goals. This unique opportunity has been inspired by feedback from both Bachelor and Master’s quant graduates, garnered over the years through active dialogue.

We speak more with Prof Tee on why the new Fast-Track BBM-MQF Programme is a wise choice for outstanding students, and what makes it such an attractive combination.

A hands-on approach

The MQF programme at SMU adopts a practice-based approach which is informed by research and theory, and emphasises the development of practical skills. Through this approach, students will be able to apply what they have learnt in class to real-world settings, and develop a deep understanding of the complexities involved in the finance sector.

In addition to learning the theory and mathematical model, students are also required to write computer code to implement the models, and employ it to run analyses and solve real-world financial problems.

“This approach allows students to reinforce their learning by providing them with opportunities to observe how the theory and concepts they learn in the class are actually used in a realistic scenario,” adds Prof Tee.

“These applied projects are curated through frequent consultation with leading practitioners in the finance industry, fully capturing the nuance and complexity of the problems they encounter in practice.”

As technology continues to evolve, some have predicted that domain expertise will become less important in the workforce. However, this is unlikely to be the case in this instance. In many industries, domain experts are essential for understanding complex problems and developing effective solutions. As a result, employers are likely to continue seeking out candidates with deep knowledge and experience in their field.

“Looking at recent development, we can see a very distinct trend – graduates who possess more than one domain expertise get hired and rise through the ranks faster,” notes Prof Tee.

“The MQF programme cultivates three domain expertise: financial knowledge, analytics, and programming. Our graduates are versatile and can perform well across a wide range of different roles.”

Individuals who have put in the effort to build up expertise in highly technical areas often find that they have also improved their meta skills — competencies that enable the learning and usage of other skills more effectively such as critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, learning strategies, time management, and self-management. Meta skills provide a solid foundation to quickly pick up new knowledge or identify emerging areas to build further expertise upon. Individuals with this level of expertise are often in high demand, as they are able to adapt and change quickly as new technologies and ideas emerge.

Supercharge your potential

The fast-track programme is an excellent opportunity for ambitious young professionals to accelerate their careers. However, candidates should be aware that the programme is demanding and involves a fuller workload than a typical bachelor’s degree. As such, successful candidates will need to be highly organised and can work effectively under pressure.

Students will also need to adhere to the academic progression stipulated by the curriculum, hence they will have less flexibility for oversea exchanges or extended internships, says Prof Tee, who urges prospective candidates to check out the BBM-MQF study plan to gain a better understanding on the time and effort required to complete the programme successfully.

“Ultimately, quantitative finance opens the door to many different career paths,” says Prof Tee.

“While a bachelor’s degree is more than sufficient for many of these career paths, a master’s degree is helpful for some of the roles which require more advanced knowledge and skillsets. This is a key reason for us to introduce fast-track as an option for students based on their career objective.”

Learn more about how the Fast-Track BBM QF-MQF programme can supercharge your potential and open up your career options.