This programme focuses on the mathematics behind phenomena in which uncertainty plays a central role, such as fluctuations in stock prices or in complex networks (internet, mobile communication). Probabilistic modelling and data analysis and statistics are prominently present. A special focus is on Financial Mathematics, an important application field of Stochastics.

The curriculum and courses

The curriculum is as follows: 

Three compulsory components (50 EC), being

• 8 EC: the course Measure Theoretic Probability 
• 6 EC: the Master Seminar, in which you will discuss trends and current research with local staff, fellow students, alumni and potential future employers.
• 36 EC: the Master Project, as a conclusion of the programme.

One of the three specialisations; each specialisation has five compulsory and restricted choice courses, adding up to about 34 EC.

About 36 EC of additional courses. You can choose from one of the other specialisations or from related Master's programmes, such as Mathematics or Econometrics and may be local UvA courses or Mastermath courses. The offer is in constant flux, in order to modernise the mathematical content and to meet the demands of the continually and rapidly changing professional field.

Specialisations

• Financial Mathematics
• Data Analysis and Statistics
• Probability and Decision Making

Detailed course information

For detailed information regarding the current curriculum and courses, please see the UvA Course Catalogue via the link below. 

Mastermath: a national collaboration

Mastermath is a powerful and unparalleled cooperation between all departments of mathematics of the universities in the  Netherlands, including the University of Amsterdam. As part of your specialisation you can choose from a wide range of courses taught by top lecturers at centrally located universities. It gives you the opportunity to tailor your programme to your personal mathematical interests and to study with like-minded students from other institutes of mathematics.

Master's project

You will conclude the programme with a 36 EC Master's project. This is a research project that you will usually conduct under the personal supervision of a member of the research staff of the Korteweg-de Vries Institute for Mathematics. It may well include an internship in the finance and consultancy sector in the Amsterdam area, with which the programme has strong ties. Halfway through the project, you present your progress at the SFM Master Seminar to your fellow students in the first year. Your project includes writing a Master's thesis, giving a final presentation about your entire project and its outcomes in the presence of your supervisor, an independent second reviewer, and all interested. 

Double Master's degree programme

If you are interested in SFM and Econometrics, the University of Amsterdam offers a unique double degree programme for talented students (150 EC). This very dense and challenging programme allows you to obtain the degrees from both fields. You will do only one interdisciplinary research project and write one integrated thesis with supervisors from both disciplines. In order to follow this programme, you should meet the criteria for admission into both Master's programmes. A similar combination with the Master's in Computational Science is currently under consideration.

Majors and minors

At the UvA you can choose to do your Master’s programme with a society-/ business-oriented major or minor that focuses on other skills than doing research. In this case you will follow the programme of your chosen scientific discipline during the first year of your Master’s (although slightly adjusted), and a society-/ business-oriented major or minor during the second year. You will graduate as a Master of Science. If you have the ambition to do a professional specialisation make sure to inform about conditions early in your Master's programme.   

UvA Quants Career Event

As a student in the SFM Master's programme, you will have the opportunity to meet with companies in the financial industry during the yearly UvA Quants Career Event. In past years companies such as ABN AMRO, Flowtraders, Zanders, Optiver Services B.V., Ortec Finance, KPMG, Rabobank and IMC gave presentations and case studies on current research problems. Also they held interviews with our students, resulting in interesting practical internships and professional training opportunities. 

Accreditation and title

This Master's programme has been accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). Upon successful completion of the programme (a total of 120 ECTS), students will receive a legally recognised Master's degree in Stochastics and Financial Mathematics and the title of Master of Science (MSc).

Bring your own device

All students enrolled in the Stochastics and Financial Mathematics master's programme are requested to bring their own laptop. More information on specific system requirements can be found here.