MSU Announces New Master’s in Financial Technology and AI

Michigan State University is expanding its graduate offerings with a new Master’s in Financial Technology and AI, an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students for careers at the intersection of finance and technology.

The new 45-credit program brings together finance, programming, artificial intelligence, data analytics and emerging financial technologies. Designed to be completed in as little as 12 months, the program is primarily delivered on campus and includes one hybrid module.

Built on Michigan State University’s strengths in business and engineering education, the M.S. in Financial Technology and AI provides a new pathway for students interested in the increasingly technical side of finance and the technologies changing how financial products and services are built and delivered.

Who Is the M.S. in FinTech and AI For?

The Master’s in Financial Technology and AI is designed for students who are interested in or already familiar with technologies such as Python, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics and blockchain and want to understand how those technologies can be applied within finance.

For students coming from finance, accounting, economics or another business discipline, the program provides an opportunity to build on an existing financial foundation while developing technical skills in areas such as programming, AI and analytics.

For students coming from engineering, computer science, data science or another technical discipline, the program builds on their programming knowledge with practical financial expertise, preparing them to apply those technical skills to financial systems, products and services.

Whether you understand finance and want to become more technical or already have technical skills and want to apply them to finance, the M.S. in Financial Technology and AI brings those two areas together.

What Does Applying Technology to Finance Actually Look Like?

Technology has become increasingly integrated into how financial organizations analyze information, make decisions, manage risk and deliver products and services. FinTech brings financial knowledge together with tools such as programming, data analytics and artificial intelligence to help professionals approach these areas in new ways.

For example, financial professionals can use technology to work with larger amounts of information and better understand patterns, trends and potential outcomes. Data and predictive models can support forecasting and financial planning, helping organizations evaluate areas such as spending, costs, performance and risk.

Technology also plays a growing role in the products and services people use to manage and move money. Digital banking, online payments, lending platforms and investment tools are examples of financial services that depend on both financial knowledge and technology.

Artificial intelligence and automation are creating additional opportunities across the industry. These technologies can help organizations process information, improve existing workflows and explore new approaches to financial analysis and services.

For professionals entering FinTech, the value comes from understanding how these areas connect. Someone with a finance background can benefit from understanding the technologies increasingly used within the industry, while someone with a technical background can benefit from understanding the financial context in which those technologies are applied.

That intersection is at the center of MSU’s M.S. in Financial Technology and AI, giving students an opportunity to develop knowledge across both disciplines and prepare for a financial industry increasingly influenced by technology.

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Financial Technology and AI?

Because FinTech encompasses both financial and technical work, career opportunities can extend across financial institutions, technology companies, FinTech firms and other organizations developing financial products and services.

Earning potential can also grow considerably throughout a career in FinTech. Junior and early-career roles can start around $60,000 to $100,000, depending on the position, employer, location and previous experience. As professionals develop specialized expertise and move into senior technical or product roles, salaries can reach approximately $110,000 to $200,000. At the director and executive level, compensation can reach $170,000 to $250,000 or more.

Potential career paths include:

• FinTech engineer
• Payments product manager
• Digital banking product manager
• Financial technology product analyst
• Quantitative analyst
• Financial risk analyst
• Digital assets or blockchain product manager
• Financial technology consultant
• FinTech product manager
• FinTech director or technology leader

Some of these careers are highly technical, while others focus on financial analysis, risk, product development or connecting business needs with technology. Together, they provide opportunities to build a career around the growing intersection of finance and technology.

Why Study Financial Technology and AI at Michigan State University?

Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business brings an established reputation in graduate business education, research and industry engagement to its new M.S. in Financial Technology and AI.

Broad’s diverse portfolio of graduate programs spans Finance, Financial Planning and Wealth Management, Accounting, Accounting and Data Analytics, and Business Data Science and Analytics. Together, these programs reflect the college’s depth of expertise across financial management, quantitative analysis, business strategy and data-driven decision-making. The new FinTech program builds on this foundation, drawing from an academic environment where financial knowledge and emerging technologies are already important areas of study.

As part of Michigan State University, an R1 research institution, Broad benefits from a strong culture of research and innovation. This research-driven environment encourages students to go beyond learning how to use emerging technologies by developing the analytical and critical-thinking skills needed to evaluate their effectiveness, identify practical applications and understand how they can create value in the workplace.

Through Broad’s career resources, industry partnerships and extensive alumni network, students have opportunities to connect with employers and professionals working across finance and technology. Building these relationships throughout the program can help students explore career opportunities, expand their professional networks and position themselves for employment after graduation.

For students pursuing a future in FinTech, these strengths offer more than a graduate education. They provide the opportunity to build on MSU’s academic expertise, research environment and professional connections as they prepare for careers in a rapidly evolving financial industry.

Explore MSU’s New M.S. in Financial Technology and AI

The continued evolution of payments, digital banking, artificial intelligence, blockchain and financial infrastructure is creating new ways for financial and technical expertise to come together.

For finance professionals, that can mean developing the technical capabilities to participate in how new financial products and systems are built. For engineers and technology professionals, it can mean applying existing programming and technical expertise to financial problems and services.

MSU’s new M.S. in Financial Technology and AI provides a graduate pathway for both.

Interested in where a future in FinTech could take you? Explore the M.S. in Financial Technology and AI, learn more about the curriculum and admissions requirements, and get information about your next steps for applying to Michigan State University.