Financial Computation and Modeling (FCAM) Minor
Over the last two decades, the financial sector of our economy has significantly increased its reliance on quantitative probability-based methods in assessing risk and implementing financial strategies. The Departments of Statistics and Economics collaborate to offer Rice University undergraduate students a minor in Financial Computation and Modeling (FCAM). The minor is designed for those students with strong computational skills and an interest in finance.
The FCAM minor consists of seven courses focusing on the strategies and computational technologies used in the financial industry. Students completing the FCAM minor will understand the complexities of financial markets and their role in and impact on world economies.
The basic tools component of the FCAM curriculum will equip students with the economic, probability and statistical tools necessary to pursue advanced analytical courses. In the advanced courses, students will be exposed to state-of-the-art models and methodologies. Students will learn to understand, utilize and question basic assumptions of the core methodologies. A goal of the FCAM program is to train leaders in this industry to not only understand the financial technologies but also to understand the role, impact, and potential pitfalls of these technologies.
Many FCAM students have entered careers in the financial industry either immediately after completing their undergraduate degree or after graduate studies.
FCAM Advisors
Katherine Ensor, Ph.D., PStat®
Noah G. Harding Professor of Statistics
Director, CoFES
ensor@rice.edu
Mahmoud El-Gamal
Professor of Economics and Statistics
Chair of Islamic Economics, Finance & Management
Department of Economics
elgamal@rice.edu
