For Students

428px-Wall_Street_&_Broadway

Wall Street” by Emmanuel Huybrechts from Laval, Canada | Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

WHY FINTECH?

WPI has a long history of thought leadership at the intersection of finance and technology. We solve real-world FinTech challenges through project-based learning, applied interdisciplinary expertise, and collaboration in the financial and technology sectors.

WPI is the first and currently the only Academic Institution in the country to offer a Full Stack Fintech Program with Majors in Undergraduate, Graduate, and PhD. See the press release of this huge milestone. 

“Our project [with the Wall Street/FinTech Project Center] at JP Morgan Chase was a very valuable start-up for my career. I will always thank you and the WPI team for creating such a tremendous initiative for graduating senior students. It was a great asset.”

| Murat Bozfakioglu | JP Morgan Project | New York |

“During my project, I had been assigned significant projects and tasks. The quality of the work assigned, the excellence of the people I was working with, the prestige of the organization were some of the things that made of my MQP the best professional experience I’ve had so far.”

| Silvia Velásquez | Royal Bank of Scotland Project | London |

“It is just like having an internship at any of these banks, where you experience the real feeling of what it is like to work there. In my project, I felt like I was a consultant for this bank and in my job I got to interact with different employees from different departments.”

| Santiago Lora | BNP Paribas Project | London |

Picture of professor and students reviewing information on a computer.

Prior to his retirement in 2016, Professor Art Gerstenfeld (founder of the Wall Street Project Center, now known as the Wall Street/FinTech Project Center) works with two students on a FinTech project.

UNDERGRADUATE FINTECH MAJOR QUALIFYING PROJECT (MQP) INFORMATION

Projects: The Wall Street/FinTech Project Center offers opportunities for undergraduate Major Qualifying Projects (MQPs) involving the intersection of finance and technology. Students work with some of the most recognizable financial services firms in the world or leaders in the area of FinTech. Each of the project sponsors has needs for committed project team members with interest in technology, finance, and investments.

Teams: Students typically work in teams of two to three. The teams are interdisciplinary, and they can include students with backgrounds in technology, management, math, and more.

Majors: The Business School, Computer Science, Mathematical Science, Actuarial Science, Data Science, Artificial intelligence (AI), and more.

“Fintech is FinLife”, and the main goal of Fintech is to make “Finance Frictionless” in all industries.  All WPI Majors are eligible and welcomed to apply for a Fintech Project.

Term: B-Term.

Preparation: 1/6 unit preparation course (PQP) in A-Term preceding the MQP.

Location: Most projects are in the Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and more. Other global locations are possible.

Housing: Shared student apartments are the typical housing option. The Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division (IGSD) offers assistance in securing appropriate housing.

Travel: Travel to New York City or Boston is typically relatively straightforward. Travel to other global locations requires more planning (e.g., flights and potentially visas). The IGSD also supports students in the administrative aspects of travel planning.

Career Opportunities: As a result of their participation in the Wall Street Project Center, many students have secured full-time jobs after graduation with their project sponsors or other well-regarded financial services firms. After more than 15 years of projects, the WPI Wall Street Project Center now boasts a number of alumni with successful careers as senior leaders in investment banks and other financial firms.

To Apply: Go to the Program Brochure in the WPI Global Projects Program website.

Additional Information: Here some quotes from students and additional information on the Project Center. Wall Street FinTech Project Center Flier 2024

To view Submitted Papers and read about Fintech Projects delivered in recent years please click HERE.

Here is an overview video for students and potential sponsors. In this video you will hear:

  • About the structure and approach of the Fintech Project Center.
  • From a few students on their perspectives of their experience in the Fintech Project Center.

For more information, contact Rob Sarnie, Professor of Practice (Email: rsarnie@wpi.edu | Mobile: 503-272-5593)

pexels-photo-267569GRADUATE FINTECH PROJECT INFORMATION

The Wall Street/FinTech Project Center also supports independent study and other project-based opportunities for graduate students throughout the year.

If you are pursuing your MS or MBA in the The School of Business, an MS in Financial Mathematics, or some other relevant graduate degree, you may be able to conduct an independent study or other course equivalent for credit.

Your experience with the Project Center will consist of relevant hands-on work with project sponsors combined with rigorous academic research that will result in tangible deliverables for the sponsor and a practical whitepaper on a topic related to the project.

For more information, contact Marcel Blais, Professor or Teaching (Email: myblais@wpi.edu | Office: 508-831-5677)

or contact Rob Sarnie, Professor of Practice, Director (Email: rsarnie@wpi.edu | Mobile: 503-272-5593)

pexels-photo-220301ADDITIONAL MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES FINTECH PROJECT INFORMATION

In addition to the Wall Street/FinTech Project Center, Mathematical Sciences students may also explore project opportunities with the Center for Industrial Mathematics & Statistics (CIMS).

CIMS focuses on how the intersection of mathematics and industry benefits both. CIMS does this in a range of activities: from collaborative projects between industry, WPI students and faculty to workshops on how industrial problems can motivate students to learn mathematics. Companies gain insight from a fresh set of eyes on a particular problem of interest, students learn how mathematics can impact the world around them, and educators benefit in how mathematics can be used in new contexts.

If you are a student interested in learning more about project and other opportunities with CIMS, please contact Marcel Blais, Associate Teaching Professor (Email: myblais@wpi.edu | Office: 508-831-5677)

WPI FINTECH PROJECT CENTER CONTACTS

Rob Sarnie | Professor of Practice of Finance/FinTech/MIS (The Business School) 

Marcel Blais | Professor of Teaching (Mathematical Sciences/Data Science)

Wilson Wong | Associate Teaching Professor (Computer Science)