Joint BX/MS Program

To start an application, visit https://apply-psd.uchicago.edu/apply.

All applicants must meet the standard prerequisites and admission requirements for the MSFM program, including successful completion of at least multivariable calculus, linear algebra, probability, and programming.

In addition, at the time of BXMS matriculation, applicants must have:

• Completed all Core requirements
• No more than 300 units remaining toward their bachelor’s degree conferral. This total covers all remaining coursework for the bachelor’s degree, whether for the major, minor, electives, or the overall 4200-unit requirement.

Major and minor requirements do not need to be finished before matriculation, as long as they fall within the 300 remaining units. Completion of these requirements is verified by the student’s undergraduate advisor.

4-Year Joint Degree

Undergraduate students who will complete all Core requirements by the end of Spring quarter of their 3rd year, and have no more than 300 units remaining toward their bachelor’s degree conferral by the start of their 4th year, may complete the joint BX/MSFM in 4 years.

On this path, students begin predominantly taking MSFM courses at the start of their 4th year, and must complete all BX/MSFM requirements by the end of the Spring quarter of their 4th year. Students who select the 4-year option are not permitted to extend their BX/MSFM studies past June of their 4th year.

5-Year Joint Degree

The 5-year path allows students to begin the MSFM during their 4th year and complete it in their 5th year. All BX requirements must be completed by June of the student’s 4th year. There are two start options:

• Autumn start: For students who meet the application requirements above by the start of their 4th year but prefer a longer MSFM timeline than the 3-quarter maximum path required of 4-year joint degree students.
• Winter or Spring start: For students who enter their 4th year with more than 300 units remaining toward their bachelor’s degree conferral. These students may begin the MSFM in Winter or Spring quarter of their 4th year once they meet the application requirements above.

Students begin predominantly taking MSFM courses in their start quarter.

4-Year Joint Degree

 Applications are due by Week 3 of the Spring Quarter of the student's 3rd year by April 8, 2027, with decisions expected by the end of week 6 of Spring Quarter. 

5-Year Joint Degree

  Application deadlines are as follows.

5-Year Joint Degree Winter Start:
Applications are due by Week 3 of the Autumn Quarter of the student's 4th year by October 15, 2026, with decisions expected by the end of week 6 of Autumn Quarter. 

5-Year Joint Degree Spring Start:
Applications are due by Week 3 of the Winter Quarter of the student's 4th year by January 21, 2027, with decisions expected by the end of week 6 of Winter Quarter. 

5-Year Joint Degree Autumn Start:
Applications are due by Week 3 of the Spring Quarter of the student's 3rd year by April 8, 2027, with decisions expected by the end of week 6 of Spring Quarter. 

Students in the joint program are required to successfully complete 1250 units, following the standard curriculum requirements for the MSFM, toward which up to 300 units total of MSFM and approved 200-level courses taken prior to the quarter of matriculation into the Bx/MS program may count towards the MSFM elective requirements, following the course guidelines below.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of quantitative finance and the MSFM, there are a variety of College courses that may be counted towards the MSFM degree when taken prior to BXMS matriculation.

The following courses automatically count towards the MSFM when taken prior to matriculation in the BXMS program:

BUSN 20820 Financial Econometrics
CMSC 25025 Machine Learning and Large-Scale Data Analysis
CMSC 25300 Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning
CMSC 25700 Natural Language Processing     
DATA 27100 Data Science Clinic I **  
STAT 24410 Statistical Theory and Methods
STAT 24510 Statistical Theory and Methods IIa
STAT 24620 Multivariate Statistical Analysis: Applications and Techniques
STAT 25300 Introduction to Probability Models
STAT 27400 Nonparametric Inference
STAT 27850 Multiple Testing, Modern Inference, and Replicability

*A maximum of 100 units from each of BUSN, CMSC, DATA and any non-STAT or MATH coded course may count towards the MSFM degree. And a maximum of 400 total units from non-FINM courses taken both pre- and post-matriculation in the BXMS program may count towards the MSFM degree.

**A maximum of 150 practical units are permitted to towards the MSFM degree. Practical units may include Project Labs and Practicum courses.

Additional 300+ level courses, as well as 200+ courses crosslisted with a 300+ level number, from any department on the topics of Machine Learning, Data Science, Scientific Computing, Statistical Estimation, Numerical Methods, and Stochastic Processes, may be considered with special petition to the MSFM program director. Special petitions must be coordinated through Hope Kennedy.

Students accepted into the joint program should closely work with their college advisors and submit their course plans for the 300 pre-matriculation units they plan to count to the MSFM program advisor at least one week prior to the course registration deadline for their matriculating quarter. Students will also map the remaining MSFM units/course plan with the MSFM administrator at that time.

Any changes to the initial course plan must be communicated immediately in writing to the MSFM administrator.

All FINM students, including new and incoming BXMS students, are required to attend September Launch, an orientation program exclusive to the Financial Mathematics program. 

Beginning the second half of August and running until the start of autumn quarter, September Launch is filled with orientation events, Technical Interview Workshops, Financial Markets lectures, and Python reviews. FINM 34000 (a FinMath Core course) will meet in it's entirety in the month of September, while Career Development leads a number of workshops and events that are mandatory for job-seeking students during September Launch. 

All new and incoming BXMS students are expected to be on-campus for September Launch, which takes place fully in-person. 

4-year BXMS students on an F1 visa must graduate following Spring quarter of their 4^th year (and no later) in order to be eligible for OPT upon graduation.

5-year BXMS students on an F1 visa must remain enrolled with the MSFM program through at least Spring quarter of their 5th year (or later) in order to be eligible for OPT upon graduation.