Financial Economics: Exploring Careers, Skills, and Opportunities

Interested in How Money Works?

Welcome to the world of financial economics.

你能想象在这个时代,如果你能预测通货膨胀——更不用说相关的工资和市场趋势——你的工作将有多大的价值吗? Are you good with numbers and data? 你对金融和货币政策的建模和定量分析感兴趣吗, whether it be for a corporation, government, or the world economy as a whole?

For those who can accurately analyze—or even better, predict—economic, purchasing, or monetary trends, the world of financial economics can be their oyster. It is both lucrative and perennially valuable, and offers broad professional flexibility, whether one is interested in research, policy making, or risk management, particularly in the financial and public sectors.

The Skill Set

Financial economists typically master the following skills:

  • Computer and mathematical skills, including calculus and linear algebra
  • 能够进行深入的研究,包括创建和进行调查和收集数据
  • 使用复杂的数学模型、统计工具和其他软件进行数据分析. Economists often create such models and analytical tools themselves
  • 批判性思维技能,用于解释结果,观察模式和预测复杂的市场/金融趋势
  • Communication/presentation skills, both written and oral, in order to relay findings to businesses, governments, and individual clients. Research is often presented in tables, graphs, and articles, 听众可能会从背景相似的同事到没有经济学背景的同事

Career Options

即使是拥有金融经济学学士学位的毕业生,平均起薪也相对较高,为61美元,000 (base) and report a job satisfaction rating of 4.5/5.0 according to payscale.com. In the long-term, 下面列出了一些金融经济学背景可以为你准备的职业选择, as well as their 2022 median annual pay, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. 请注意,所有列出的职业预计在未来十年的就业增长率将高于全国所有职业的平均水平.

  • Economist—$113,940—Conduct research, prepare reports, and evaluate issues related to monetary and fiscal policy 
  • Actuary—$113,990—Use mathematics, statistics, 并用金融理论分析经济成本的风险和不确定性
  • Financial Analyst—$96,指导企业和个人决定如何花钱以获得利润
  • 预算分析师- 82,260美元-帮助公共和私人组织规划他们的财务
  • 数据科学家——103500美元——使用分析工具和技术从数据中提取有意义的见解
  • Operations Research Analyst—$85,运用数学和逻辑帮助解决与组织运作结构和流程相关的复杂问题
  • Market Research Analyst—$68,230—Study consumer preferences, business conditions, and other factors to assess potential sales of a product or service

The Importance of a Degree

Given the complex and specialized nature of the field, a degree in financial economics is a necessary prerequisite. 那些从事理论或政策制定的人必须在更高程度上掌握上述技能. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 经济学家通常至少需要硕士学位才能进入这个行业. 然而,一些经济学家——主要是在政府工作的经济学家——有资格获得学士学位.”1

A School at the Intersection of Finance and Technology

Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business, located near Chicago’s central business district, is situated in an epicenter of global finance, 包括被称为芝加哥商品交易所的衍生品市场(已与芝加哥期货交易所合并), numerous financial firms and institutions, 以及数百家以芝加哥大都市区为家的企业.

斯图尔特商学院也是芝加哥唯一一所隶属于科技大学的商学院, 因此,弥合商业和技术之间的任何差距,同时提供金融和经济学的基础知识,并深入掌握该专业所需的定量和分析技能. It is also a STEM-designated program.

Stuart提供金融经济学学士和硕士学位. 以下是斯图尔特商学院独有的几门金融经济学课程:

  • 两门课程的计量经济学和统计学序列教给学生强大的技术,从大型数据库中产生有价值的见解. 这些以项目为导向的课程探索如何使用统计软件和应用复杂的计量经济学技术来分析和预测经济趋势, understand consumer behavior, mitigate risk, and make informed business choices.
  • 可视化分析-数据分析和可视化课程在仪表板创建方面提供独特和前沿的指导, interactive visualization techniques, 以及使用设计原则和领先工具(如Tableau)制作数据驱动叙事的艺术.
  • 微观经济学和博弈论课程培养学生的经济学思维,作为理解和分析商业和金融领域复杂问题的有力途径. It covers a wide range of factors—such as incentives, analysis of costs and benefits, competition, 以及影响整个经济中企业和组织管理者和领导者决策的市场结构.

One School, Two Programs

Stuart’s Master of Science in Financial Economics 该计划侧重于通过金融和市场的镜头经济学和数据分析的实际应用. Students develop sophisticated quantitative, analytical, and modeling skills that are in demand for research, policy making, and risk management jobs, especially in the financial and public sectors.

Students develop the comprehensive scientific, mathematical, 以及测试和应用金融和经济模型的应用技能, 以及解决涉及资产定价的实践和监管问题的工具和批判性思维技能, risk management, financial engineering, corporate finance, or portfolio management.

Additionally, Stuart’s Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics program teaches students the comprehensive scientific, mathematical, 以及在商业环境中测试和应用经济模型所需的应用技能. 我们的课程还为您提供批判性思维技能,以评估和改进调查影响个人的经济成分的方法, system, and social level variables.

Ready for the World of Financial Economics?

如果你有兴趣分析任何企业核心中最复杂、最重要的问题之一, or perhaps even the economy of a nation or the world as a whole, then the field of economic finance is likely right for you. Statistics show the field is not only financially rewarding, 而且还具有很高的工作满意度和未来十年的强劲就业前景(这些预测很有可能是金融经济学家提出的)。. 

如果你对威尼斯人平台的金融经济学硕士项目感兴趣,包括奖学金威尼斯人平台, part-time and evening course options, and hands-on work experiences— 联系Stuart的招聘和招生策略总监Brian Albertsen.


  1. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/economists.htm#tab-4