How to embrace and launch a unique digital finance (FinTech) career

FinTech is no longer separate from the world of financial services and finance. Globally financial technologies transform the processes, products, services and practices of financial institutions, along with, enabling the developments of new and dynamic ecosystems bringing together all the relevant stakeholders. In order for FinTech to move into a new dimension it requires a foundational component: talent!

The next generation of financial services requires a new generation of talent and mentality

With the growing demand for FinTech talent, a number of universities around the globe have begun to offer FinTech-related education (undergraduate, postgraduate, short, micro-credentials etc). Moreover, providers and institutions outside of tertiary education offer short courses for CPD purposes utilizing different learning formats.

How does the Swinburne Master of Financial Technologies differ from other offerings in Australia and internationally?

The Master of Financial Technologies, is the 1st of its kind of program in Australia (and one of the very few internationally) co-created with highly-esteemed partners incl. Bendigo Bank, IBM Research Australia, Tableau and Pitcher Partners.

It encompasses the applied study of data-oriented and smart technologies allowing pre-experienced and post-experienced students (technical and non-technical business leaders including those in the C-Suite, policy-makers, regulators) to obtain comprehensive knowledge and specific cutting-edge skills on the underlying technology aspects and translate them into FinTech-enabled business models.

Preparing forward-thinking students to grow and thrive in a financial services world of innovation, entrepreneurship and evolutionary transformation

The course aims to bridge the communication gap between business/financial services managers and technologists/data scientists and encourage the shaping of the emerging young talent together with the perpetual and renewable upskilling of professionals and executives by inspiring, nurturing and curating the next generation of best-in-class FinTech talent and supporting the mentorship and growth of an effective and successful Australian and Global FinTech Innovation Ecosystem.

How does Swinburne's Master of Financial Technologies stand out in comparison to other offerings and how does it fit within Swinburne's overall strategy, pedagogical innovation and portfolio of programmes?

The course aims at curating the best-in-class FinTech talent that is able to grasp both business and technology. Students are immersed within a breadth of experiential university-industry co-created coursework grounded on the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, finance, strategic technology management, data analytics, computer science and emerging technologies.

Students are provided with functional tools, methods and frameworks to identify prospective opportunities in their organisation and become confident in establishing how FinTech innovations can fit within their organisation strategy, along with, understanding and dealing with the various ethical and legal issues.

The course is part of a suite of postgraduate degrees that make up the Swinburne Business School, which was awarded AACSB International accreditation, a globally-recognized hallmark that is given to only 5% of the world’s schools offering business degrees at the bachelor level or higher. These postgraduate degrees combine practical theory with experiential learning, merge traditional skills with innovative thinking, and take a design-led approach to solving business problems and challenges.

The course is embedded within Swinburne’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem incl. AWS Data for Social Good Cloud Innovation Centre, Innovation Precinct, Factory of the Future, Blockchain Innovation Lab (Capgemini Global Blockchain Innovation Centre), Data Science Research Institute, The Data Experience Lab, The Wirpo Artificial Intelligence Centre. Swinburne University of Technology has been awarded the 2019 Australian Business Award (ABA) for Business Innovation for its Industry 4.0 Initiative.

What is the unique value proposition of Swinburne's Master of Financial Technologies?

• A best in-class FinTech postgraduate qualification
• A 1st of its kind FinTech education accredited degree in Australia
• A true educational intervention co-created and taught together with industry leaders
• Total immersion within a unique mix of finance, technology, business, entrepreneurship and innovation
• Grounded within the emerging Swinburne innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem
• Offered by the AACSB internationally-accredited Swinburne Business School
• Delivered in a blended mode and located in Melbourne, the emerging FinTech-friendly innovation hub in Australia

What is the philosophy behind the Master of Financial Technologies?

Strengthening the knowledge, capabilities and mindset of best-in-class talent to engage and take advantage of the technological changes that are transforming the financial services industry in Australia

What makes the student experience truly amazing and unforgettable?

Teaching and learning adopt a seminar format that includes blended learning, industry presentations, workshops and group discussions.

Content is continuously updated, capturing the latest global trends within the financial technologies/FinTech landscape.

Industry and unit partners provide guest speakers, case studies, ensure content relevance, share data and technology applications, host seminars and sight visits and grant an award to the best performing student.

Swinburne adopts a learning-through real projects approach analyzing different and emerging business models, performing data analytics on large datasets and using visualization software to present the data in an insightful format. This means that students have the opportunity to work on real problems, apply their knowledge directly and receive mentorship from renowned industry leaders.

Students are provided with continuous opportunities to engage with industry, organize workshops, contribute to projects and participate in by-invitation and exclusive events such as

• UniSuper’s Practical Introduction to Institutional Investing Day (July 23rd 2019)
• The 2019 Deloitte Melbourne Alternative Investments Symposium (June 17th 2019)
• The 2019 Intersekt FinTech Festival (15-17 October 2019)

The program has numerous friends and supporters in Australia and around the globe providing opportunities to the students for further engagement, mentoring and professional development.

The course is supported by a top-tiered Course Advisory Committee of Australian and international industry executives, policy-makers and thought leaders.

What does the ideal Master of Financial Technologies candidate look like?

We are looking for global talent from any field of study. The ideal candidate would be someone who is ready to learn, unlearn and relearn, keep oneself constantly up-to-speed, understand the ecosystem and participate in networking events. Moreover, the ideal candidate would be able to think across disciplines and sectors by leading a connector and translator mentality. The ideal candidate is someone who is willing to understand the context and where one belongs, be flexible by embracing change and evolution is the new normal and be ready to actively seek participation in training sessions, boot-camps, events outside the classroom.

Looking for additional information?

For detailed information I invite you to browse the course's website.

I encourage you to get in touch via e-mail in order to discuss directly and learn more about the course.