(Almost) Everything you need to know about the MFE programme.

(Almost) Everything you need to know about the MFE programme.

by | Sep 15, 2017 | MSc Financial Engineering

Graduate Studies Blog

MSC FINANCIAL ENGINEERING

(Almost) Everything you need to know about the MFE programme.

Article written by: Zhang Yiwen (MFE Participant 2017-18)

The main reason I’m writing this is that most people in China do not know much about financial engineering, but recently many have asked me about Nanyang Technological University’s MSc. Financial Engineering (NTU or NTU MFE). So I’m here to summarize and share my own experience studying NTU MFE for your reference. It is purely personal and may not apply to everyone. You may judge according to your own circumstances. My hope is that it provides some convenience for those interested in working in finance or applying for a spot in NTU.

If you prefer a glimpse rather than reading, please check out the Nanyang MFE site.

(Make sure you read this article in a WiFi-equipped environment because there will be a lot of pictures.)

To start with, I’d like to say something about myself. I’m a full-time MFE graduate at NTU. I used to be an engineering student at a Shanghai university of Project 985.

Now comes the question: How does it feel studying MFE at NTU?

The NTU boasts a really beautiful environment. Just take a look at the following pictures (provided by NTU Graduate Student Council).

Fig.1. Landmark Hive (many multimedia classrooms to be reserved)

Fig.2 ADM Library

Fig.3&4 Interior of Business Library

Fig.5 Student Dormitory (Buildings for students aplenty, with a pleasant environment. No need to rent a place like NUS students.)

Part1: Financial Engineering

    1. Financial Engineering has gained popularity in recent years. It involves mathematics, finance and computer science. Applicants are required of a good command of such knowledge. Similar to Mathematical Finance, Financial Engineering and Quantitative Finance, Financial Engineering deals with financial issues through computer programming. As a cross-disciplinary program, it is often jointly taught by teachers from the schools of business, mathematics and computer science. The teaching content is harder than that of the general Finance and MBA courses. It mainly includes stock market analysis, asset pricing, capital budgeting, fixed-income analysis, interest rate model and financial risk management (NTU’s curriculum will be discussed in Part 3). The founding of NTU MFE was also a joint effort of Nanyang Business School (NBS) and School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS).
    2. As to employment, the quantitative area is a top choice, but MFE graduates may choose to work in any area related to finance. To my knowledge, the average salary of MFE graduates is pretty good.

Part2: NTU NBS

    1. NTU MFE was jointly established by NBS and SPMS, but it is under NBS at the administrative level. Nanyang Business School ranked 24th in the world (Financial Times 2017) with reliable teaching quality.
    2. NBS is near Hive. It has three teaching buildings as circled in red. The dormitory I live is circled in blue. It seems quite a long distance, but we have shuttle buses (three loop lines altogether), running every 5 minutes. It takes 10 minutes from the dorm to the teaching building. So it is really convenient. NBS has its own library (see Fig. 3.4). It’s a well-stocked library that offers study rooms, discussion rooms and computer rooms. The teaching buildings also have study rooms that are always open to MFE students (with printers, Bloomberg Terminals and computers). Everything is awesome. Seeing is believing!

Part3: NTU MFE

  1. In terms of curriculum, you may just look at my class schedule. NTU MFE is a three-trimester program. Each trimester is divided into two minis. Each mini lasts about 7 weeks. Of the courses those marked by (E) are elective ones and the rest are required ones. The curriculum is designed in an easy-to-difficult way. It helps you lay a very solid foundation in finance.

One thing to note is that almost all NTU’s programming courses are taught at CMU! I bet you all know CMU’s School of Computer Science and its global ranking. Awesome indeed! The last mini of NTU MFE will be also spent at CMU. My seniors say Mini 6 will be crammed with quality programming courses from which one will learn a great deal.

2.  About employment, NTU and NUS graduates won’t worry about finding a job in Singapore. It is learned that NUS MFE graduates would choose risk management while NTU MFE graduates mostly go for quantitative trading. (Only personal knowledge, not 100% authentic)

3. What are the requirements for application? As is clearly stated in the above site, a language test report, a GRE or GMAT report and a series of materials are required for application. The only thing to note is that the application materials should be sent to the Admissions’ mailbox.

4. As for the interview that follows, applicants will be asked to have an interview via Skype once the resume meets the requirements. There will be some math questions during the interview for which you may prepare. In this regard, reference articles abound.

Part4: Life at NTU (learning, recreation and traffic)

  1. You have nine libraries at your disposal. And there are all-night study rooms outside your dormitory, as well as recreation areas and discussion areas. NTU also has online databases where you can check homework assignment, submission and curriculum information.
  2. Almost every dormitory area is equipped with a free-of-charge gym. There are also swimming pools, badminton courts, basketball courts and tennis courts in the campus. Near Lee Wee Nam Library is a comprehensive shopping center, comprising a bank, a supermarket, milk tea shops, a food court, etc., all for your convenience. There is even a huge display screen in front of the supermarket that sometimes acts as an open cinema. The movie information will be delivered to the school’s mailbox.
  3. Traffic is also great. You can take Line 179 or 199 to the metro station where there are a real cinema and a one-stop shopping center to meet your daily life needs. NTU is very close to Malaysia, only 30 minutes’ ride. You can get a multiple entry visa and spend your weekends there. If you’re buying something, you may try Yue Hwa Chinese Products and Chinese Goods Supermarket (中商超). They will have your products delivered to your dormitory.

PS: Many say their biggest concern about studying in Singapore is the language issue out of an understanding that people in Singapore speak Chinese and that won’t help their English. This is absolutely a misunderstanding! In fact, the locals won’t speak Chinese to you, and they even have difficulty in understanding Chinese! No need to worry that you won’t have any chance practicing English. But the good news is that service workers understand Chinese in Singapore, such as in restaurants and shopping malls. So don’t worry about the menu problem.

So much for today, I may update this from time to time. And the last thing: You are welcome to join NTU MFE!

Download MSc Financial Engineering Brochure

Academic Experience

Student Life

Reaching for the Skies

by | Sep 15, 2017 | Nanyang MBA

Graduate Studies Blog

NANYANG EXECUTIVE MBA

Reaching For The Skies

By Tina Sim

Chris Lloyd is a veteran in the global civil helicopter industry, with extensive experience and networks in helicopter sales, finance, leasing and operations. He is currently Managing Partner of Aero Infinity Pte Ltd, a new venture established to finance and invest primarily in the Asia and Oceania region in preferred fixed and rotary wing aircraft transactions in the General Aviation (GA) markets. His other hats include: a director at Asian Corporate Aviation Management (ACAM), an established corporate jet management company located in Singapore and Indonesia; and founder of Lloyd Marine, which owns and manages the largest fleet of luxury yachts available for charter in Singapore.

He recently obtained an Executive MBA with an Aviation track from Nanyang Business School (NBS). He was attracted to this particular programme because it allowed participants to specialise in several areas. Within the Aviation and Air Transport track, he spent three weeks at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Geneva, followed by four more aviation-specific modules at NBS. (The EMBA also offers tracks into Hospitality Management and General Management.)

The EMBA tied in with the current demands of his career. Chris sees potential in the leasing and financing business in GA, especially in Asia where it is relatively new. He said: “Leasing in commercial aviation is very established, but for several reasons it has not caught on to the same extent in GA.” He is launching a fund to redress this gap – and that is where the EMBA fits in: “I got a lot out of the programme. It helped me directly as I have moved into the financial side of the business in the setting up of a leasing fund. I have a better general understanding and appreciation of many of the finance-related aspects of the industry. My best learning moments would include the IATA segments and broadly speaking, the financial modules.”

While he had always had a keen interest in the aviation industry, and this was where the family business was sited, it was not until he had finished his bachelor degree that he decided to enter the industry. He started his career with Aerolift International and subsequently became GM of Lloyd Helicopters based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; then MD of Lloyd Helicopters Asia based in Singapore. Chris is a formidable salesman and broker. Through the Lloyd group, Chris has sold over 350 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and structured leases of offshore helicopters into China, Indonesia, Myanmar and Malaysia amongst others.

Chris has spent most of his working life in the helicopter industry. He reflects that the industry had changed a lot since he joined. In the latter years, it became clear to him that smaller companies were being bought up and merged to form a handful of larger, stronger companies, which the smaller independents could not compete with. It was against this backdrop that he decided to embark on his EMBA. One of the most satisfying moments for him as a result of that was the decision made during his EMBA studies – to sell the family business to an American private equity firm – it became a real-life case study.

He added though, “Going back to school also yielded some terrible moments for me. It had been twenty-four years since I had last been a student, so I had a shock when sitting for the first exam. It took me a while to start writing whilst my cohort, many of whom were a lot younger, were scribbling away furiously. For a moment, I thought I had made a mistake doing this EMBA.” Fortunately, he was able to pull himself together to put pen to paper and completed the exam. He has not looked back since, and made it to the Dean’s List for the Class of 2016.

His advice to those deciding on an MBA or EMBA programme:

“Be sure you have industry experience before you enter this course, in order to fully understand the material and to be engaged in the discussions; and also to have that level of confidence when mixing with your cohort, many of whom are industry leaders.”

“Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone and open yourself up to new challenges, which will maximise your learning.”

“As well as clearing the time required for the intense study with your employer, you need to get buy-in from your family – everyone has to sacrifice in order for you to achieve your goal; and it is a lot easier and more satisfying if you have the full support of your loved ones behind you.”

To the young person starting out in his career:

“Be adventurous, push the boundaries and extend yourself. If you don’t have a family yet and thus less commitments, take risks and do what you want to do. Follow your passion; it is a lot easier at the start of your career than when you are settled with a family and have a mortgage to consider.”

Chris Lloyd. Managing Partner, Aero Infinity. Nanyang EMBA Class of 2016 (Aviation track)

The Nanyang Executive MBA is a part-time 13-months programme that is designed for senior leaders aspiring to innovate and transform the way they lead. The programme aims to embrace the connection between business, technology, and innovation to deliver a relevant curriculum to business leaders to excel in global environments and adapt to each new wave of digital change.

Download the Nanyang Executive MBA brochure

Click here to learn more about the Nanyang Executive MBA programme or contact us at execmba@ntu.edu.sg.

Academic Experience

Alumni Stories

It more than doubly met my expectations

by | Sep 7, 2017 | Nanyang MBA

Graduate Studies Blog

NANYANG EXECUTIVE MBA

It More Than Doubly Met My Expectations

Ken Koort, 37, is Chairman of the board of Diamond Group, a holding company registered in the Republic of Estonia. The group holds shares in real estate, IT, fuel, and aviation company Diamond Sky, of which Ken is CEO. Diamond Sky operates and manages private and business aircrafts inside EU and CIS countries. Ken is a pilot himself. He and his wife Kristiina are also partners in their family loud-speaker business.

Ken Koort –
Nanyang EMBA, Class of 2015

Ken has a degree from the Moscow State University for International Relations. He recently obtained an Executive MBA with an Aviation track from NBS. It happened quite almost serendipitously. Years ago, Ken was visiting IATA (International Aviation Transport Authority) training centre in Geneva which had a joint programme with University of Geneva; after an intensive interview with the director of the programme he was given a recommendation to apply to NBS/NTU instead.

Ken spent a year thinking about and researching MBA programmes worldwide. He finally decided to join the MBA programme in Singapore, based on its excellent reputation and the quality of the faculty which is highly regarded worldwide. He had also been working in aviation for years, and was attracted to its Aviation track, which is unique in the world. (The EMBA also offers tracks into shipping, hospitality and General Management.) He knew it was the right programme for him.

Another important consideration – Ken had lived and travelled widely around Europe; he had also undergone training in the US; but Asia was a region he had had little experience with. He was keen to know more about how it worked, its culture, and certainly more about the potential of the aviation market.

He did not regret his decision. He said, “It more than met than doubly met my expectations.”

He greatly enjoyed his “eye-opening experience”. He learnt to see things differently via the brainstorming sessions, with classmates who came from all over the world, providing rich exchanges on both the business and social arenas. They also brought their different corporate experiences from their own companies, for example, one classmate brought his experience of running an airport, which added hugely to the overall learning.

Ken was also impressed by the quality of the professors and the range of expertise and networks they had between them. He liked that the course was well- structured and the programme well-organised. The case studies were similar to those you could get from Harvard and other top business schools, so he was able to learn about best practices from around the world. He said confidently that he speaks for the other classmates as well, to say that as a whole they were very satisfied with the programme. Plus, he added, “We had our own chef (one of the classmates) during course, what more can you want?”

To those still debating whether to do an MBA, he says, “Do it. You get a better qualification, and you develop a lot of important skills which will help enormously in your career.” He adds though, “Because you will be spending 18 months of your life doing it, choose your university and programme wisely.” 

The Nanyang Executive MBA is a part-time 13-months programme that is designed for senior leaders aspiring to innovate and transform the way they lead. The programme aims to embrace the connection between business, technology, and innovation to deliver a relevant curriculum to business leaders to excel in global environments and adapt to each new wave of digital change.

Download the Nanyang Executive MBA brochure

Click here to learn more about the Nanyang Executive MBA programme or contact us at execmba@ntu.edu.sg.

Academic Experience

Alumni Stories

Tips to ace the Nanyang MBA admissions

Tips to ace the Nanyang MBA admissions

by | Aug 29, 2017 | Nanyang MBA, Nanyang Professional MBA

Graduate Studies Blog

NANYANG MBA, NANYANG PROFESSIONAL MBA

Tips To Ace The NANYANG MBA Admissions

Nanyang Business School (NBS), the business school of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is widely regarded as Singapore’s premier business school and is consistently ranked amongst the world’s best. Since 2004, NBS has been ranked #1 in Singapore by The Economist Full-Time MBA rankings. In the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2018, the flagship programme came in 22nd worldwide.

The 12-month transformational programme allows participants to gain deep, practical real-world insights into business models, management philosophies and rigorious acadmic theories across a variety of industries to prepare to excel in the global environment. Participants who wish to extend their experience may join one of the double masters programmes offered with the Waseda Business School (Japan), ESSEC Business School (France) or St Gallen University (Switzerland).

Just about every business school MBA application has student write essays to questions so how do you write a good essay which will stand out among the applications? This is your opportunity to effectively relate something important to you and impressive about you to persuade the admissions committee to accept you. Ultimately, schools are trying to find out what differentiates you from other candidates and if you will be a good fit in their programme. So how do you do that?

Firstly, read the question carefully and make sure that you are answering it. Your essay should have a good structure and the information should flow in a logical order. Get someone to read your essay and guess what the question was.

The Nanyang Business School Admissions Committee members read hundreds and thousands of essays each year. Use lively language, anecdotes from your personal and work life to make the essay interesting and which showcase your personality.

Remember to proofread it. Spelling and grammar mistakes are likely to send your application to the rejection pool in the speed of lightning.

So you’ve been shortlisted and invited to the selection interview and what should you expect?  One should view the selection interview as a way of getting to know each party better. The interview panel aims to get to know more about you, your personal and professional achievements, your leadership potential, how the programme can add value to your post-MBA career aspirations and your language proficiency level. On the other hand, you should take this opportunity to ask questions which have not been addressed in the marketing materials, such as if there will be any curriculum changes, how does the business school or programme develop relationships with your post-MBA target industry, etc.

Most importantly, remember to be yourself! Don’t try to think and be what you think the business school wants to see and hear!

For more info, please download our MBA brochure here. 

For a 1 to 1 consultation with our Admissions manager, please email nbsmba@ntu.edu.sg .

 

 

Ms Winnie Suli Yong

Senior Manager, Marketing & Admissions

Graduate Studies, Nanyang Business School

Academic Experience

Executives could benefit from going back to their books.

Executives could benefit from going back to their books.

by | Aug 25, 2017 | Nanyang MBA

Graduate Studies Blog

NANYANG EXECUTIVE MBA

Executives could benefit from going back to their books.

One Johnson & Johnson Southeast Asia Senior IT director shares her experience in the Nanyang EMBA programme.

Junko Kimura Senior IT Director, Southeast Asia One Johnson & Johnson Nanyang EMBA Class of 2018

 

 

In her past seventeen years at Johnson & Johnson, Ms Junko Kimura hardly considered pursuing further studies, due in part to her Japanese cultural background.

 

“Employees in Japan want to stay with their company for a long time, especially if they are working for domestic companies. Most people feel like they do not need an MBA (Master of Business Administration) because they can learn from more experienced executives in their companies,” said Ms Kimura, who became Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Southeast Asia’s Senior IT Director and Business Technology Leader in June 2016.

 

Things changed for Ms Kimura when she moved from Japan to Singapore for her new role. After three months of focusing on her new role, she decided to pursue further studies while working. She wanted to improve her business management skills, which are especially important in her management work, she said.

 

She therefore signed up for the Nanyang Executive MBA programme, which her colleagues had recommended.

 

The 14-month Nanyang EMBA programme aims to enhance senior executives’ leadership capabilities without interrupting their careers. They can choose from three tracks: General Management, Aviation & Air transport and Hospitality Management.

 

As a student on the General Management track, Ms Kimura has picked up skills which have proved to be useful for her work.

 

She is responsible for overseeing the IT activities for all three business sectors – consumer products, medical devices and pharmaceuticals – at One J&J Southeast Asia. The sectors cater to six main markets: Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.

 

One difficulty Ms Kimura faces is reconciling IT programmes, which are often technology-intensive, with business strategy, she said. Furthermore, each business sector has its Global IT strategy, and her team needs to tailor these strategies to the unique direction of Southeast Asia markets, she added.

 

The course on cultural intelligence helped her with this, as she learned to manage the expectations of her employees from six different countries.

 

She cited her country, Japan, where employees are often very focused on meeting deadlines. In contrast, workers from other countries might have a lighter sense of urgency. Japanese employees also place a heavier emphasis on punctuality, as compared to their overseas counterparts.

 

“It is therefore critical to have a deep understanding of culture, so that we can achieve our common goal,” she said.

 

“From the course, I learned how to form a team and communicate with them by looking at each person’s strengths and weaknesses, before allocating duties. These management skills are relevant to my current job, as my team consists of people with different cultures.”

 

So far, Ms Kimura has completed several core courses such as Cultural Intelligence, Accounting for Decision-Making & Control, and Corporate Finance for Strategic Decision-Making.

 

She also spent a week at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she took a course in Corporate Strategy & Financial Value Creation. She will spend another two weeks at The University of California, Berkeley, studying two modules in Leadership Accelerator and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

 

“Through these courses, I have gained a better understanding of management principles,” Ms Kimura said. “Before this, my knowledge was mostly based on experiential learning. I wanted to have a stronger academic background to complement my experience and knowledge.”

 

The structure of the Nanyang EMBA also makes it easy for students to juggle school and their busy work schedules, she added.

 

Established in 2007, the programme spans five segments with two to three weeks each. This means that executives can get their EMBA without being absent from work for a long time.

 

Each track has an average of 40 students, who are from Singapore, Europe, the US, Africa and Southeast Asia.

 

The diversity has provided students with good networking and business opportunities, said Ms Kimura.

 

“We are able to meet executives from other companies and share our knowledge. It’s also a great community because the students take care of one another – for example, we help others to express their ideas clearly by building the conversation in the session. I could see a lot of great people-managers in the class”

 

Students also put their knowledge into practice as they work on a Live Industrial Consultancy Project. Under the project, a collaboration between sponsor companies and the Nanyang EMBA programme, participants work in groups and take on an actual consultancy project.

 

Ms Kimura’s team has partnered a global water treatment company, and is working with the company on market research and development for its portable water brand. The project has helped her to experience the market access strategy setting and execution by agile approach in parallel with team-building and communication skill development, which are relevant to her career growth.

 

“The professors are also very helpful, as they are quick to respond to students’ queries. For example, Prof Vijay Sethi has been a patient mentor to our project group,” she said.

 

Looking back, she is glad that she applied for the Nanyang EMBA, as it has honed her management skills.

 

“The Nanyang EMBA offers good opportunities for us to interact with senior level people who are very insightful. The programme has allowed me to have a new perspective on important issues and challenges and most importantly, I am enjoying this learning journey.”

The Nanyang Executive MBA is a part-time 13-months programme that is designed for senior leaders aspiring to innovate and transform the way they lead. The programme aims to embrace the connection between business, technology, and innovation to deliver a relevant curriculum to business leaders to excel in global environments and adapt to each new wave of digital change.

Download the Nanyang Executive MBA brochure

Click here to learn more about the Nanyang Executive MBA programme or contact us at execmba@ntu.edu.sg.

Academic Experience

Alumni Stories