Understanding and addressing complex problems frequently requires insight from multiple fields and types of experience. The University of Waterloo’s unique Computing and Financial Management program is designed to address an increasing demand for professionals who have that complex, interdisciplinary skillset.
The newest installment from the Math Majors series highlights the only co-op program in Canada that combines financial management and accounting with computer science and mathematics. The program, which is offered jointly by the Faculty of Mathematics and the Faculty of Arts, prepares students for careers dealing with the intersection of technology and finance, such as detecting fraud or money laundering.
“The underlying technology that’s involved in financial industries now is quite sophisticated, and I think that requires…the tools and training of a computer scientist and a mathematician to be successful,” says George Labahn, a professor in the Cheriton School of Computer Science and CFM co-director.
Students also appreciate the small cohort size and focus on practical experience: students graduate with between five and six co-ops as opposed to the standard four, equipping them with ample on-the-job training before they enter the workplace.
Third-year student Rachel Butler has studied abroad in Australia and worked on Vancouver Island while in the program. “It is the future, computing and financial management,” she says. “I like that it combines something that’s a little bit more technical and [something] that has more logical and problem-solving components.”
Watch the video below to learn more about the Computing and Financial Management program at the University of Waterloo.