Practice of Finance

Financial economics is, by definition, an applied field of study in which industry practices and structure are important inputs to our research and teaching activities. To ensure that our curriculum reflects the very best of both theory and practice, we have created a collection of courses called the “Practice of Finance” seminar series in which leading practitioners provide our students with their unique business perspectives on a broad range of topics.

An introductory seminar—Introduction to the Practice of Finance—is the gateway to this series, where first-year students are exposed to some of the basic institutions and practices of the financial industry, including panel discussions with representatives from various financial organizations, MIT alumni currently working in financial services, and leading industry vendors.

Current Practice of Finance proseminars include:

  • Practice of Finance: Advanced Corporate Risk Management
  • Practice of Finance: Alternative Investments—Hedge Funds and Private Equity
  • Practice of Finance: Applied Credit Risk Management
  • Practice of Finance: Data Technologies in Quantitative Finance
  • Practice of Finance: Endowment Management
  • Practice of Finance: Perspectives on Investment Management
  • Practice of Finance: Strategic Management of Financial Institutions

While we offer a wide variety of courses, each one exemplifies our commitment to balancing innovative ideas and theories with real-world application.