Derivatives and Trading Academy
Real-world trading experience for students
At the Derivatives and Trading Academy, our mission is to provide a cutting-edge learning environment where Finance and Data Science students have the opportunity to learn skills required to excel in the dynamic world of trading.
This program allows students to gain real-world trading experience using platforms such as CME, QuikStrike, TrendSpider, and Interactive Brokers. Students will also develop and back-test their own ideas powered by data from SpiderRock.
Academy Curriculum
To go through the Academy, you would need to graduate with the Finance +DS (or IS or CS) and complete all three of Professor Rich Excell's classes. These three classes are spread out over the fall and spring semesters of your junior year, and the fall semester of senior year.
The following courses are required:
FIN 412: Intro to Futures and Options
We focus on practical trading skills to prepare you for interviews. This course is offered only during the fall semester.
FIN 416: Applied Derivate Strategies
This course will introduce you to more sophisticated options for building trading skills, and also work on technical interview skills. This course is offered only during the spring semester.
FIN 428: Cases in Financial Derivatives
We will learn how to build and backtest your own trading strategy. This course is offered only during the fall semester.