Mastering Mathematical Finance Online Courses - The Black-Scholes Model

The courses are based on 8 books from the "Mastering Mathematical Finance" (MMF) series published by Cambridge University Press. There are 8 individual courses - each covering the contents of one of the books.

Delivery is by means of one-to-one tutorials conducted via Skype by the authors and editors of the series, and regular coursework.

Who are the courses aimed at?

The courses are designed to meet the continuing professional development and training needs of:

• Finance or IT professionals working in quantitative finance and risk management
• Individuals seeking a career change, managers who need to keep abreast with progress in these fields
• Prospective students who would like to prepare for entry to relevant postgraduate degree programmes

Pre-sessional course

(Pre-sessional course "Mathematics for Quantitative Finance" - This course is suitable for candidates who need to consolidate their mathematics background before embarking on some or all of the 8 courses. Cost - £1500)

Method of Delivery List of Courses

• Each online course to be based on a book from the MMF series, with an additional set of exercises, and involves 10 rounds of activities culminating in 10 one-to-one online sessions. Each course takes approximately 4 - 8 months to complete.
• Each of the 10 rounds consists of:
  • self-study based on the book,
  • problem-solving: solutions submitted and marked electronically,
  • model solutions to the problems attempted,
  • written feedback on the work submitted,
  • one-hour one-to-one online session via Skype with screen sharing, conducted by one of the authors of the MMF series, tailor-made for individual requirements, a combination of lectures and tutorials.
• Additionally, each module to provide:
  • an online discussion forum,
  • email support,
  • final test.
• Induction meeting via Skype to cover technical matters before the start of the first module (including help in using the software needed for online delivery). Each student will need a decent internet connection (broadband standard), a Windows or Mac computer and a Skype account. There is some additional free software to install such as the LyX mathematical editor.
• Additional pre-sessional course available for delegates who need to revise or acquire relevant mathematical background.

About The Black–Scholes Model

The Black–Scholes option pricing model is the first and by far the best-known continuous-time mathematical model used in mathematical finance. Here, it provides a sufficiently complex, yet tractable, testbed for exploring the basic methodology of option pricing. The discussion of extended markets, the careful attention paid to the requirements for admissible trading strategies, the development of pricing formulae for many widely traded instruments and the additional complications offered by multi-stock models will appeal to a wide class of instructors. Students, practitioners and researchers alike will benefit from the book's rigorous, but unfussy, approach to technical issues. It highlights potential pitfalls, gives clear motivation for results and techniques and includes carefully chosen examples and exercises, all of which make it suitable for self-study.

• Equips students with the tools needed to price the main options in current markets
• Detailed proofs are presented in manageable steps so students can 'see the wood for the trees'
• Exercises range in difficulty to challenge even the ablest student. Solutions are available online

Founded on principles of excellence, equality and opportunity for all, the University of York opened in 1963 with just 230 students. Since then we have become one of the world's leading universities, carving out a reputation as an academic powerhouse where a clear focus on excellence has secured national and international recognition alongside longer-established institutions.

Academic excellence

A member of the elite Russell Group of universities , we are a dynamic, research-intensive university committed to the development of life-saving discoveries and new technologies to tackle some of the most pressing global challenges.

There are now over 30 academic departments and research centres and the student body has expanded to nearly 16,000.

The campus and the city

Located within walking distance of York city centre, our safe and attractive Heslington campus is home to our nine colleges and most of our departments. We also have several departments located in the city centre at the historic King's Manor.

In recent years, our £750m campus expansion has seen the opening of seven new buildings, increasing our capacity for student numbers and providing more world-class facilities for the 21st century. Sustainability plays a key role in this ambitious development.