To meet the needs of one of the fastest growing industries in Jacksonville and prepare students for the high-paying jobs of the future, Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business & Technology will offer two programs in Financial Technology, also known as FinTech, starting in the fall semester, which begins Aug. 8.
The Davis College’s Bachelor of Business Administration program will add a major in FinTech and its Master of Business Administration will now include a FinTech concentration. The interdisciplinary program will offer students courses at the intersection of finance, computer science, business analytics and data science. This innovative, unique offering will be the first of its kind in Northeast Florida, a hub for FinTech companies such as FIS – a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest FinTech companies in the world – Black Knight, Deutsche Bank, SoFi, Dun & Bradstreet and more.
Students will learn how technology is transforming business, apply technological skills to analyze and manage datasets, learn Python programming skills and use data and technology to solve real business problems.
“Jacksonville is a burgeoning FinTech city, and as more companies move to the city and expand their operations across the country, there’s truly no better time to be launching this program for our students,” said Jacksonville University Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Christine Sapienza. “Our industry partners want to source talent locally and we’ve heard time and time again there’s a need for highly-skilled FinTech employees in Jacksonville. We’re proud to be able to provide for that need in our community.”
The 2021 Global FinTech Market Report is projecting a 26.87% compound annual growth rate of the industry until 2026. According to the JAX Chamber, more than 62,000 people in the Jacksonville region are employed in FinTech. That number has grown in the past several years, with companies like Dun & Bradstreet, Nymbus, SoFi and SS&C relocating headquarters and employees to Jacksonville, in addition to hiring additional staff. Others, like FIS and Black Knight have had a long-standing presence in the city and continue to grow.
“This is a program that both students and industry partners have been requesting with growing frequency,” said Dr. Barbara Ritter, Dean of the Davis College of Business & Technology. “This major will provide a distinctive experience for students that prepares them for the workforce of the future and builds expertise to fill a need in our community.”
Students in the FinTech program will be able to utilize the new, state-of-the-art FinTech Lab, which will be in the University’s STEAM Center, which is under construction and expected to be completed later this fall. The FinTech Lab at JU will provide an experiential setting where students apply software, mobile applications, and other technologies that support wealth management, banking, and financial services.
