As the fall season settles in — a time often associated with fresh beginnings and renewed focus on campus — I find myself reflecting on Wharton’s long-standing track record of anticipating and shaping pivotal moments that redefine the business landscape.
Since our inception, we’ve been committed to recognizing societal needs and mobilizing to address and impact the world through needed change. In addition to inventing the category of collegiate business education, Wharton pioneered a data-informed approach to solving the burgeoning challenges of the day, bridging business with critical fields like health care, engineering, and public policy. Throughout our history, we’ve been equally intentional about facilitating new learning experiences for our students and expanding global access to vital business knowledge.
Today, we once again find ourselves facing a pivotal moment. As financial markets evolve at breakneck speed — fueled by artificial intelligence, algorithmic trading, and unprecedented data complexity — quantitative finance stands as one of the most dynamic and consequential fields shaping the global economy. At Wharton, we recognize this moment not as a disruption, but as a defining opportunity to lead.
Earlier this fall, we announced yet another landmark Wharton milestone: our first Master of Science degree program in quantitative finance.
The Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance (MSQF) was designed to arm the next generation of finance professionals with the specialized skills needed to meet the demands of a tremendously complex and increasingly data-driven industry. Built on Wharton’s legacy of excellence in finance education and research, the program combines a rigorous, data-intensive curriculum with practical experience and exposure to leaders in the quantitative asset management industry through a dedicated advisory board and our global alumni network.
It’s incredibly fitting that the School’s first new degree offering in 50 years focuses on quantitative finance. Wharton and Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs G79 GRW86 have made deep commitments to this area of study over the past 15 years. The Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center for Quantitative Financial Research supports groundbreaking scholarship that pushes the boundaries of existing financial knowledge. Dr. Jacobs’s transformational giving provides sustained support for faculty and students interested in exploring and moving the quantitative asset management industry forward and played a critical role in creating an MBA major in quantitative finance that was introduced in 2020.
The Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Master of Science in Quantitative Finance marks an exciting new chapter of excellence in finance at Wharton. An undertaking like this wouldn’t be possible without the vision and partnership of a multitude of people. I am deeply grateful to our inaugural advisory board members, who will provide students with professional guidance and hands-on research opportunities. I’d also like to thank faculty director David Musto as well as our many admissions, career development, and student support staff whose contributions are foundational to our students’ success.
And lastly, I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks to Dr. Jacobs for his enduring generosity to the Wharton School. His dedication to the advancement of quantitative finance can be felt across our entire community and is embodied in the innovative knowledge that is created here and in the successes of our incredible students, faculty, and alumni.
I’m looking forward to welcoming our first class of quantitative finance master’s students next fall. With their talent and drive and the support of our extraordinary community, I have every confidence they will carry forward Wharton’s proud legacy of excellence in finance.
Erika H. James is dean, Reliance Professor of Management and Private Enterprise, and professor of management at the Wharton School.
Published as “A Historic New Chapter in Finance Education” in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Wharton Magazine.
