Discover Fox

Finance is constantly evolving. Advances in machine learning, artificial intelligence and data science are changing how financial professionals work and the skills they need to succeed.

How can professionals keep pace with these changes and prepare for what comes next?Temple University’s Fox School of Business offers three specialized master’s programs for those looking to deepen their financial expertise, strengthen their credentials and advance their careers: MS in Financial Analysis, MS in Quantitative Finance and MS in Financial and Quantitative Analysis. Through a forward-looking curriculum, these programs help students build technical knowledge and develop the adaptability to navigate a changing industry.

Here, four alumni reflect on their time at Fox and share how their education has shaped their careers.

A Temple Connection

Born and raised in Spain, Laura Merino never expected a business school in Philadelphia to have such a profound impact on her life.

That impact was both professional and personal.

“I first came to Temple University’s Fox School of Business in 2009 as an undergraduate student from Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid for a summer session,” Merino said.

“Not only did I gain an educational experience, but I met the love of my life, too.”

A few years later, Merino was living in Philadelphia, married to a Fox finance alum and looking to advance her career in finance. When it came to choosing a graduate program, Fox was a natural fit.

“On top of my personal ties to Temple, the combination of the curriculum, the environment and the ability to prepare for my pursuit of becoming a chartered financial analyst (CFA) all made it clear that Fox was the right choice.”

Merino earned her master’s degree in Investment Management from Fox in 2013, adding a new credential to her resume after having worked for several years in the industry in Spain.

Soon after graduating, she saw the tangible impact of her education.

“Shortly after graduating with my master’s from Fox, I was offered a role as an associate at BlackRock,” Merino said.

“That was just one of the many examples throughout my career that I have come to find a time when I’ve seen the power of my Fox School education.”

Since graduating from Fox, Merino has enjoyed more than a decade of career growth in finance, including several roles at BlackRock. She advanced from analyst to associate to portfolio specialist associate and, in 2021, to vice president and portfolio manager. She also earned her CFA designation.

This past spring, Merino accepted a new role with SEI Investment Company as a senior investment strategist.

As she reflects on her career, she credits Fox with providing a foundation for her success.

“My masters degree from Fox has been fundamental to my career and gave me the foundation I needed to not only find success but also be prepared and confident for my time as a professional,” Merino said.

Although the industry has evolved since her graduation, she finds that the knowledge she gained remains relevant.

“I entered Fox wanting to develop a deeper understanding of the finance subject and possess a strong technical foundation for it, and that’s what I received,” Merino said.

“That foundation has stayed with me, even as both the finance world itself and my own personal professional responsibilities has shifted over time.”

Time well spent

Wesley Newcomer has always taken initiative, especially when it comes to advancing his career in finance.

He began preparing for that career before it had even started.

“I finished my bachelor’s degree a year early but knew there was more education for me to pursue,” Newcomer said.

“I wanted to utilize that extra year to further my studies in finance and find an accelerated master’s program that could give me even more career credentials before it officially began—and that’s exactly what I found at the Fox School.”

Enrolling in Fox’s Master of Science in Financial Analysis program, Newcomer chose the 10-month, full-time option to make the most of the year he had gained by graduating early. The program gave him additional knowledge and perspective as he prepared to begin his finance career.

With both full-time and part-time paths available, Newcomer was drawn to the accelerated option.

“The most compelling aspect of the 10-month program to me was the impressive amount of financial material that is covered in a relatively short amount of time,” Newcomer explained.

“I found the coursework to cover everything from corporate finance to accounting and elements of portfolio management. It was a wide-ranging degree that made me more versatile as I neared the start of my career.”

For Newcomer, the faculty teaching the material mattered as much as the knowledge he was gaining.

“I found the program curriculum to be taught by a diverse group of faculty from within the department that brought deep finance experience to the classroom,” Newcomer said.

“All the lessons we learned felt relevant to the industry today and centered around real-world applications of financial principles.”

Another important factor was the opportunity to work toward the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation while enrolled.

“I was drawn to Fox for a few reasons, but in addition to this program’s curriculum and its one-year course schedule, the ability to pursue and prepare for the CFA level I and level II exams as a student was significant,” Newcomer said.

“Just around a decade now into my career, I look at the path I’ve enjoyed within this field and can look back on how beneficial not only the program was to my industry success, but also for the ability the program gave me and encouraged us to pursue key industry designations.”

Since earning his master’s degree from Fox in 2016, Newcomer has built his career at Morgan Properties, a national real estate investment and management company. He joined as an investment team analyst in 2017 and has since advanced to vice president of credit investments.

As he reflects on his professional success, he is grateful for Fox’s role in helping him get there.

“My Fox master’s degree was incredibly valuable,” Newcomer said.

“It didn’t just broaden my financial knowledge, but it prepared me for career advancement and longevity, too.”

The full financial scope

After earning a mathematics degree from Renmin University of China in her home country, Linyi “Grace” Wei felt she needed one more piece of her education to pursue her career goals in finance.

She found it at Temple University’s Fox School of Business.

Wei earned her master’s degree in financial and quantitative analysis from Fox in 2013, completing the education she believed would prepare her to thrive as a finance professional.

More than a decade later, her career has affirmed that decision.

“I learned about Temple’s finance masters program through other students and was particularly drawn to the program because of its curriculum, and coming to the United States for a higher education opportunity was a dream of mine,” Wei said.

“I recognized this was a program that would allow me to build on my mathematics background while developing the accounting and finance knowledge I needed to enter the industry.”

Her master’s degree helped her enter the industry and establish herself as a finance professional. She began her career at BlackRock as a portfolio risk analyst, then worked at PNC before joining Glenmede, a boutique wealth management and investment firm. There, she has served as vice president of private wealth portfolio construction since 2021.

Wei continues to see the value of her finance master’s education.

“In an increasingly data-driven industry, a program like Fox’s gives students a strong foundation in analyzing data, developing models and translating theoretical concepts into practical appliances,” Wei said.

“For example, I know for myself that my experience strengthened my ability to connect quantitative outputs within broader investment contexts and, in a general sense, taught me how to approach complex financial problems with intellectual curiosity, analytical discipline and an appreciation for both the strengths and limitations of quantitative models.”

Other aspects of her experience stood out, too.

“I also valued the curriculums alignment with important industry designations, like Financial Risk Manager (FRM), which Fox encourages students to pursue,” Wei said.

“Professional development pursuits like that offer a strong headstart for careers.”

Grateful for the career she has built, Wei appreciates the role Fox played in helping her get there.

“As I mentioned, I came to the United States to fulfill a higher education dream and broaden my horizons for a brighter future for myself,” she said.

“I’m thankful for my experience at Fox. The program laid a solid foundation for my career and offered me a competitive advantage.”

A degree to match ambition

Some students pursue an advanced degree to strengthen their professional credentials and expand their career opportunities.

For Swatantra Kumar, it was also a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of furthering his education.

Kumar, an international student from Mumbai, earned his master’s degree in quantitative finance from Temple University’s Fox School of Business in spring 2024.

After earning his undergraduate degree in civil engineering in India, Kumar began a career in banking that set him on a path to pursue finance.

“I’ve spent over a decade now working for the Reserve Bank of India, which is the central bank of the country,” Kumar said.

“I had reached a point working my way up in the organization that I realized obtaining an advanced degree with knowledge for this industry was something I really wanted to do.”

“Fortunately, I discovered the Fox School and their advanced financial degree offerings, was accepted and made the decision with the support of my family to take a sabbatical from working and successfully pursue my master’s degree, a real dream of mine.”

Beyond the opportunity to pursue an advanced degree in finance in the United States, several factors drew Kumar to Fox. He valued the program’s encouragement of students, particularly its support for pursuing professional certifications. The school’s location and easy access to other major cities were also a plus. Kumar fondly recalls traveling to New York for events with his master’s cohort.

“From the very beginning, the program is encouraging students to grow,” Kumar recalled.

“Not only are we being provided with an exceptional education, but we are also being motivated to pursue strong professional opportunities and being provided with exposure to a professional network and industry knowledge to help us achieve it.”

Kumar valued the program’s thorough grounding in finance. Standout experiences included hands-on instruction in Bloomberg, Python and R, along with group case studies that incorporated current developments in the finance industry.

He also found the faculty deeply supportive of him and his entire cohort.

“Communication with program leadership is always open, and that kind of support is invaluable,” Kumar said.

Since earning his degree and returning to Mumbai, Kumar has continued his career at the Reserve Bank of India. With the knowledge gained through his master’s program, he feels confident and prepared to take his career further.

“This degree has provided me with such a strong foundation into financial knowledge, and helped developed my own insights and perspectives on the industry,” Kumar said.

“I find myself still recalling and taking the lessons learned from this program wherever I go. And I know, as my career develops further, that will always be the case.”