CityU CFFT x Columbia University CS Program
Our university has partnered with Columbia University (ColumbiaU) and established a Joint Bachelor's Degree Program (JBDP) for students under certain majors (including CS) to apply. Students enrolled in this JBDP are initially in Hong Kong to take courses at CityU and then will go to New York to take courses at ColumbiaU in their final 2 years. After students complete this JBDP by fulfilling the graduation requirements from CityU as well as ColumbiaU, they will earn 2 undergraduate degrees: one from CityU and another from ColumbiaU.
Applicants to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program must submit an internal application to their departmental or college coordinator in early November of their second year of studies at CityU. After an initial departmental/college review to confirm eligibility, applicants will be granted access to the official online application. The admissions process includes a review of the applicant’s academic history, letters of recommendation, official test scores, a personal essay, and an interview conducted in English. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of admissions representatives from Columbia University. Applicants to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program must submit the online application in mid-January for fall enrollment.
Credits Requirement (Year 1 & 2)
Prospective Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program students must complete half of the credit requirements (see table below) within their first year at CityU with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 3.3.
| BSc Computational Finance and Financial Technology | |
| Computational Finance Stream | 67 |
| Financial Technology Stream* | 70 |
List of BScCFFT (Computational Finance Stream) Courses which must be completed in Year 1 and Year 2
List of BScCFFT (Financial Technology) Courses which must be completed in Year 1 and Year 2
Requirement from The Columbia Department of Mathematics
Students who satisfactorily complete MA1200: Calculus and Basic Linear Algebra I, MA1300: Enhanced Calculus and Linear Algebra, or MA1006: Calculus and Linear Algebra for Business will be exempted from MATH V1101: Calculus I
Students who satisfactorily complete MA1301: Calculus and Basic Linear Algebra I will be exemptec from MATH V1102: Calculus II
Students who satisfactorily complete MA2508: Multivariable Calculus will be exempted from MATH V1201: Calculus III
American Language Program’s Essay Exam
Students who are not native English speakers will also sit for the American Language Program’s Essay Exam, which will be administered virtually.
If your native or predominant spoken language is not English and the primary language of instruction in your high school or secondary education was not English, you must demonstrate proficiency in English by submitting official scores from TOEFL or IELTS. The TOEFL or IELTS must be taken a maximum of two years prior to an application to the School of General Studies. To be eligible to apply for admission, the Joint Program admissions committee requires a score of 100 on the Internet-based TOEFL, or a score of 7.0 on the IELTS.
Interviews
Interviews are scheduled only on a case-by-case basis by the admissions committee; it is not possible for applicants to arrange an interview without the request of the committee. Interviews typically take place in February and are held on the CityU campus in Hong Kong.
Cost
All students at Columbia University School of General Studies are charged tuition on a per-point basis. The effective average costs of full-time attendance at the University are as follows:
Effective Average Cost of Attendance for the 2023-2024 Academic Year
Tuition per point: $2,102
Tuition for a 32-point program: $67,264
Tuition for 16 credits or more, per term: $33,632
Fees: Varies based on enrollment status; see Tuition and Fees for more information Approximate cost of living (room and board) and personal expenses (books, local commuting costs, and miscellaneous expenses): $29,003
Student Stories
A Dream Education at GS for a Dream Career in Finance
Shanzheng Ba ‘23GS, a computer science-mathematics major and graduate of the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program Between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University, shares how GS has empowered him to reach long-cultivated professional goals in the finance industry.
Prior to joining the Joint Degree Program with the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), I majored in computational finance at CityU and dreamed of working on Wall Street. Coming to GS was a dream come true for me as I then had the chance to study in New York.
[ More ]
Charlie SHEN (CFIN x ColumbiaU CS 2020)
Embarking on the dual degree program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University has been a journey of immense personal and academic growth. It has enriched my life in ways beyond the conventional classroom setting, offering a global perspective that is both enlightening and essential in today's interconnected world. This unique educational path has not only broadened my horizons but also fostered a newfound sense of independence, resilience, and ambition.
The program's blend of Eastern and Western academic rigor challenges and inspires, cultivating a mindset of continuous improvement and adaptability. Engaging with diverse peers, embracing varied cultural viewpoints, and navigating through different academic landscapes has been transformative. This experience has shaped me into a more globally-aware individual, equipped to contribute meaningfully in a multicultural environment.
Nicholas Ching (FT x ColumbiaU CS 2020)
The Dual Bachelor’s Degree Program with Columbia University and the City University of Hong Kong is a rare opportunity to gain real-world experience and pursue educational excellence. With degrees in Financial Technology and Computer Science, I feel well equipped to pursue a career in Software Engineering.
A standout feature of this program is the opportunity to engage with world-renowned professors, providing mentorship and insights that only experts in their fields can offer. This interaction equips students with cutting-edge knowledge and practical applications, preparing them for significant contributions in their careers.
Studying in New York City further enhances the experience. As a global finance and technology hub, the city's diverse and energetic environment is ideal for learning and networking. It's a place where ideas and cultures converge, offering students a unique perspective on global trends and challenges.
Moreover, the program attracts ambitious peers from various backgrounds, creating a rich learning community. Collaborating with these future leaders not only expands one's network but also fosters a culture of innovation and excellence. This dual-degree program is more than an academic pursuit; it's a journey that shapes future leaders in technology and finance, ready to make a mark in the world.
Zifan WANG (CFIN x ColumbiaU CS 2019)
My name is Zifan and I graduated from the CityU Computational Finance to Columbia Compter Science Joint Degree Program in May 2023. I currently work as a quantitative developer for a fixed-income hedge fund in New York City.
As a quant developer, my duties range from building robust and efficient trading systems to implementing state-of-the-art machine learning models. It is a unique blend of engineering and maths that aligns with my experience at CityU and Columbia. For the engineering aspect of my job, courses like Operating Systems, Distributed Systems and Computer Networks have prepared me for designing highly-concurrent and low-latency systems. My experience developing in the Linux kernel has made it easier for me to harness low-level OS utilities (Memory-mapped Files, IO Multiplexing, etc.) to optimize critical services. For the quant side of things, classes like statistical inference, stochastic processes, and machine learning gave me a solid mathematical background while I ventured into SOTA research in more advanced classes like Computer Vision and High-Performance Machine Learning. Of course, there's still much to be learned on the job. Six months into my current position, I'm still finding myself learning something new every day.
I find that instead of preparing me for every skill needed at my job, the CityU / Columbia program more than anything else has helped me develop an almost disproportionate confidence to tackle seemingly impossible tasks, to constantly hypothesize, model, validate, and update my beliefs, and to always have the passion to make sense of hard problems, one small piece at a time.