Is there an order in which I need to take the MicroMasters of Finance courses?

The Content Courses

While learners may technically take the courses in any order, it is strongly recommended that you begin the program with an Entry Point Course (denoted by an asterisk (*) and bold typeface below), and that you familiarize yourself with course prerequisites before beginning any course. Most learners take the program's five Content Courses in the following sequence:

1. *15.415.1x Foundations of Modern Finance I
2. 15.415.2x Foundations of Modern Finance II
3. *15.516x Financial Accounting
4. *15.455x Mathematical Methods for Quantitative Finance
5. 15.435x Derivatives Markets: Advanced Modeling and Strategies

Learners may begin the program with any of the three Entry Point Courses: 15.415.1x Foundations of Modern Finance I, 15.516x Financial Accounting, or 15.455x Mathematical Methods for Quantitative Finance. These courses do not depend on or require knowledge or skills taught in other MMFin courses. Learners may choose to start with any of these three courses, depending on their background.

One Entry Point Course, 15.415.1x Foundations of Modern Finance I, is the first in a two-course series—The Foundations of Modern Finance. Together, these courses provide a rigorous and comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of modern finance. The courses are designed to be taken in sequence—Foundations I and then Foundations II—as the second course is a direct continuation of the first, building on the core set of basic principles taught in that course.

The other two Entry Point Courses, 15.516x Financial Accounting and 15.455x Mathematical Methods, are standalone. Neither course requires knowledge or skills taught in the Foundations courses, and learners are welcome to start the program with either of these.

The remaining Content Course, 15.435x Derivatives Markets, requires knowledge and skills taught in the two Foundations of Modern Finance courses,  so learners are strongly advised to complete both 15.415.1x and 15.415.2x before attempting 15.435x. However, learners with strong pre-existing experience in derivatives may be able to take 15.435x beforehand.

In any case, learners should be familiar with each MMFin course's prerequisites before enrolling, to ensure they are well-prepared to complete it.

The Comprehensive Final Exam (CFx)

The CFx is a final, capstone exam, testing on material taught over all five MMFin Content Courses. Only learners who have earned the Course Certificate for all five MMFin Content Courses are eligible to take the CFx. 

• For more information about the CFx, see the FAQ article What is the MMFin Comprehensive Final Exam?