The Master of Finance (MF) program at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF) at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) reports outstanding employment outcomes for its 2025 graduating class. The program maintained a 100% employment rate, with the average number of job offers per graduate reaching a new high, indicating strong market demand and recognition. Average starting salaries for graduates from both the MF-General and MF-FinTech tracks showed sustained growth, with a significant 22% increase for the MF-FinTech track.
Graduates primarily secured positions at top-tier financial institutions. Nearly half of the MF-FinTech graduates joined leading quantitative hedge funds globally and domestically, demonstrating a strong alignment between their interdisciplinary curriculum and industry needs. Forty-three percent of graduates were employed by foreign-invested, joint-venture, or leading Chinese overseas enterprises, highlighting the program's global reach. Furthermore, employment distribution showed increased diversity this year: ten percent joined leading technology and internet firms, thirteen percent entered management trainee programs at major corporations, and three percent opted for careers in the public sector or government-affiliated institutions, applying their financial expertise to support the real economy and national strategies.
Since its inception in 2009, the employment performance of SAIF's MF graduates has ranked among the best in comparable domestic programs. This year, three graduates pursued further studies and three embarked on entrepreneurship, while all remaining 80 graduates secured employment, underscoring the program's strong competitiveness in an increasingly challenging job market.
The SAIF MF program is characterized by its specialization, internationalization, and market orientation. Delivered as a two-year, full-time program entirely in English with a world-class faculty, it offers two tracks—MF-General and MF-FinTech—whose curricula are continuously refined to stay ahead of industry trends. Following its forward-looking launch in 2019, the MF-FinTech track has focused on integrating finance, machine learning, and computer technology and applications. Beyond core finance courses, it emphasizes developing skills in AI, programming, cloud computing, and big data platform development. This track was further strengthened by a comprehensive curriculum reform in 2023, which prioritized practical, application-oriented training and placed greater emphasis on quantitative finance, ensuring close alignment with real-world industry demands.
This curricular strength translates directly into employment competitiveness. This year, nearly half of the MF-FinTech graduates joined top quantitative firms globally, such as Ubiquant and Trexquant. The recurring recruitment from these leading institutions validates both the solid professional capabilities of the graduates and the effectiveness of the program's design in bridging the talent gap for the market.
The international employment performance of the 2025 cohort reached a new level. Forty-three percent of graduates joined prestigious global institutions including Morgan Stanley, Citi Group, Temasek, and McKinsey. The geographic scope of overseas employment expanded from traditional hubs like Hong Kong SAR to Europe and Southeast Asia regions associated with the Belt and Road Initiative.
This achievement stems from the program's deep international integration: overseas modules in New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia; exchange programs with dozens of renowned overseas universities; and dual-degree programs with six world-leading institutions including Columbia University, UC Berkeley, the London School of Economics, Imperial College London, Bocconi University, and Singapore Management University—covering twelve major fields. Additionally, SAIF has established an International Advisory Board comprising senior professionals from top global financial institutions to provide strategic guidance.
SAIF's Career Development Center (CDC) systematically enhances students' global perspective and cross-cultural competitiveness through overseas corporate visits, international career training, and global networking platforms—boosting their international competitiveness.
SAIF emphasizes guiding students to contribute to national development. This year, over ten graduates joined institutions such as the People's Bank of China Shanghai Headquarters, headquarters of major state-owned banks, and key central enterprises such as PetroChina International and China COSCO Shipping, aligning personal career choices with national strategic needs.
The program also encourages graduates to leverage finance to empower technological innovation and the real economy. Ten percent of graduates joined leading technology companies including Alibaba Cloud, ByteDance, Tencent, Meituan, and Rednote, and thirteen percent joined management trainee programs in critical industrial sectors including energy, logistics, and advanced manufacturing.
In the 2025 Financial Times Master of Finance Rankings, the SAIF MF program rose to 7th globally, with its Career Service ranking 2nd worldwide and 1st in Asia. As SAIF's flagship program, it has established a comprehensive talent development cycle encompassing student selection, curriculum training, career development, and alumni engagement.
SAIF CDC has established a forward-looking career support system that integrates personalized guidance with industry engagement. Through one-on-one coaching, practical training, and networking initiatives such as the SAIF Career Fair and the AIM+ Mentorship Program, the CDC helps students clarify career goals and enhance their professional readiness. The CDC provides personalized, professional support throughout the job search process and facilitates close academia-industry links through recruitment events and mentorship programs. Additionally, a strong culture of mentorship is fostered through platforms like the "MF Growth Hub" and student clubs, creating a supportive and progressive professional community.
Professor David Li, MF Program Faculty Director and Faculty Director of the Career Development Center, stated that the program will continue to optimize its curriculum based on market needs, deepen development in areas such as quantitative finance and equity investment research, introduce more practical projects and frontier courses, strengthen student club initiatives, and enhance industry collaboration. He also expressed gratitude for employer support and welcomed ongoing feedback to further strengthen the program.
