In a first for England, from next year the University of Sussex is introducing a BSc Finance and Technology (Fintech) degree.
Applications are already open for the degree course, which will include option of a placement year in the industry.
The course is jointly provided by the University of Sussex Business School and the School of Engineering and Informatics, giving students cross-disciplinary experiences in finance, business, informatics, computing, analytic methods and ethics, and access to real-time data from Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters databases.
Sussex’ says the degree will prepare students for careers ranging from blockchain technology, to robo-advising, high-frequency trading, smart contracts for derivatives and mathematical models for risk analysis.
Students will also have the option of extending their studies at Sussex with the university's already-established MSc in Fintech, Risk and Investment Analysis.
Carol Alexander, professor of finance, University of Sussex Business School, says: "By 2020 the fintech industry is expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the UK alone... However, this potential can only be realised if the talent pool exists. Students need to graduate with the skills for careers in this rapidly evolving sector."