黑料网

KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 9, 2021

To help prepare students for jobs in Georgia鈥檚 fast-growing financial technology sector, 黑料网 has leveraged its partnership with the Georgia Fintech Academy to launch an academic minor in fintech beginning Fall 2021. This is the first program of its kind in the state.

Open to Kennesaw State students of all majors, the fintech minor will focus on digital payments, a variety of non-cash transactions that include credit and debit cards, PayPal, ApplePay, and other mobile wallet platforms. Faculty in the Michael J. Coles College of Business and the have created four new courses for the program, each focusing on the digital payments area of financial technology. These courses join five others on data analytics, information security, and financial services.

鈥淭he fintech industry is critical to so much of the economy,鈥� said Humayun Zafar, program coordinator of and a professor of information security and assurance. 鈥淭ransactions are only going to continue evolving digitally. We are not going back to cash. We鈥檝e seen this happening for years and COVID has accelerated it.鈥�

According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, 118 billion digital transactions 鈥� or 70 percent of the total U.S. volume 鈥� are processed by more than 170 fintech companies based in Georgia. Given the volume, companies including FIS Global, NCR, Equifax, Fiserv, and Global Payments are creating fintech jobs for new graduates at the rate of an estimated 1,000 annually.

Kennesaw State鈥檚 fintech minor is an extension of the University鈥檚 involvement in the , a statewide initiative to create a talent pipeline for Georgia鈥檚 fintech industry. Made possible by a significant contribution by FIS Global, the world鈥檚 largest payment processing firm, the academy offers students across the University System of Georgia access to online fintech courses designed alongside employers to address current talent needs.

鈥淜ennesaw State has been an integral partner to the development of the academy鈥檚 digital payments courses,鈥� said Tommy Marshall, executive director of the Georgia Fintech Academy. 鈥淎 lot of that has to do with how they have partnered with large fintech companies for years to develop computer science, data analytics, and accounting talent. The new minor is a way to amplify those meaningful efforts, courses, and projects that have allowed KSU to engage with the fintech community.鈥�

Despite being a tech-heavy field, the fintech industry needs professionals with a variety of skills.

鈥淔intech is not just for business and computer science students,鈥� said Zafar. 鈥淭he financial sector is heavily regulated. Every decision has policies, laws, and legal ramifications to consider, and you don鈥檛 have to be a technology person to excel in those areas. The fintech minor is just as interesting a proposition whether students study architecture or humanities.鈥�

Kennesaw State has offered fintech courses as electives since 2019 and has encouraged students to attend Georgia Fintech Academy events and workshops. Philip Audinet, a junior information security and assurance major, recently attended an academy event on trends and growth in fintech, which led him to consider the minor.

鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 about employability,鈥� Audinet said. 鈥淗aving a minor in a fast-growing industry is a great way to get ahead. My career goal is to become a chief information security officer, and every company needs people knowledgeable about financial services.鈥�

Students enrolled in fintech courses 鈥� either in the minor or as electives 鈥� receive plenty of support from the Georgia Fintech Academy. The academy partners with firms like Visa, Square, FIS, Invesco, and Truist to offer a full calendar of virtual speaking engagements, access to 10 career fairs each year, and the opportunity to appear on the Georgia Fintech Academy Podcast alongside industry executives. Industry involvement also extends into the classroom, with leaders from these businesses consulting on class projects.

Partnering with the academy and schools like Kennesaw State allows firms is to create a talent pool to fill the 1,000+ new fintech jobs the academy estimates are created each year for campus hires.

鈥淎lmost every one of these companies is increasing their demand for full-time hires and internships,鈥� Marshall said, adding that the typical starting salary for a position in fintech is between $58,000 and $65,000. 鈥淭his industry has been a beneficiary of a recent strong pivot to digital transactions.鈥�

With Georgia鈥檚 fintech industry experiencing explosive growth and providing a wealth of high-paying employment opportunities, Zafar said the most exciting part about minoring in Fintech is being on the ground floor of an emerging industry.

鈥淭his is one of the few times where industry and academia are on the same page when it comes to understanding an industry,鈥� Zafar said. 鈥淚n most fields, industry is ahead of the curve. But both sides are currently working out what fintech is going to look like. Our students have the chance to help shape the industry鈥檚 direction.鈥�

-Patrick Harbin