At the helm of one of UCF’s most innovative academic offerings is Christo Pirinsky, Ph.D., professor of finance and director of the fintech program. Since joining UCF from the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., Pirinsky has been instrumental in building the fintech program from the ground up.
Launched just three years ago, UCF’s fintech master’s program is the first of its kind in the state of Florida and is among the first in the nation. Designed with close collaboration between the College of Business and the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the program blends education in finance, data science and emerging technologies. Students complete a mix of courses from each area, learning to apply emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain in financial settings. Every course in the program was developed from scratch to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the fintech industry.
“Finance is always at the forefront of adopting new technologies because the stakes are usually high,” says Pirinsky, referring to advancements such as AI, blockchain and cryptocurrency. With both in-person and online options, the program has already graduated two cohorts of students and welcomed its next in the fall 2025 semester.
With world-class faculty and corporate partners like Experian, UCF is shaping the future of fintech and remaining focused on technology, innovation and preparing students for the future.
