The 9 best courses and certifications to kickstart your Fintech career

Financial technology, also known as fintech, has overhauled the traditional financial world. And the most impressive achievement of the fintech sector is the expansion of employment opportunities. However, you need some qualifications to be eligible for a job in this niche. As such, taking certification courses is a great place to start.

This article will serve as your comprehensive guide to navigating the best courses and certifications to kick-start your financial technology career. The courses below will teach you how to get your foot in the door in the industry.

The Blockchain Council offers this comprehensive online course to meet the discrete needs of blockchain professionals. The curriculum introduces students to blockchain mining, use cases, architecture, and other fundamentals.

The course allows you to implement your skills in blockchain applications through its hands-on industry project experience. Once the course is completed, you will have lifetime access to the course content. You’ll also have 24/7 support for all your questions and a lifetime Blockchain Council certification.

In addition, you can complete the certified blockchain expert course in six to eight hours. The self-paced training costs $179 and requires no prior knowledge. Therefore, it is best suited for beginners who are curious about what fintech is and how to start a career in it.

This course uses real-world applications and case studies to introduce students to the fundamental building blocks of financial technology. Students will also learn how to deploy technology and modern investment strategies to produce optimal results. The specialization has four subjects with practical projects and certificates linked to each.

Furthermore, this course does not require any background knowledge. However, a general understanding of finance and financial products can be useful. The certification is 100% online, and you can access your modules online or mobile. Although you can complete the course in 16 weeks, you have the freedom to work at a pace that suits your schedule.

Duke University offers this four-course learning experience to help students understand the components of decentralized finance infrastructure. The four courses include DeFi Risks and Opportunities, DeFi Primitives, DeFi Deep Dive and DeFi Infrastructure.

The training is 100% online and only consists of intermediate level courses. Therefore, you should have some background knowledge about decentralized finance. Although the course price is affordable, some financial support is still available for those who cannot afford the registration fee.

If you commit to a pace of two hours per week, you can complete the course in about four weeks. Upon completion, the certification guarantees the acquisition of cryptography skills, so you can also gain decentralized protocols, blockchain mechanics and smart contract skills.

This certification will help you understand the new digital landscape, the products and new entrants that are disrupting the market. The course contains six compulsory units and tasks that you must complete within a set deadline.

This is a paid course, with an additional exam fee for the second and third final exam attempts. Although the certification is expensive and does not allow installments, it gives groups and Frankfurt School alumni a 10% discount.

In this course, you will take the units sequentially and pass an online multiple-choice exam before accessing the next module. Students will also have continuous personal support from the E-campus and access to a discussion forum to exchange course-related opinions with peers and supervisors.

Frankfurt offers this course to contribute to sustainable development goals, which include quality education, partnership for the goal, and decent work and economic growth. By the end of the course, you will be able to deploy digital financial services in your niche to achieve maximum results.

Henry Harvin Finance Academy offers this course through respected industry experts with over 12 years of experience. It equips graduates with in-depth knowledge of fintech innovations, evolving business models, changes in the financial sector and challenges with payment infrastructures.

The training comprises 48 hours of two-way live online sessions. These sessions include great tools, video content, reviews and techniques. Students will also have access to regular Boot Camps during the next 12 months.

Interestingly, successful candidates will intern at Henry Harvin or partner firms. This internship includes access to over 3 million worldwide solid alum networks. You also have a 100% placement guarantee with an average salary increase of 80%.

The employment you get after completing this course ensures you job security with exceptional growth opportunities. Henry Harvin Finance Academy guarantees a 100% refund if you are unsatisfied after the first session.

Oxford partners with Esme Learning to navigate the digital transformation of financial services through this paid course. The Certification Service for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) has certified this program as a provider of continuous professional development. This certification makes it valid for members affiliated with UK professional bodies.

Professor Nir Vulkan and Pinar Ozcan, Director of Oxford Future of Finance and Technology, lead this course together with other industry experts. They exemplify the research and practical skills students need to launch successful fintech ventures.

During the course’s six-week duration, students will explore key themes, including artificial intelligence and central banks’ digital currencies. You will also enjoy the benefits of real-world applications to build a strategy for a fintech venture. Finally, enrolling in this course gives you access to the official Oxford Executive Education LinkedIn alumni group.

The University of Michigan offers this free online course through Coursera. It is one of the fintech innovation specializations that examines the strengths and weaknesses of today’s payment systems.

The course explores the future of payment technology, ranging from front-end innovations such as digital wallets and payments to back-end innovations such as tokenization. Students will understand the value propositions of new technologies and also relate new technological innovations to current inefficiencies.

Furthermore, this beginner’s course takes approximately seven hours and includes hands-on learning projects. The deadlines are flexible, so you can reset them according to your schedule. Knowledge from this course will give you skills in payment technology and you will learn the technical skills you need to succeed in the financial industry.

Michigan Online guarantees free access to this online specialization course. The instructors merge the business and technology aspects of fintech. These mergers show students the use of technological innovation and how they can adopt technologies in their careers.

The subject considers monopolistic financial control by the state to be obsolete. Therefore, it seeks to establish information technology firms and professionals as innovation leaders in the financial services industry.

The course consists of four parts. They include the future of payment technologies, blockchain and cryptocurrency, capital raising and artificial intelligence innovations in investment technology. Ultimately, you can complete the training in about six weeks or longer, depending on your pace.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a leading institution in advancing science and technology, offers this free specialization certificate. The certification focuses on helping financial professionals understand the foundations and governing regulations for fintech.

The certificate includes four courses in fintech foundations, fintech risk management, fintech security and regulations, and fintech disruptive innovation. These courses guarantee skills in blockchain, cryptocurrency and fintech disruption.

This certification requires students to complete four peer-graded final projects. These projects require analysis, research and recommendations for financial managers. You can also complete the certification within five months at a suggested pace of three hours per week.

Students will be able to practice quizzes and grade programming tasks. Finally, you will also have access to shareable certificates that will get you started in the best careers in fintech.

Do Fintech Certifications Validate Your Expertise?

Certifications are proven ways to acquire new skills, hone existing ones and scale up. Many employers require proof of expertise to promote employees from entry- or mid-level roles to senior-level positions. Certificates are often proof that you possess the skills that the job roles you are applying for require.

While traditional degrees are still valid, employers at leading fintech firms continually show a preference for certified employees. However, basic knowledge of decentralized finance is essential to make your learning journey easier before enrolling in these courses and certifications.