Duke Financial Economics Center 2025-2026 Year in Review

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Financial Economics Center

Numbers and Notes

33 Courses

Duke undergrads chose from a wide range of courses made possible by DFE, from Global Capital Markets to Financing Health Care Companies. They were taught by 26 faculty, including research professors, policy experts, and financial markets professionals.

1,161 Undergrads Enrolled

Students from all four class years filled 1,608 seats in the classes offered, many taking multiple DFE courses.

957 Students in Extracurricular Programs

Undergrads participated in 16 DFE programs, including skill-building competitions, mentoring by alumni and peers, study away opportunities, and finance discussion groups.

101 Firms Engaged

Firms from all corners of the finance industry partnered with DFE to bring professional and educational opportunities to students.

336 Alumni, Parents, and Friends Involved

The true engine behind DFE, individual engagers brought their expertise and mentorship to countless interactions with students through courses and extracurricular programs.

View our Fall and Spring updates for a detailed summary of each semester's activities.

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Courses

See the variety of DFE courses offered this past fall and spring.

Our newest courses span both emerging trends shaping the industry, such as Machine Learning for Finance and AI and the Future of Work, and enduring principles like Fundamental Investing.

DFE's signature course, Practical Financial Markets, offered to sophomores in the fall, remains one of the the highest enrolled undergrad courses at Duke. 374 sophomores enrolled in fall 2025, taking advantage of the hands-on learning opportunities and firm engagement that define the course.

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Extracurricular Programs

More extensive than ever before, DFE's extracurriculars are designed to meet the evolving needs of students at every stage of their finance journey.

This past academic year, we helped first-years build foundational knowledge and discover available resources, guided sophomores through the internship recruiting process with practical learning experiences and mentorship, and prepared juniors and seniors for success in professional environments while creating opportunities for them to support younger peers. At the same time, programs like the Markets Discussion Group and Finance Book Club brought students from all class years together to learn from one another.

The Dzialga Women in Finance Initiative saw its sixth class of fellows graduate in May. In October, sophomore fellows spent two days in New York City visiting eight firms and making connections with alumni.

DFE continued partnering with training firm AmplifyME to offer live, interactive finance simulations in banking, markets, and quant. Based on performance metrics, several students were invited to AmplifyME's High Potential Candidate Program, which gives them access to further training and exposure to recruiting firms.

Read more about DFE's extracurricular activities and our Eichel Finance Advising Network's mentoring programs.

Click on the graphic below to see the flow of activities throughout the year.

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The Year in Research

DFE's distinguished research faculty produced several scholarly works in the last academic year:

Illuminating Important Economic News by Candlesticks: Optimal Testing Meets Technical Analysis by Tim Bollerslev, Juanita and Clifton Kreps Distinguished Professor of Economics et al.

Estimating Correlations and Reading the News by Candlesticks by Tim Bollerslev et al.

Forecasting and Managing Correlation Risks by Tim Bollerslev et al.

Optimal Candlestick-Based Spot Volatility Estimation: New Tricks and Feasible Inference Procedures by Tim Bollerslev et al.

Skill and Efficiency in the US. Mutual Fund Industry by Andrew Patton, Zelter Family Distinguished Professor of Economics et al.

Improved Density Forecasts Using Mixed Frequency Data: A Focused Bayesian Approach by Andrew Patton et al.

Bespoke Realized Volatility: Tailored Measures of Risk for Volatility Prediction by Andrew Patton et al.

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Study Away

DFE welcomed 15 rising sophomores and juniors to the six-week Duke in London Finance program in summer 2025 and 16 sophomores to the Duke in New York Financial Markets & Institutions program in the spring 2026 semester.

In London, students studied financial crises and behavioral finance, visited AB CarVal, Castleton Commodities, and TDR Capital, and explored British culture through walking tours, excursions to Oxford and Parliament, and a West End show.

In New York, students complemented their coursework with 15 firm visits, 14 alumni guest lectures, and many group outings, including the Federal Reserve, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Morgan Library & Museum.

Duke in New York to Become a Summer Program

Starting in 2027, the Duke in New York program will be a four-week summer program taking place from mid-May to mid-June. The target audience will be rising sophomores.

This change reflects DFE's commitment to providing the best possible student experience as internship recruiting timelines continue to move earlier. By participating in the program in the summer before sophomore year, students will benefit from singular educational and networking opportunities before the demands of recruiting season begin.

We are excited to enter this new chapter with the same partners who have been integral to the long-standing success of the Duke in New York program, the Duke Global Education Office and our incomparable alumni base.

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To our Partners and Supporters

We build it all together. Sending tremendous thanks to

The DFE Steering Committee, under the leadership of Warren Rabin M.B.A. '01

The DFE Student Advisory Committee, a group of 12 upperclassmen who make all of our peer-to-peer student programs possible

Our Duke partners in Alumni Engagement and Development, the Career Center, Continuing Education, the Department of Economics, Energy Initiative, Global Education Office, Nicholas School of the Environment, Pratt School of Engineering, Student Affairs, and Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

Our corporate partners, who provide unparalleled opportunities to Duke students

Our alumni and parent engagers, whose dedication to the next generation of Dukies is woven into everything we do