Enhancing classroom learning with real-world experience…

Welcome to the Institute for Research in Advanced Financial Technology (IRAFT). Villanova established IRAFT to create an environment where academic theories are brought to life through real and simulated exercises. At IRAFT, students don’t just study the business world; they live it.

IRAFT is integrated into the activities of appropriate undergraduate and graduate programs and offers:

• A state-of-the-art Applied Finance Lab, including a simulated trading room that provides students with access to the same advanced equipment and real-time information as Wall Street traders.
• Student-managed investment funds, including the Arnone-Lerer Socially Responsible Investment Fund, which outperformed the S&P 500 in 2005 and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal.
• Opportunities to interact with alumni and expert professionals through guest lectures, panel discussions, a distinguished speakers series and industry conferences.
• VSB’s Masters of Science in Finance program, which allows students to graduate with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in just five years—giving students advanced knowledge and a leg up in the competitive job market.
• Support to the Villanova Equity Society, a not-for-profit student organization that gives students the opportunity to participate and learn from actual financial scenarios.
• Support faculty research through access to financial databases, finance department seminars, and through the Mid-Atlantic Research Conference (MARC) in Finance.