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CSUF Finance Department Invests in Crypto Education | News
Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics will delve into blockchain and cryptocurrency with a new program designed to address the ever-changing digital landscape in the world of finance.
Titan Crypto is a two-course program that will be offered in the fall 2024 semester and is a work in progress, according to Michael Milligan, assistant professor of finance, university senator and director of the program.
“The digital asset class is a new asset class that will be present in everything we do,” Milligan said. “So our finance students and our business students all need to understand this because it will impact all sectors. »
FIN 379 or “Fundamentals Cryptocurrencies” focuses on the foundations of cryptocurrencies and blockchains. It also teaches students how cryptocurrencies work in the real world by discussing the benefits and risks of the technology.
The course is currently expected to be led by lecturer Hoda Diba from the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences.
“We will focus more on the cryptocurrency part,” Diba said, later suggesting that a stronger focus on blockchain technology would likely belong in another department, such as IT.
FIN 479 will allow students to create and trade private NFTs, learn how to tokenize real-world assets, and store them in Titan Coin, the university’s private coin that will be built on Amazon Web Services.
Amir Dabirian, dean and vice president for academic affairs, was originally scheduled to teach the course. However, due to Dabirian’s new responsibilities associated with his administrative duties, he is no longer available.
Diba said he will likely teach both Titan Crypto courses.
Milligan and Diba said one of the challenges of launching such a program is the rapid pace of new information. Milligan said it was difficult to find relevant materials, recalling that a book published just two years ago was already outdated in terms of content.
Diba plans to combat this by including articles and publications as new information comes in and technology, such as artificial intelligence, develops.
The two new courses address the growing need for cryptocurrency in the business world. Milligan explained that as the digital landscape continues to grow, all major business-related industries are already using crypto technology for transactions, inventory control, data and much more.
“The ultimate goal, as far as I’m concerned, is to place students in workplaces that represent the university and show that they have learned and have knowledge in this area,” Milligan said. “It would just grow the program.”
Titan Crypto is a two-semester program, with the 300 level only offered in the fall and the 400 level in the spring. Before beginning the program, students must complete FIN 320 or “Financial Management I” with a “C” or better.
The program was originally scheduled to launch for the 2023-2024 school year, but due to delays in the course approval process and the structure of the program itself, it was postponed. This additional time allowed Milligan to recruit program board members with professional experience in the crypto and blockchain industry.
Although the program hasn’t completely left the field yet, Millligan already hopes to expand it, mentioning that it’s possible that CSUF business students could one day major in cryptography.
“It’s the fastest growing asset class we have right now,” Milligan said.
This appears to be the case, as investments in the popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin surged in October, hitting a high in the currency’s figures over the past 18 months. This contrasts with the fall in the overall market value of cryptocurrencies in 2022.
“He has his skeptics; there are ups and downs, as we have seen,” Diba said. “Still, I don’t think it’s something we can ignore.”