Creating a Python platform for students to learn full-stack development of financial applications

Abstract In finance, programming is helpful in various situations, such as asset pricing, electronic trading, and portfolio management. Python is one of the most popular and widely used programming languages for developing financial applications. In addition, many financial applications are designed according to software development methodologies unique to the financial industry. However, there is no Python platform for students to learn how to use software development methodologies for the full-stack development of financial applications. Therefore, we developed a Python application called the FRE Platform, which is designed and built for students to learn full-stack software development for financial applications. The platform consists of a Web browser-based user interface, a financial modeling mid-tier, and a back-end trading engine for auto-trading simulation. Real-time and historical market data feeds are integrated into the platform, and all the modeling and trading data are persisted in the embedded SQLite database. Since March 2021, 21 students in our department have implemented their capstone or research projects on the platform in an industry-setting collaborative software development environment. All these students found full-time jobs in financial or technology companies after graduation. A survey revealed that what they learned from working on the platform positively influences their job search efforts and workplace skills. Our experience indicates that the full-stack software development skill could be an important add-on for students in finance, enhancing their marketability and employability within the financial industry.