FIS 6880: FinTech Payments for the Unbanked

3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: Full admission to the Digital Financial Technologies, M.S.
This course explores fundamental challenges associated with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in financial technologies for the underserved, underrepresented, and geographically and economically disadvantaged populations in the U.S. and the world. The underserved populations have less access to digital payments and are unable to fully engage in the digital economy. Current systems exacerbate the problem and often have unintentional bias. Challenges in DEI in FinTech differ in the developing and developed world, particularly in cashless business models. Mobile phone banking offers an opportunity to engage with unbanked and underbanked people in the developing world, where infrastructure is lacking, but where mobile technology and cell phones are plentiful. Emergent models offer promise for the future and may help to overcome challenges of DEI in FinTech.