 The programs require a bachelor's degree prior to admission, but do not (usually) require an undergraduate major in finance or economics; 
a typical requirement is exposure to (multivariable) calculus and differential equations, statistics and probability theory, and linear algebra.Many programs include a review of these topics as an admission- or preliminary course.The curriculum is distributed between theory, applications, and modelling, with the emphasis on each differing by university and program, as above.