Through a pilot partnership between Visa and the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development, University of Notre Dame undergraduate students now have the opportunity to learn about the financial technology (fintech) industry while also exploring career possibilities in the field.

Launched as a pilot program at Notre Dame in the fall of 2024, the Visa Fintech Foundations program explores the intersection of technology and traditional financial services in weekly in-person, on-campus sessions. Facilitated by Visa subject matter experts, the program covers various foundational components of banking, digital currencies, decentralized finance and career opportunities to demonstrate how technology is reshaping the future of financial affairs worldwide.

“In recent years, we have seen growth in the number of employers interested in hiring students with fintech experience,” said Ryan Willerton, associate vice president for career and professional development at Notre Dame. “Providing students with the opportunity to learn directly from professionals working for a global leader like Visa not only helps to improve their understanding of how technology relates to traditional banking, it also prepares Notre Dame students for potential careers in a competitive and evolving industry. We are truly grateful to be the first to partner with Visa to offer our students such an exclusive opportunity.”

For well over a decade, the Center for Career Development has worked with alumni, campus partners and employers to better prepare students to compete for top positions in the financial services industry. According to Willerton, strategic partnerships have resulted in a 400 percent increase in jobs for students after graduation, with seniors accepting more than 250 positions annually.

“Recognizing the trajectory of the financial payments industry, our career development staff, working under the University’s centralized career services model, have sought opportunities like the partnership with Visa to raise awareness and help prepare students for evolving recruiting expectations and processes,” Willerton said.

Students are selected for the Visa Fintech Foundations program by Center for Career Development staff based on students’ interest in both financial services and technology-related career paths. As a non-credit initiative, the program allows for the selection of students studying a wide range of subjects regardless of individual educational requirements.

As a result, in 2024, 32 sophomore and junior students pursuing degrees in various Notre Dame colleges and schools were selected from a competitive pool of applicants to be a part of the inaugural cohort.

Along with six weeks of in-person presentations led by eight Visa leaders who traveled to Notre Dame from across the country each week, students were assigned to six teams to work collaboratively on a case study and invited to visit the Visa headquarters in San Francisco to present their findings at the conclusion of the program. There, students had the opportunity to engage more intentionally with Visa, tour its new Market Support Center and translate what they learned in the program through capstone presentations to a panel of senior Visa executives.

“The Visa Fintech Foundations program was an incredible learning experience for me, and I’m thankful to the entire Visa team for their dedication to providing my cohort with such insightful and engaging content and for welcoming us to their headquarters,” said Mushfiq Milan, a Notre Dame senior majoring in business analytics and real estate. “I’ve gained a much deeper understanding of the fintech landscape, and the interactive sessions and capstone project have truly expanded my knowledge of the field.”

The Visa Fintech Foundations program will return to Notre Dame in 2025. Applications for its second cohort will be made available in August, and on-campus sessions will begin in October. As a result of the program’s success, Visa plans to replicate the program at other universities in the future.

“The fintech landscape is rapidly evolving, and Visa is committed to leading this transformation,” said Jeremy Broome, senior vice president of global talent at Visa. “The Visa Fintech Foundations program is designed to uplift students with the critical skills and insights necessary to lead in the payments sector. Our partnership with the University of Notre Dame has proven the value of this initiative, and we are excited to bring this transformative experience to more campuses across the nation.”