Search results

Never heard of it but I would imagine job prospects would be good based on location, but you would probably need to know German or French.

I agree that in regards to programming, self-study is the way to go in your case. And I would suggest a financial engineering degree over a certificate (this is a personal opinion, I have no actual info on this). In regards to what programme/university, the best one you can get into. The brand...

Welcome to QuantNet! I'm no expert but I will try to answer some of your questions best I can. Any experience in finance like in an investment bank is going to be a positive thing. It will give you some basic knowledge and it shows that you are interested and dedicated to finance. I too am...

I've just started reading this book, may help: http://www.amazon.com/How-Would-Move-Mount-Fuji/dp/0316778494/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266574857&sr=8-2

Good point alain, I missed the part of cost/salary and didn't clarify what I meant by all else being equal. A bad choice of words on my part.

From my point of view, if I work in HR at a hedge fund and have to choose between two candidates for a quant job, and all else being equal one has a PhD and the other doesn't I would go with the PhD. Society has a perceived value of PhDs. ChengG, based on various threads here on the topic of...

A PhD is at least viewed as more valuable for some quant roles because you are trying to research and come up with new prices models for example. So the research experience gained getting a PhD is useful in the process. But most PhD programs are geared towards preparing the students for...

If memory serves be correctly, in the past many traders didn't even have college educations. I don't know of any university programs that really have a trading teaching component so you are out of luck there. First piece of advice is to get an internship in finance. Trading if you can, but...

I think it is too high of a standard to hold programs to. Because as you said, if the professors/directors of these programs were successful wouldn't they still be doing it. Under this assumption, I think most would continue to and only a rare few would quit to go into academia. Just because...

Whether you pass or fail, sitting for the exam is an eye-opener and it is worth taking it either way if you have the money. If money is tight and you really need to pass it the first time, then I think the 250 hours is about right unless you have a strong background in the subject material...

While not impossible I would think it very unlikely because many students around Europe attempt to get jobs in London. That said probably the best way to get a London job (unless you are a super-awesome applicant) is to go to school in the UK (Oxbridge or a London uni) or get transferred there...

The problem I see is that I don't know of any quant firms in Sweden. Looking at this ranking of Swedish universities overall (Here), Malardalen is 15th in Sweden and 1025th in the world. Here is a link to the topic of European FE programs on Wilmott (Here), which basically puts the best FE...

I would think that your recommendation letters wouldn't need to demonstrate your math ability if you have taken the required prerequisite math courses.

The modules and electives seem pretty relevant, but you have to remember that you could be competing with people with PhDs in mathematics, engineering, computer science, etc. So you need to be able to demonstrate your knowledge in those areas, and have an edge over other people. One way to do...

MFEs are becoming quite popular as the existence of this website attests to. Whether you should go straight into a MFE or get a PhD first depends on your time line and what exactly you want to (trader, quant research or development). Job placement for the top MFE programs seems very good but I...

must say that I like Eugene's answer the best!

I agree with your evasive conclusion and would think the way to go would be to confidently say something like "In 5 years I would like to..." but I would definitely go with confidence (but not arrogance) over an "I don't know" kind of answer. In your answer you want to portray interest in the...

Well, a MFE is much shorter than a PhD and are generally considered professional degrees with a practical focus versus a PhD that is more theoretical and academic. From my knowledge, a finance PhD does not require you to take heavy math courses like Stochastic Calculus, but many programs allow...

If you have a good grasp of all the concepts you listed and can implement them, then I would recommend going to books discussing implementing financial concepts in C++, for example: Introduction to C++ for Financial Engineers, Financial Instrument Pricing Using C++, or Problems Solving with C++.

I highly doubt MIT went from 275 to 900.....

Very insightful review on NYU, I look forward to read the rest.

Don't really need calculus for an MBA

Thanks Andy, looks like a really interesting conference. The high freq/algo summit looks great and there are some first class speakers.

If I had to do it all again, I would double major in math and computer science and then minor in economics/finance if I had the time. Then I would go on and do MFE. School-wise, the best one you can get in. MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, etc. I don't think you would have a problem getting...

After a quick look at the 2 programs websites, their end focus is very different. CGU's MSFE focuses on financial engineering and with electives allows you to customize somewhat, but GSU's mathematical risk management is just that, it focuses on risk. So it really comes down to what you want to...

Probably around 6-7 but it is hard to say because for example great work experience would be a plus but probably not enough to overcome a really bad interview or personal statement. When applying to top ranked programs/schools, I find it best to assume that your competition will be great (above...

My ranking: (explanation) 1. Math courses (mainly because some programs require prerequisites) 2. GRE quant score (this is an easy way to cut down on the applicant pool) 3. Major GPA (also would say that it depends on your major) 4. Personal statement 5. Interview 6. Recommendations 7...

First consideration is whether another local college offers numerical analysis using C++ and then a cost comparison. Knowing Mathematica isn't going to be a bad thing and you can always just take a C++ course.

Andy, any idea when the interview with Ernie will be published? Thanks!

I think it depends on what you are interested in doing (which may be hard to know at this point). If you want to focus more on research and modeling, I would go with applied math major CS minor. If you want to focus more on implementation through software development, then go CS major applied...

That's a very good question Gordo! I don't know, I'm currently doing a msc in finance. I doubt that math/cs would hurt you in comparison to fe. But I will say that many of the entry level analyst programs that I applied to were more than willing to teach trainees about finance. They were...

I agree with chrisd that going to programs outside the top 12 could make getting a job more challenging, unless the job is local to the program (geographically). To me a safety school is a school that you are guaranteed in practically. All the schools on the ranking are great schools, and I...

I would think that doing FE at undergrad and grad level would be fairly redundant. If you plan on pursuing a MFE then I would agree with Andy on the Math/CS (maybe minor in finance or take a few finance courses to get the basics and show an interest in the field). I think applied math would be...

I think many people view IB as an entry way into the financial industry. Many HF and PE firms look and ask specifically for IB experience. But there are some HF that hire graduates and with your background I would think you would be a good candidate. As far as a quant role goes based on what...

I think the major/minor option you choose also depends on whether you plan to go directly into a masters program or not. Briefly looking at the OR:FE program plan, it looks like you cover a decent about of math/stats (with electives) so I would say minor in comp sci.

For me the fact that the MFE program is harder to get into says alot. It looks like the 2 programs share a number of core math/stat classes but the MFE has some foundational finance classes (ie Capital Markets & Investment Strategies). Also the MFE lets you customize with a concentration. Why...

I just finished reading My Life As A Quant and he worked in both areas. I think if you have the underlying knowledge (finance, math, etc) then you should be alright in the long run.

I think your route to hedge fund manager could be quant or non-quant just depending on which you prefer. For a non-quant route I would suggest getting a few years of work experience in the financial industry if possible and then getting a MBA from a top program (in the NE would be good). Then...

I'll give my 2 cents but first my background. At undergraduate I double majored in Finance and Accounting and minored in Computer Science, and I am currently working on a MSc in Finance and Investment. In my opinion, you need to decide if you want to do industrial engineering or finance because...

Thanks. I've already searched the forums under "phd" and didn't find anything that exactly answered my question, so sorry for the repeat.

I'm considering getting a phd in the future and curious what everyone's opinion is on whether I should pursue a phd in finance, mathematics or statistics (relating to getting a quant job). I want to pursue a phd regardless so don't think I'm doing this for the sole purpose of getting a quant...

Thanks const for the great article

I've been looking at ads for quant positions at hedge funds to get a general idea of the skills they are looking for and have come across UNIX a few times. I've played around with Linux in the past, and my question is does anyone have an idea of what exactly these funds are running? Also, what...

Building off of what Andy said, I would recommend trying to talk with students/faculty of your potential programs to gauge the curriculum and goal of the program. I say this because I am currently studying a MSc in Finance and Investment and the program is considered a professional/vocational...

I agree with GoIllini on the double major option, I'm a big fan of double majors and minors to expose yourself to many subjects.

I'm no expert, but I'd say unless you want to be a quant developer mainly doing programming, I would probably recommend a major other than computer science. But if you are set on either of the two, I would personally go for computer engineering because it will probably involve more math than...