Does the prestige of the university for untaken pre-requisite classes matter?

[Allen L]

I did computer science undergraduate but now want to pursue finance so I have not taken most of the pre-req classes.

I am currently interning and preparing for GRE's so I don't think I have time for scheduled classes and found that Roger William University's Distance Calculus had graded courses but allowed you to go at your own pace. link: Multivariable Calculus Online Course for Credit - Distance Calculus

I asked CMU and they said because it is accredited they will accept the credits but I personally think it's a little sus. Has anyone taken these classes and been accepted to a quant program?

Also, does a Harvard online class hold more weight than let's say a community college for admissions?

Appreciate the help!

 

[BlackMamba]

I don't think it matters.

Though if (more) prestige is important to you, and you can stomach the costs, I don't think you'll find anything better than UIUC's NetMath offerings. E.g., here's their Calc 3 course Math 241: Calculus III | NetMath at Illinois.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Neither of the two courses provides a reference to a physical book. Why is this?

 

[BlackMamba]

Neither of the two courses provides a reference to a physical book. Why is this?

The NetMath course's syllabus points to: Vector Calculus by Bill Davis, Horacio Porta and Jerry Uhl.

Not a physical text, though.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

In my days the above Calculus III would be desribed as Mathematical Methods 231. Useful course but it is not hard analysis and I don't see it used much. Just saying. Other maths for say ML is needed.

 

[bigbadwolf]

I don't see it used much. Just saying.

Vector calculus is needed for electrodynamics and fluid mechanics. I don't see it much used in finance

 

[Qui-Gon]

Vector calculus is needed for electrodynamics and fluid mechanics. I don't see it much used in finance

In my days the above Calculus III would be desribed as Mathematical Methods 231. Useful course but it is not hard analysis and I don't see it used much. Just saying. Other maths for say ML is needed.

Calculus III/Vector Calculus is typically a formal prerequesite to take more advanced mathematics courses (e.g. probability, stochastic procrsses, PDE, etc.) in university. This isn't to say that the material is necessary in order to learn the material of the upper division courses, however, the OP may wish to take such couses prior to enrolling in an MFE in which case having taken Calculus III/Vector Calculus would be useful.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Calculus III/Vector Calculus

Has the title changed on the fly?

It's Vector Calculus/Vector Analysis. Anyways, what's in a name?

BTW in which courses do people learn real and complex analysis?

 

[Qui-Gon]

Calculus III/Vector Calculus

Has the title changed on the fly?

It's Vector Calculus/Vector Analysis. Anyways, what's in a name?

BTW in which courses do people learn real and complex analysis?

At least in the U.S. vector calculus is usually taught during the last 3-4 weeks of a calculus 3 course. Advanced calculus will typically be more devoted to vector calculus, however, in my mind, calculus 3 is about the calculus of real-valued functions defined on R^2 and R^3 and the calculus of vector-valued (again with focus on R^2 and R^3) functions. Thus, calculus 3 is multivariable calculus (f:R^n —> R) and vector calculus (f:R^n—>R^m). There’s not much in a name, but it is important to know what course titles correspond to in terms of material covered.

Real analysis and complex analysis are typically taught in courses titled real analysis and complex analysis. Simple as that.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Out of curiosity ... are names like Calculus (1 to n) and their contents standardised in the States?

 

[BlackMamba]

Out of curiosity ... are names like Calculus (1 to n) and their contents standardised in the States?

For the most part, from what I've observed.