COMPARE Master of Financial Mathematics of North Carolina State University vs. University of Minnesota

[Coruscator]

Hi Community,
I have got admits from North Carolina State University and the University of Minnesota for their respective Master of Financial Mathematics programs. Both of their job placements are comparable, with NCSU having a slight edge. NCSU's curriculum has separate tracks for Risk Management, Data Science and Portfolio Management, which Unv. of Minnesota lacks, but Unv. of Minnesota provides optional minors in Management, Statistics, Applied Economics, etc. Both these programs come under their respective Mathematics departments.
Given these similarities and differences, I request the community to please suggest the best program, based on the program's academic rigour, quality of faculty and job placements in the industry.
Thanks.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Neither of these two is a great program. You're asking us to choose which one has less fleas.

 

[Beep Boop]

I'm curious, why are they not good?

 

[Coruscator]

Neither of these two is a great program. You're asking us to choose which one has less fleas.

As these are the only two I have to contend with, could you please elaborate on their shortcomings compared to others that you feel are worth it, and who among the two has lesser fleas than the other. I have admits from Rensselaer and Stevens too, but they are ranked even lower than these two.
Clarifications: I have a background in Computer Science and Data Analytics. I wish to pursue Risk Management as my future career path.

As I am a newbie, any guidance and elaboration will be appreciated. Regards.

 

[Ken Abbott]

Neither of these two is a great program. You're asking us to choose which one has less fleas.

The "fleas" comment might be a bit harsh, but it's worth asking what kinds of jobs their grads get. For better or for worse, financial institutions are name-driven. While it is possible to break into the "big leagues", as Baruch has done (before 2008, no one beyond 30km of NYC knew of it), it is very hard for programs to do so.

 

[bigbadwolf]

... could you please elaborate on their shortcomings compared to others that you feel are worth it, and who among the two has lesser fleas than the other.

Minneapolis is in the middle of nowhere and not a financial hub. The MFM program was set up to generate a bit of cash for the math department, regardless of the fact that it had no resident expertise in financial engineering. The people teaching the program are either math professors who have been roped in for the task or people pulled in off the street ("industry experts"). The courses offered are generic standard ones (option pricing, numerical analysis, basic stochastic calculus) that will probably not cut much ice when you apply for a job in today's environment. This is the reason why the program is ranked so low. I imagine the same is true of North Carolina. Since you seem to be asking for advice, either try to get into one of the top seven or eight programs (Princeton, Haas, Baruch, NYU, etc.) or just don't bother at all.

 

[Michsund]

Minneapolis is in the middle of nowhere and not a financial hub. The MFM program was set up to generate a bit of cash for the math department, regardless of the fact that it had no resident expertise in financial engineering. The people teaching the program are either math professors who have been roped in for the task or people pulled in off the street ("industry experts"). The courses offered are generic standard ones (option pricing, numerical analysis, basic stochastic calculus) that will probably not cut much ice when you apply for a job in today's environment. This is the reason why the program is ranked so low. I imagine the same is true of North Carolina. Since you seem to be asking for advice, either try to get into one of the top seven or eight programs (Princeton, Haas, Baruch, NYU, etc.) or just don't bother at all.

Well I agree with most but I would say some schools like tandon, Boston University, Georgia tech, and Fordham aren’t bad schools either if you can go there for a low price.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Well I agree with most but I would say some schools like tandon, Boston University, Georgia tech, and Fordham aren’t bad schools either if you can go there for a low price.

I'm not competent to say but I will add that Ken's caveat about financial institutions being name-conscious is worth bearing in mind.

 

[Coruscator]

Thanks, bigbadwolf and Ken Abbott for the clarification and guidance.