Programming experience

[sfeng]

Hi guys! I am currently completing a double major in math and economics and I am really interested in going to a Financial Engineering program after undergrad. However I don't have much experience in programming. I believe that most of the courses I've taken that involve programming only used the languages very briefly hence I am not comfortable with most programming languages yet.
My questions are:
1. How much programming experience is required for most MFE programs?
2. What are some suggestions to how I can strengthen my programming knowledge?
3. I was looking at the C++ programming certificate from Baruch and was wondering what the pre-requisites are for the course?

 

[Liam]

Strengthen the knowledge by doing introductory coding competition problems, writing basic games or basic applications that use C++. This isn't quite a replacement for industry experience but can be a lot more hands on than a course where the most challenging problems are to do a dot product.

Not sure about the specifics on MFE or certificates but this would at least show enthusiasm (and as a graduate one employer even suggested that the knowledge I'd picked up by myself was invaluable, while coursework in C++ was useless).

 

[Daniel Duffy]

3. I was looking at the C++ programming certificate from Baruch and was wondering what the pre-requisites are for the course?

No previous programming experience is needed.

Motivation, hard graft and dedication are required.

https://www.quantnet.com/threads/c-online-programming-cert-testimonials.9227/

@APalley

I am not comfortable with most programming languages yet.
You don't need to know many languages. Most quants only know one or two anyways.
More important is to know how to design and implement algorithm in a given language.
And I am correct in saying that C/C++ is the basis for all modern languages (I exclude Fortran, Cobol and PL/I from this list :D) (not everyone agrees but that's another story; Wiki tells it all). So if you know C++ then C#, Java etc. are easy. The other way around not so.

most of the courses I've taken that involve programming only used the languages very briefly
This is pervasive?; culture shock awaiting when you leave the ivory tower.

 

[Philip_Mitterrand]

The more you do, the better you get at it. You learn it as a science but practice it with the discipline of musician to gain fluidity.

2. What are some suggestions to how I can strengthen my programming knowledge?

 

[Daniel Duffy]

The more you do, the better you get at it. You learn it as a science but practice it with the discipline of musician to gain fluidity.

Was it some Greek guy who said you do by learning and learn by doing?

 

[Philip_Mitterrand]

No DD, practice doesn't make you perfect, only perfect practice makes you perfect. The right counsel can make hell lot of difference.

Was it some Greek guy who said you do by learning and learn by doing?

 

[Daniel Duffy]

No DD, practice doesn't make you perfect, only perfect practice makes you perfect. The right counsel can make hell lot of difference.

No one but yourself seems to say so. Maybe in an ideal world.
No such thing as perfect in software (it is not mathematics or theology). Remember what Edsger Dijkstra said:

The art of programming is the art of organizing complexity, of mastering multitude and avoiding its bastard chaos as effectively as possible.

You learn by doing! Having a sensei also helps.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

The competent programmer is fully aware of the strictly limited size of his own skull; therefore he approaches the programming task in full humility, and among other things he avoids clever tricks like the plague.

 

[Philip_Mitterrand]

Learning the ropes in the right way in terms of techniques, habits, thought patterns can make the evolution more structured if not superior . ..you need the alchemical touch of a Sensei than just relying on trial & error.

No one but yourself seems to say so. Maybe in an ideal world.
No such thing as perfect in software (it is not mathematics or theology). Remember what Edsger Dijkstra said:

The art of programming is the art of organizing complexity, of mastering multitude and avoiding its bastard chaos as effectively as possible.

You learn by doing! Having a sensei also helps.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Learning the ropes in the right way in terms of techniques, habits, thought patterns can make the evolution more structured if not superior . ..you need the alchemical touch of a Sensei than just relying on trial & error.

Sounds like '42' LOL Its fantasy stuff, it's very top-down and hierarchical.

How many attempts did Edison need before he had his bright idea?

The 'Mythical Man Month' by Fred Brooks will bring us down to earth.

I see software development as an engineering discipline bit in fairness the industry is not there yet (see Brooks again).

 

[sfeng]

Thanks for all the replies! I was also wondering, would the preparatory courses offered in many of the universities (before actually starting the MFE) such as at UCB and UCLA be sufficient in learning C++/programming for MFE? I saw that many of these courses have no pre-requisites as well. Thanks again!

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Thanks for all the replies! I was also wondering, would the preparatory courses offered in many of the universities (before actually starting the MFE) such as at UCB and UCLA be sufficient in learning C++/programming for MFE? I saw that many of these courses have no pre-requisites as well. Thanks again!

If you send TOC of these C++ courses I cold have a look and compare it to the Baruch/C++ course which I originated. Will try to be as objective as possible.