COMPARE UIUC FE vs BOSTON MSMF (Urgent help Required)

[drahmah]

1. Honestly, I think you're all set. If you have taken an intro level as an undergrad, this will be just a review of old concepts. I know some of my classmates (I was in the 2013 class) elected to take the undergrad datastructures/algo class (CS 225) as an elective to really iron in the basics.
2. Less exposure to programming is a problem for anyone who wants to join an algo firm from any school.

3. Yes, the classes from mine and previous have gone pretty much all of the fields you mentioned.

4. Not sure, I though I'd say it's pretty solid. I do know that the program invites a lot of people from Chicago and schedules talks and seminars. The practicum projects provides industry exposure as well.

great to know that I'm not the only student from UIUC posting on these forums

I'm also aware of a student from the 2013 class that stayed an extra semester to pursue a masters in computer science. There are a couple of options you can go for at the CS department while concurrently being an MSFE student:
1. CSE certificate: you can get this upon graduation if you complete 8 credits of CS courses.
2. CS minor: 20 credits of CS courses.
3. professional non-thesis masters in CS degree: 32 credits

(turns out being a MCS and MSFE at the same time is impossible as you have to finish the MCS within 3 semesters = 79 credits over three semesters. You can take MCS classes while being an MSFE, and have them transferred over when you start the MCS presumably)

You will have to stay an extra semester if you want to do 2 or 3. An extra semester costs $17,000. In the 2014 class, a couple of students are taking/auditing CS courses. You have to maintain a 2.75GPA in all your courses and your GPA is precious in job-hunting, so it's smarter to not take any if you don't feel confident that you can do well however.

 

[New Trader]

great to know that I'm not the only student from UIUC posting on these forums

I'm also aware of a student from the 2013 class that stayed an extra semester to pursue a masters in computer science. There are a couple of options you can go for at the CS department while concurrently being an MSFE student:
1. CSE certificate: you can get this upon graduation if you complete 8 credits of CS courses.
2. CS minor: 20 credits of CS courses.
3. professional masters in CS degree: 32 credits (can be online credits too taken as a part-time student)

You will have to stay an extra semester if you want to do 2 or 3. An extra semester costs $17,000. In the 2014 class, a couple of students are taking/auditing CS courses. I'm taking one too, and the intensity is a real eye opener (you thought you could be a quant?). You have to maintain a 2.75GPA in all your courses, so it's smarter to not take any if you don't feel confident that you can pass though.

Option 1: Do you still need to pay for those 8 extra credits?

 

[drahmah]

Option 1: Do you still need to pay for those 8 extra credits?

You only pay by semester and you can take up to 20 credits every semester.
The CSE certificate is offered freely to any undergrad/grad students in the participating departments as listed on their website.
- I think we're listed under the Industrial & Systems Engineering department.

If you want to graduate in 3 semesters, then you are mandated to follow the MSFE curriculum - which is 17 credits for the first two, and 13 in the third semester. So you can take three 3-credit CS courses over the three semesters to fulfill the 8 credit hours, or any other schedule you can concoct.
- If you're doing it over 2 years, then you have way more free credits because you only take three MSFE courses in the second semester = 13 credits.

Theres a lot of freedom in the elective courses you can take. It's easy to register for courses in some departments, while it takes some negotiation on the department-level to register for others. Like maoshouse said, I didn't know we can register for CS undergrad core courses. I guess policies differ between departments, and there appears to be some politics involved.

 

[HEYUXIAO]

great to know that I'm not the only student from UIUC posting on these forums

I'm also aware of a student from the 2013 class that stayed an extra semester to pursue a masters in computer science. There are a couple of options you can go for at the CS department while concurrently being an MSFE student:
1. CSE certificate: you can get this upon graduation if you complete 8 credits of CS courses.
2. CS minor: 20 credits of CS courses.
3. professional non-thesis masters in CS degree: 32 credits (can be online credits as well taken as a part-time student)

You will have to stay an extra semester if you want to do 2 or 3. An extra semester costs $17,000. In the 2014 class, a couple of students are taking/auditing CS courses. I'm taking one too, and the intensity is a real eye opener (you thought you could be a quant?). You have to maintain a 2.75GPA in all your courses and your GPA is precious in job-hunting, so it's smarter to not take any if you don't feel confident that you can do well however.

If an MSFE student want do option 3, is an application needed before MFE program started or after?

 

[drahmah]

If an MSFE student want do option 3, is an application needed before MFE program started or after?

This is their website:
http://cs.illinois.edu/current-students/graduate-students/professional-masters-mcs
- To the best of my knowledge, only one MSFE student has ever worked towards it. I think the student who is pursuing the MCS chose to do so after starting her MSFE degree.
- Those three options provided by Siebel are independent of the MSFE program by the way. They are offered to any student at UIUC, and there's no "computational finance track" at UIUC MSFE that will formally put you on a pathway leading you to complete those options. Its on your own initiative and advice to take the optional courses that you think will help your career.

(update: CS advising told me that there is an application that you need to fill out for the MCS. If you are already a UIUC graduate student, you fill out the curriculum change form and not a new application. Admission is competitive, and you will need a high gpa, previous coursework taken in CS, and some professional experience in order to get admitted. I suppose the best way would be to pursue a minor first so you fulfill the course requirements, and apply in the 3rd semester after you've completed some CS courses and have your internship on your resume as well.)

 

[Trisha]

I am facing the same choice. Would you mind to tell me your final decision?