You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Columbia University - Masters in Financial Engineering
Columbia MFE is a full-time program under the IEOR department
Filters
Show only:
Loading…
- Headline
- Good Program, some things could be better
- Class of
- 2024
I will structure this review into the following categories: students, classroom instruction, program resources, and career training.
Students:
Given that the program has a 10% acceptance rate, the students that are accepted are necessarily the best of the best. Many majored in STEM subjects, but I met plenty that did traditional lib arts and then decided to pivot into finance. There is a mix of international and domestic students, with the former outnumbering the latter. I have not witnessed any cheating or academically dishonest behavior from other students, although I have no doubt that it does occur, in contrast to the previous poster. This is not a knock against the average MFE Columbia student; it is likely a small minority of students that do cheat. I believe this is honestly pretty common at top masters programs, not just MFEs, but Compsci, Applied Math, Finance, Engineering, etc. People are just uncomfortable with that fact.
Classroom Instruction:
Traditional delivery, nothing to be surprised about. Professors were engaging, focused, and committed to their students. The class material was rigorous, taught by experienced industry professionals, and not lacking in quality. One complaint I have is that some professors seem overly reliant on notes and slides when teaching.
Program Resources:
I enjoyed the Practitioners Seminar and felt it adequately prepared me for the program. There is also a coding and math bootcamp (MSFE Quantitative and Computational Bootcamp) that you have to complete before classes even begin where you are taught C++, Python, Linear Algebra, and Statistics. I found this bootcamp a nice way to brush up on math that I used in undergrad but forgot over the intervening years. The MFE also allows students to cross-register with other Columbia departments and schools, including CBS, Statistics, Economics, and Compsci. I did take one course at CBS that I found valuable and enjoyed.
Career Services:
The program actually has a lot of resources for graduates searching for jobs. MFE portal gives alumni access to all MFE and Professor contact info. There are student clubs like Columbia Quant Group, Data Science Society, and the Fintech and Blockchain Club that allow MFE students to join and can be a great way to network and build connections. COIN gives students access to job and internship postings, employer events, alumni connections, and OCR. Students get direct membership in Society of Quantitative Analysts, which allows them to connect with practitioners and attend networking events. There are also student ambassadors who can help point you in the right direction during your job search. Finally, there is a Career Placement Team that helps with resume building, interview prep, and networking.
I sometimes read reviews by other posters about the supposedly dismal state of career services at the Columbia MFE. I can't speak for their specific experiences, but it took me a normal amount of time to find a job after graduating (no more than a couple months of searching). Maybe there are other people that had it harder than me, I don't know. What I do know is that the school does enough, or at least operates at the same standard as other top MFE programs. I disagree with the below poster that the sole goal of the school is to educate you; obviously career preparation is extremely important. But what annoys me is when I see people post saying the school does not do enough. The school does do enough IMO. If you can't get a job after this program, it likely stems from systemic changes in the industry. The US economy is not in good shape right now, and many industries, especially finance, are slowing hiring (some would argue they have been doing this the past six months). I attribute some of the past negative reviews to this reason and less so to the actual quality of the MFE program.
Students:
Given that the program has a 10% acceptance rate, the students that are accepted are necessarily the best of the best. Many majored in STEM subjects, but I met plenty that did traditional lib arts and then decided to pivot into finance. There is a mix of international and domestic students, with the former outnumbering the latter. I have not witnessed any cheating or academically dishonest behavior from other students, although I have no doubt that it does occur, in contrast to the previous poster. This is not a knock against the average MFE Columbia student; it is likely a small minority of students that do cheat. I believe this is honestly pretty common at top masters programs, not just MFEs, but Compsci, Applied Math, Finance, Engineering, etc. People are just uncomfortable with that fact.
Classroom Instruction:
Traditional delivery, nothing to be surprised about. Professors were engaging, focused, and committed to their students. The class material was rigorous, taught by experienced industry professionals, and not lacking in quality. One complaint I have is that some professors seem overly reliant on notes and slides when teaching.
Program Resources:
I enjoyed the Practitioners Seminar and felt it adequately prepared me for the program. There is also a coding and math bootcamp (MSFE Quantitative and Computational Bootcamp) that you have to complete before classes even begin where you are taught C++, Python, Linear Algebra, and Statistics. I found this bootcamp a nice way to brush up on math that I used in undergrad but forgot over the intervening years. The MFE also allows students to cross-register with other Columbia departments and schools, including CBS, Statistics, Economics, and Compsci. I did take one course at CBS that I found valuable and enjoyed.
Career Services:
The program actually has a lot of resources for graduates searching for jobs. MFE portal gives alumni access to all MFE and Professor contact info. There are student clubs like Columbia Quant Group, Data Science Society, and the Fintech and Blockchain Club that allow MFE students to join and can be a great way to network and build connections. COIN gives students access to job and internship postings, employer events, alumni connections, and OCR. Students get direct membership in Society of Quantitative Analysts, which allows them to connect with practitioners and attend networking events. There are also student ambassadors who can help point you in the right direction during your job search. Finally, there is a Career Placement Team that helps with resume building, interview prep, and networking.
I sometimes read reviews by other posters about the supposedly dismal state of career services at the Columbia MFE. I can't speak for their specific experiences, but it took me a normal amount of time to find a job after graduating (no more than a couple months of searching). Maybe there are other people that had it harder than me, I don't know. What I do know is that the school does enough, or at least operates at the same standard as other top MFE programs. I disagree with the below poster that the sole goal of the school is to educate you; obviously career preparation is extremely important. But what annoys me is when I see people post saying the school does not do enough. The school does do enough IMO. If you can't get a job after this program, it likely stems from systemic changes in the industry. The US economy is not in good shape right now, and many industries, especially finance, are slowing hiring (some would argue they have been doing this the past six months). I attribute some of the past negative reviews to this reason and less so to the actual quality of the MFE program.
- Recommend
- Yes, I would recommend this program
- Students Quality
- 5.00 star(s)
- Courses/Instructors
- 5.00 star(s)
- Career Services
- 4.00 star(s)
- Studentred
- 4.00 star(s)
- Headline
- Overall: Solid
- Class of
- 2023
I'm going to repeat what others have said: overall a good program with some minor flaws, primarily in career services.
Students are pretty intelligent and hardworking. The background of most students is admittedly international, but I don't fully understand why some people consider that a bad thing. Most of the internationals I met were extremely friendly and great classmates. Also, in contrast to what others have said, I never witnessed cheating on exams. I think there might have been some years where that happened, but I think it was probably anomalous and not an indicator of student quality.
Classes were tough but I learned a lot. Favorite class was Structured and Hybrid Products with Firouzja. Professors overall are pretty impressive with maybe one that I didn't vibe with. I think the core curriculum is honestly pretty ok.
Career Services still need work. I will echo what others have said and say that that is definitely a weak part of the program. I do not think that detracts that much from the program, but it is a thorn in its side and it needs to be improved.
I will say just one more thing about career services: it is not the mission of the school to get you a job, it is the mission of the school to educate you. People might not like to hear that, but it is on them to forge the necessary relationships to secure a job after graduation. Especially in one of the most competitive industries on the planet. To expect the school to do 100% of the work for you is shortsighted and ridiculous. The school could do more, but one of the previous posters acted like they do nothing, which is patently false.
Final review: overall a solid program. I was impressed by the professors, the students, and the core curriculum. I did manage to find work after graduation, and I do credit that to this program.
Students are pretty intelligent and hardworking. The background of most students is admittedly international, but I don't fully understand why some people consider that a bad thing. Most of the internationals I met were extremely friendly and great classmates. Also, in contrast to what others have said, I never witnessed cheating on exams. I think there might have been some years where that happened, but I think it was probably anomalous and not an indicator of student quality.
Classes were tough but I learned a lot. Favorite class was Structured and Hybrid Products with Firouzja. Professors overall are pretty impressive with maybe one that I didn't vibe with. I think the core curriculum is honestly pretty ok.
Career Services still need work. I will echo what others have said and say that that is definitely a weak part of the program. I do not think that detracts that much from the program, but it is a thorn in its side and it needs to be improved.
I will say just one more thing about career services: it is not the mission of the school to get you a job, it is the mission of the school to educate you. People might not like to hear that, but it is on them to forge the necessary relationships to secure a job after graduation. Especially in one of the most competitive industries on the planet. To expect the school to do 100% of the work for you is shortsighted and ridiculous. The school could do more, but one of the previous posters acted like they do nothing, which is patently false.
Final review: overall a solid program. I was impressed by the professors, the students, and the core curriculum. I did manage to find work after graduation, and I do credit that to this program.
- Recommend
- Yes, I would recommend this program
- Students Quality
- 5.00 star(s)
- Courses/Instructors
- 4.00 star(s)
- Career Services
- 3.00 star(s)
- Headline
- Worth It
- Class of
- 2025
Overall a pretty decent program, has a very high placement rate within industry and a very great group of high-quality professors. One of the best financial engineering programs in the country. I will say that people should not use this as a sure-fire way to enter the financial services industry, and that they should not use it to make up for any deficits in skills like coding, excel, or economics. Applicants should also know that living in NYC is expensive and the program is not cheap. Overall though, a pretty decent program with high-quality teaching and robust curriculum.
- Recommend
- Yes, I would recommend this program
- Students Quality
- 4.00 star(s)
- Courses/Instructors
- 4.00 star(s)
- Career Services
- 5.00 star(s)
- Headline
- I have to repeat what another review said: Does the Job
- Class of
- 2024
Courses:
The program has put more emphasis on AI and ML related courses as of late; you'll get a plethora of robust electives touching on these topics. There are some project based AI courses worth noting, where throughout the semester you work on an industry submitted project. At the end of the semester you present your project to professionals from the company that submitted it, and I know of several students that received job opportunities from the collaborating employer.
On the other hand, the program lacks CS related courses for someone wanting to go more into a software developer, quantdev or HFT role, and very few CS courses have been approved for registration.
The courses themselves are highly demanding, not necessarily in terms of the difficulty or complexity of the topics, — you'll be able to follow the material with a strong undergraduate background in math — but in terms of the workload. So, this is a strong point if you are looking for an academically demanding program, but it can also be a weakness if your priority is landing an internship and you might need more time for applications and interview prep.
Career Services:
They have a personalized career advisor for MFE students. They do a great job in bringing companies to give talks on campus, and this opens opportunities to network with people in industry. Like many other schools, they have a portal exclusive for Columbia students with jobs being posted on a daily basis.
I know several MFE students that received emails from people working at top financial companies, with a message saying that a career service person from Columbia passed them your resume and they invite you to apply for their internship program.
Moreover, the program career team will send update emails throughout the first year, to know who has and hasn't obtained an internship yet. For those that haven't, they will send your resume to companies they have connections with to help you land an internship before the end of the spring.
I personal criticism is the use of VMock for resume, cover letter and elevator pitch compulsory submissions. You'll end up making detrimental changes to your work to merely get the necessary points to satisfy the requirement.
Nonetheless, at the end of the day it will be up to each student to land a job or summer internship. So, don't expect to get one for merely being in the Columbia program.
Alumni:
Columbia MFE alumni currently work in many top financial firms. The program will organize a couple events throughout the year that will allow you to meet recent grads working in industry and be able to create the rapport that will enable you to ask them for a referral, but I feel it wasn't enough. Many were the times I would see MFE Columbia alumni on LinkedIn that I wish more networking events were organized to meet and speak to them properly — to know them enough so they would be comfortable in putting in a good word about you when applying for a job with their employer.
Current Campus Status:
I have to admit that when I was there, the current campus protests made campus life burdensome. What was previously an open campus integrated with the surrounding community, became an entire block guarded with barricades and city police, restricting campus access to students and faculty only. This is not the program's fault, but it is something worth considering since it can have a detrimental impact on the graduate school experience.
The program has put more emphasis on AI and ML related courses as of late; you'll get a plethora of robust electives touching on these topics. There are some project based AI courses worth noting, where throughout the semester you work on an industry submitted project. At the end of the semester you present your project to professionals from the company that submitted it, and I know of several students that received job opportunities from the collaborating employer.
On the other hand, the program lacks CS related courses for someone wanting to go more into a software developer, quantdev or HFT role, and very few CS courses have been approved for registration.
The courses themselves are highly demanding, not necessarily in terms of the difficulty or complexity of the topics, — you'll be able to follow the material with a strong undergraduate background in math — but in terms of the workload. So, this is a strong point if you are looking for an academically demanding program, but it can also be a weakness if your priority is landing an internship and you might need more time for applications and interview prep.
Career Services:
They have a personalized career advisor for MFE students. They do a great job in bringing companies to give talks on campus, and this opens opportunities to network with people in industry. Like many other schools, they have a portal exclusive for Columbia students with jobs being posted on a daily basis.
I know several MFE students that received emails from people working at top financial companies, with a message saying that a career service person from Columbia passed them your resume and they invite you to apply for their internship program.
Moreover, the program career team will send update emails throughout the first year, to know who has and hasn't obtained an internship yet. For those that haven't, they will send your resume to companies they have connections with to help you land an internship before the end of the spring.
I personal criticism is the use of VMock for resume, cover letter and elevator pitch compulsory submissions. You'll end up making detrimental changes to your work to merely get the necessary points to satisfy the requirement.
Nonetheless, at the end of the day it will be up to each student to land a job or summer internship. So, don't expect to get one for merely being in the Columbia program.
Alumni:
Columbia MFE alumni currently work in many top financial firms. The program will organize a couple events throughout the year that will allow you to meet recent grads working in industry and be able to create the rapport that will enable you to ask them for a referral, but I feel it wasn't enough. Many were the times I would see MFE Columbia alumni on LinkedIn that I wish more networking events were organized to meet and speak to them properly — to know them enough so they would be comfortable in putting in a good word about you when applying for a job with their employer.
Current Campus Status:
I have to admit that when I was there, the current campus protests made campus life burdensome. What was previously an open campus integrated with the surrounding community, became an entire block guarded with barricades and city police, restricting campus access to students and faculty only. This is not the program's fault, but it is something worth considering since it can have a detrimental impact on the graduate school experience.
- Recommend
- Yes, I would recommend this program
- Students Quality
- 4.00 star(s)
- Courses/Instructors
- 5.00 star(s)
- Career Services
- 3.00 star(s)
- Headline
- Does its job.
- Class of
- 2023
1. Admission Process
Quickest decision I received. Nothing out of ordinary.
2. Course/Instruction Quality
I come from Math background and did not know much about quant finance industry before coming into the program, so keep that in mind.
Many of the courses did not meet my expectations. Some were unclear in their exposition, some did not provide much insight, and some were ridden with errors and typos. There are many courses where you're in pretty good hands and clearly what you'll get out of the courses will depend a lot on your experience and technical maturity, but overall, I feel several courses suffer from mediocre materials and nonchalant (busy? incompetent?) professors and TAs.
That said, this is Columbia after all and there are several excellent courses and professors if you look hard enough in IEOR/CS/MATH departments that will keep you busy through 3 semesters.
3. Career Service Support
I don't think I've used or benefited much from it. Did get some emails from great firms through the resume book. Many deplore the career service of this program, and sure, I would have benefited from some materials and guidelines to prepare for job hunting before the start of the program, (I had no idea BBs recruit so early and I started my application around October) but I'm not sure if it's fair to ask much more than that. I feel securing a job comes down to your preparedness, nothing more and nothing less. (Granted, I don't have enough info about how quant recruiting works other than regular application and about what other programs career support offers, so maybe it is as bad as others say it is.)
4. Overall
Luckily, I got what I wanted out of the program, and believe have developed a good foundation to build upon throughout my career. Do I think it's the best quant program out there? Probably not. Do I think other 'top' programs outside NYC are a much better option to break into the industry? I doubt it. The program will do its part of the job well enough if you do yours.
Quickest decision I received. Nothing out of ordinary.
2. Course/Instruction Quality
I come from Math background and did not know much about quant finance industry before coming into the program, so keep that in mind.
Many of the courses did not meet my expectations. Some were unclear in their exposition, some did not provide much insight, and some were ridden with errors and typos. There are many courses where you're in pretty good hands and clearly what you'll get out of the courses will depend a lot on your experience and technical maturity, but overall, I feel several courses suffer from mediocre materials and nonchalant (busy? incompetent?) professors and TAs.
That said, this is Columbia after all and there are several excellent courses and professors if you look hard enough in IEOR/CS/MATH departments that will keep you busy through 3 semesters.
3. Career Service Support
I don't think I've used or benefited much from it. Did get some emails from great firms through the resume book. Many deplore the career service of this program, and sure, I would have benefited from some materials and guidelines to prepare for job hunting before the start of the program, (I had no idea BBs recruit so early and I started my application around October) but I'm not sure if it's fair to ask much more than that. I feel securing a job comes down to your preparedness, nothing more and nothing less. (Granted, I don't have enough info about how quant recruiting works other than regular application and about what other programs career support offers, so maybe it is as bad as others say it is.)
4. Overall
Luckily, I got what I wanted out of the program, and believe have developed a good foundation to build upon throughout my career. Do I think it's the best quant program out there? Probably not. Do I think other 'top' programs outside NYC are a much better option to break into the industry? I doubt it. The program will do its part of the job well enough if you do yours.
- Recommend
- Yes, I would recommend this program
- Students Quality
- 4.00 star(s)
- Courses/Instructors
- 4.00 star(s)
- Career Services
- 3.00 star(s)
- Headline
- Great Peers and Professors, Career Guidance can be better
- Class of
- 2017
Reviewed by Verified Member
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Electrical Engineering from the best engineering institute in India. Two years of experience as a Quant in one of the big sell side firms.
Did you get admitted to other programs?
Yes. I applied to Columbia MFE & CMU MSCF programs. I got admitted to both of them.
Tell us about the application process at this program
Standard application form, followed by an informal interview with one of the professors in the department.
Does this program offer refresher courses for incoming students? How useful was it?
There was a 2 week refresher course to bring us up to speed with Statistics and basic Math. There was also a Professional Development course to cover resume writing and LinkedIn, which is useful for candidates who don't have a lot of experience with the US job hunting experience.
Tell us about the courses selection in this program. Any special courses you like?
The mandatory courses covered the basics - Machine Learning, Big Data, Stochastic Calculus, Data Analysis, Monte Carlo Simulation etc.,
The electives gave us the exposure to the industry - FX Markets, Algo Trading, Advanced Programming, Asset Allocation etc,
Tell us about the quality of teaching
Most of the professors here are some of the smartest you will come across.
Materials used in the program
A combination of presentations, recorded videos, class notes and reference books.
Programming component of the program
Matlab/Python/C++ - Mostly you can choose any programming language to do your assignments and projects. There were also a couple of courses where we could improve our programming skills
Projects
Some of the courses had some course projects associated with them, though all of them were pretty minor.
Career service
Got a few calls from the resume book, but this largely depends on your prior experience. There are networking events, some organised by the program. The career coaches are very busy and have very little time for one-on-one interactions and giving customised feedback. Much of the internship/full time job finding process would be applying for companies on your own and converting them in the interviews.
What do you like about the program?
Great professors and excellent and competitive peers. Location being in NYC is a huge plus and the brand value of the program definitely carries some weightage. Most of the courses are catered for us to be industry and interview ready. So, if a candidate is on top of his/her courses and resume, it would be a huge plus for the interviews.
What DON’T you like about the program?
Not enough help from the career placement team. There will be lots of competition across different programs and universities and I wish we were given some additional edge in the internship hunting process.
Suggestions for the program to make it better
More help from the career placement team.
What are your current job status? What are you looking for?
I worked for 5 years as a quant at one of the big sell side banks. Currently working as a buy side quant for 2 years.
Electrical Engineering from the best engineering institute in India. Two years of experience as a Quant in one of the big sell side firms.
Did you get admitted to other programs?
Yes. I applied to Columbia MFE & CMU MSCF programs. I got admitted to both of them.
Tell us about the application process at this program
Standard application form, followed by an informal interview with one of the professors in the department.
Does this program offer refresher courses for incoming students? How useful was it?
There was a 2 week refresher course to bring us up to speed with Statistics and basic Math. There was also a Professional Development course to cover resume writing and LinkedIn, which is useful for candidates who don't have a lot of experience with the US job hunting experience.
Tell us about the courses selection in this program. Any special courses you like?
The mandatory courses covered the basics - Machine Learning, Big Data, Stochastic Calculus, Data Analysis, Monte Carlo Simulation etc.,
The electives gave us the exposure to the industry - FX Markets, Algo Trading, Advanced Programming, Asset Allocation etc,
Tell us about the quality of teaching
Most of the professors here are some of the smartest you will come across.
Materials used in the program
A combination of presentations, recorded videos, class notes and reference books.
Programming component of the program
Matlab/Python/C++ - Mostly you can choose any programming language to do your assignments and projects. There were also a couple of courses where we could improve our programming skills
Projects
Some of the courses had some course projects associated with them, though all of them were pretty minor.
Career service
Got a few calls from the resume book, but this largely depends on your prior experience. There are networking events, some organised by the program. The career coaches are very busy and have very little time for one-on-one interactions and giving customised feedback. Much of the internship/full time job finding process would be applying for companies on your own and converting them in the interviews.
What do you like about the program?
Great professors and excellent and competitive peers. Location being in NYC is a huge plus and the brand value of the program definitely carries some weightage. Most of the courses are catered for us to be industry and interview ready. So, if a candidate is on top of his/her courses and resume, it would be a huge plus for the interviews.
What DON’T you like about the program?
Not enough help from the career placement team. There will be lots of competition across different programs and universities and I wish we were given some additional edge in the internship hunting process.
Suggestions for the program to make it better
More help from the career placement team.
What are your current job status? What are you looking for?
I worked for 5 years as a quant at one of the big sell side banks. Currently working as a buy side quant for 2 years.
- Recommend
- Yes, I would recommend this program
- Students Quality
- 5.00 star(s)
- Courses/Instructors
- 5.00 star(s)
- Career Services
- 2.00 star(s)
- Class of
- 2018
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Electronics engineer from a premier institute in India. Plenty of experience as a trader in financial markets.
Current student at Columbia MSFE program(03/13/2017)
Did you get admitted to other programs?
Yes. Columbia was the top on my list though. Had offers from GaTech and a few others.
Tell us about the application process at this program
Smooth interview process. Focuses more on the GRE Quant score compared to other programs.
Does this program offer refresher courses for incoming students? How useful was it?
There was a 15 day refresher course, but it was quite basic really. Not sure what would have helped though, because in my case I was coming back to academics after a large break. Professional Development course to cover basic resume writing/Linkedin profile etc. which every other program has as well.
Tell us about the courses selection in this program. Any special courses you like?
ML, Optimization, Stochastic Calculus, Data Analysis - standard courses. There are a few good buy side courses as well, where you get a little hands on experience with some good projects - Asset Allocation and Algo Trading.
Tell us about the quality of teaching
Some professors here are quite brilliant I think. Some are alright when it comes to teaching. As said before - all do good work.
Materials used in the program
Presentations, recorded videos, class notes, some reference books.
Programming component of the program
Matlab/Python/C++ - Mostly you can choose any programming language to do your assignments and projects. Programming I thought was the easiest skill to pick up here.
Projects
I have taken some good projects in Asset Allocation and algorithmic trading classes so far. Plan to do a few more in machine learning.
Career service
Got a few calls from the resume book - even without applying for the positions, but I think it depends on the past experience you have as well. There are plenty of networking events, plus you will be in New York. You will definitely get interviews from top firms if you are here, but to convert them will be up to you.
Can you comment on the social interaction between students of different ethnics, nationalities in the program?
I think this could be better.
What do you like about the program?
Standard courses which cover all the basics needed in Quantitative finance. Enough flexibility to choose from whatever add on skill you want to acquire.
What DON’T you like about the program?
Not enough focus on the buy side. Also, I wish I knew how important statistics were before coming here. Some earlier interviews would have gone much more smoothly.
Suggestions for the program to make it better
Better refresher course. Add a few really good programming courses as well.
What are your current job status? What are you looking for?
Will be doing my internship at a buy side firm in the summer. Looking for full time opportunities later on.
Electronics engineer from a premier institute in India. Plenty of experience as a trader in financial markets.
Current student at Columbia MSFE program(03/13/2017)
Did you get admitted to other programs?
Yes. Columbia was the top on my list though. Had offers from GaTech and a few others.
Tell us about the application process at this program
Smooth interview process. Focuses more on the GRE Quant score compared to other programs.
Does this program offer refresher courses for incoming students? How useful was it?
There was a 15 day refresher course, but it was quite basic really. Not sure what would have helped though, because in my case I was coming back to academics after a large break. Professional Development course to cover basic resume writing/Linkedin profile etc. which every other program has as well.
Tell us about the courses selection in this program. Any special courses you like?
ML, Optimization, Stochastic Calculus, Data Analysis - standard courses. There are a few good buy side courses as well, where you get a little hands on experience with some good projects - Asset Allocation and Algo Trading.
Tell us about the quality of teaching
Some professors here are quite brilliant I think. Some are alright when it comes to teaching. As said before - all do good work.
Materials used in the program
Presentations, recorded videos, class notes, some reference books.
Programming component of the program
Matlab/Python/C++ - Mostly you can choose any programming language to do your assignments and projects. Programming I thought was the easiest skill to pick up here.
Projects
I have taken some good projects in Asset Allocation and algorithmic trading classes so far. Plan to do a few more in machine learning.
Career service
Got a few calls from the resume book - even without applying for the positions, but I think it depends on the past experience you have as well. There are plenty of networking events, plus you will be in New York. You will definitely get interviews from top firms if you are here, but to convert them will be up to you.
Can you comment on the social interaction between students of different ethnics, nationalities in the program?
I think this could be better.
What do you like about the program?
Standard courses which cover all the basics needed in Quantitative finance. Enough flexibility to choose from whatever add on skill you want to acquire.
What DON’T you like about the program?
Not enough focus on the buy side. Also, I wish I knew how important statistics were before coming here. Some earlier interviews would have gone much more smoothly.
Suggestions for the program to make it better
Better refresher course. Add a few really good programming courses as well.
What are your current job status? What are you looking for?
Will be doing my internship at a buy side firm in the summer. Looking for full time opportunities later on.
- anonymous
- 4.00 star(s)
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Mathematics and Economics background with no work experience prior to the program - only 1 internship.
I studied full-time in the program from 7/2009-5/2010
Did you get admitted to other programs?
Cornell MFE, CMU MSCF, LSE Applicable Math.
Why did you choose this program (over others, if applicable)?
Best brand name among offers.
Tell us about the application process at this program
There was no problem, a timely email response.
Programs like Baruch MFE, UCB MFE have refresher courses for incoming students. Does this program offer such courses? How useful was it?
It offers 3 introductory courses, which refresh some undergraduate knowledge: Statistical Inference, Stochastic Processes, Foundations of Financial Engineering
Tell us about the courses selection in this program. Any special courses you like?
Security Pricing, Data Analysis, Continuous-time Models, Quantitative Risk Management.
Tell us about the quality of teaching
The quality of teaching was good, as professors have practical experience in finance. Teaching assistants are helpful for homework assignments.
Materials used in the program
Primarily professor lecture notes. Textbooks used mainly as reference, or recommended reading, rarely required.
Programming component of the program
Matlab, Excel VBA, C++, S-Plus, Java. A good amount of programming is done- about 1/2 of assigned problems.
Projects
In the Fall Semester only individual homeworks. Group and individual projects on various topics are done in the Spring.
Career service
Mainly the Center for Career Education at Columbia, also MSFE Resume Book, some positions through the department.
Can you comment on the social interaction between students of different ethnics, nationalities in the program?
Good social interaction between different ethnical groups and nationalities. Of course, people having the same mother language would prefer communicating more in it to people from their countries rather than in English.
What do you like about the program?
Prestigious academic institution, very good faculty.
What DON’T you like about the program?
Not stellar career service.
Suggestions for the program to make it better
Establish better relationships with the financial industry in order to improve career placement. Even more core courses.
What are your current job status? What are you looking for?
Still looking for a position in Structuring/Risk management and others.
Mathematics and Economics background with no work experience prior to the program - only 1 internship.
I studied full-time in the program from 7/2009-5/2010
Did you get admitted to other programs?
Cornell MFE, CMU MSCF, LSE Applicable Math.
Why did you choose this program (over others, if applicable)?
Best brand name among offers.
Tell us about the application process at this program
There was no problem, a timely email response.
Programs like Baruch MFE, UCB MFE have refresher courses for incoming students. Does this program offer such courses? How useful was it?
It offers 3 introductory courses, which refresh some undergraduate knowledge: Statistical Inference, Stochastic Processes, Foundations of Financial Engineering
Tell us about the courses selection in this program. Any special courses you like?
Security Pricing, Data Analysis, Continuous-time Models, Quantitative Risk Management.
Tell us about the quality of teaching
The quality of teaching was good, as professors have practical experience in finance. Teaching assistants are helpful for homework assignments.
Materials used in the program
Primarily professor lecture notes. Textbooks used mainly as reference, or recommended reading, rarely required.
Programming component of the program
Matlab, Excel VBA, C++, S-Plus, Java. A good amount of programming is done- about 1/2 of assigned problems.
Projects
In the Fall Semester only individual homeworks. Group and individual projects on various topics are done in the Spring.
Career service
Mainly the Center for Career Education at Columbia, also MSFE Resume Book, some positions through the department.
Can you comment on the social interaction between students of different ethnics, nationalities in the program?
Good social interaction between different ethnical groups and nationalities. Of course, people having the same mother language would prefer communicating more in it to people from their countries rather than in English.
What do you like about the program?
Prestigious academic institution, very good faculty.
What DON’T you like about the program?
Not stellar career service.
Suggestions for the program to make it better
Establish better relationships with the financial industry in order to improve career placement. Even more core courses.
What are your current job status? What are you looking for?
Still looking for a position in Structuring/Risk management and others.
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Majored in Applied Math in Columbia and had two summer internships at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs.
I studied full-time in the program from 07/2009-05/2010
Did you get admitted to other programs?
Yes, NYU Math Finance and NYU-Poly MFE.
Why did you choose this program (over others, if applicable)?
Its reputation and my love for the Columbia community that I developed as an undergrad.
Tell us about the application process at this program
Very timely process
Does this program offer refresher courses for incoming students? How useful was it?
They had a stat course, a stochastic processes course, and an intro to financial engineering course, all of which were very useful.
Tell us about the courses selection in this program. Any special courses you like?
Optimization, monte carlo, data analysis, continuous time models... all very useful.
Tell us about the quality of teaching
Some were great and some were not so great. All were brilliant though.
Materials used in the program
Mainly class notes. Few textbooks were used.
Programming component of the program
Matlab, vba, c++, sql. There was a decent amount.
Projects
There weren't many projects in the courses I took. There were many hw assignments.
Career service
They had a resume book, and a career website. There were also many networking events. Columbia is relatively good at placing people, but does not do so well in a bad economy.
Can you comment on the social interaction between students of different ethnics, nationalities in the program?
There were some language barriers, but everyone seemed to get along just fine.
What do you like about the program?
Smart teachers who have worked in the industry.
What DON’T you like about the program?
Some of the teachers could be better at teaching.
Suggestions for the program to make it better
Perhaps have online notes for each class to allow students the opportunity to teach themselves.
What are your current job status? What are you looking for?
I will be working at Morgan Stanley in July 2010
Majored in Applied Math in Columbia and had two summer internships at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs.
I studied full-time in the program from 07/2009-05/2010
Did you get admitted to other programs?
Yes, NYU Math Finance and NYU-Poly MFE.
Why did you choose this program (over others, if applicable)?
Its reputation and my love for the Columbia community that I developed as an undergrad.
Tell us about the application process at this program
Very timely process
Does this program offer refresher courses for incoming students? How useful was it?
They had a stat course, a stochastic processes course, and an intro to financial engineering course, all of which were very useful.
Tell us about the courses selection in this program. Any special courses you like?
Optimization, monte carlo, data analysis, continuous time models... all very useful.
Tell us about the quality of teaching
Some were great and some were not so great. All were brilliant though.
Materials used in the program
Mainly class notes. Few textbooks were used.
Programming component of the program
Matlab, vba, c++, sql. There was a decent amount.
Projects
There weren't many projects in the courses I took. There were many hw assignments.
Career service
They had a resume book, and a career website. There were also many networking events. Columbia is relatively good at placing people, but does not do so well in a bad economy.
Can you comment on the social interaction between students of different ethnics, nationalities in the program?
There were some language barriers, but everyone seemed to get along just fine.
What do you like about the program?
Smart teachers who have worked in the industry.
What DON’T you like about the program?
Some of the teachers could be better at teaching.
Suggestions for the program to make it better
Perhaps have online notes for each class to allow students the opportunity to teach themselves.
What are your current job status? What are you looking for?
I will be working at Morgan Stanley in July 2010