Queen Mary University of London - MSc in Financial Mathematics

A good broach into stochastic calculus for people that come from different backgrounds that are not necessarily in mathematics. However, weak overall preparation for the real world practicalities of pricing (i.e. Greeks are barely discussed, pricing exotics, numeraire, etc.). The course structure follows loosely on Steven Shreve’s books on Binomial and Continous-Time Asset Pricing. Nothing on the latest in the field of quantitative finance.

The C++ classes were impeccable and highly recommended as they brought me from absolute novice to intermediate and enabled me to practice good OOP development skills.

There’s decent instruction for many courses, but the course material is not the most rigorous to accommodate people’s varied backgrounds. Support for the master’s thesis is mixed, with some professors being very hands on, and others being absent.

Outcomes for the course are varied, some people were able to break into good quant roles, many were not.

Overall, for the current sticker price of the course, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but if you receive some sort of bursary or scholarship from the university, and have a weaker background in mathematics— maybe consider. But the career outcomes are average, and it does not open any more doors than other MFin programs.