About Financial Mathematics Bar Ilan University

[An Israeli]

Hello everyone

I am a Bachelor of Economics and Business Administration - BA degree from Israel.
I finished my degree at 2008 with average grade 87.34(the grades in Israel are between 0 to 100) and unfortunately I could not find work in the field until now.
Bar Ilan University in Israel Opened a program called: master's degree in financial mathematics - M.sc.
The program is designed for graduates of an Economics and Business Administration - BA degree and for mathematics graduates - B.sc degree.
I will write the courses in this program.
I will be glad if you give your opinion about this program.

In addition, I thought to study the first year in Israel and continue the second year in one of the universities in U.S..
What do you say about this thought??? Do you think is it possible?? Is it worth to do that??

list of all compulsory courses in the curriculum:
1. Financial Mathematics 1
2. Financial Mathematics 2
3. Probability and Stochastic Processes 1
4. Probability and Stochastic Processes 2
5. Game Theory of Finance
6. Statistics and Data Analysis
7. Numerical Solution to Partial Differential Equations
8. Options Pricing
9A. Differentials Equations for Economists
9A. Optimization for Economists
9B. Introduction to Economy for Mathematicians
9B. Financing Basics for Mathematicians
10. Portfolios Management
11. Pricing Theory
12. Financials Instruments
13. Actuarial Mathematics and Risk Theory
14. Seminar: Topics in Financial Mathematics

list of all elective courses in the curriculum: (choose 2 courses)
1. Analysis of Financial Reports and Assessment of Company Value
2. Banking Theory
3. Regulation in Financial Markets

list of Seminars in the curriculum: (choose 1 Seminar)
1. Seminar: Risks Management
2. Seminar: Game Theory


Thank you

 

[Connor]

MFE programs in the US are usually 1 to 1.5 years long so transferring really isn't an option.

The curriculum looks decent but the fact that it is a brand new program causes some hesitation.

It will probably be fine if you want to pursue a job in Israel, otherwise I wouldn't recommend doing it.

 

[An Israeli]

MFE programs in the US are usually 1 to 1.5 years long so transferring really isn't an option.

The curriculum looks decent but the fact that it is a brand new program causes some hesitation.

It will probably be fine if you want to pursue a job in Israel, otherwise I wouldn't recommend doing it.

Hi Conor

First of all thanks for your answer.
The program in Israel is also a bout 1.5 years.
and I don't think that I want to stay in Israel, I thought to study just the first year in Israel (in order to I will have a strong base in mathematics for the MFE there), and than move to the US to one of the MFE programs in order to finish the degree there, blc the courses are almost the same (maybe except c++).
and I wrote that I didn't find a job in my major yet, it's very hard to find a job in Israel.

 

[Marko]

Based on your surface information, it is good program indeed. You need to find out the teaching quality because at the end what you can learn from the program and to perform at work are most important. FE stuff is very practical. There is no bullshit once you land a job and people expect you to hit the ground and run...run faster...fastest as you can.

Carrying just the title of the "degree" is not sufficient enough to perform. By the way, solid computing skills in either C++ or C#..may be Java is a must. Knowing R and Matlab is extra.

 

[Joy Pathak]

You curriculum looks alright. The titles look relevant. I am assuming the numerical courses and some of the others have a strong programming requirement in the class. What is the point of doing a MSc Financial Mathematics in Israel? Is there a demand for quants there?

You can always do a year there and then apply to gain admission into an american university. Most universities will only let you transfer 3 courses at the most if at all from another program. I don't think you can transfer per say. You can only apply for fresh admission and then get courses waived at the discretion of your program director.

Why don't you try to apply to goto an american or Canadian university right away?

It won't be easy to get a degree from Israel and look for jobs in USA. It will be close to impossible.

I would suggest just doing the relevant courses for admission to american universities and go ahead with that plan.


Also...16 courses and a seminar look like way to much in the 1.5 year span. I am assuming you go every semester including summer at full load of 4 courses per semester? fall, winter, summer, fall?

 

[An Israeli]

First of all thank you guys for your answers

Marko, I forgot note that the program also has a course by the name: Workshop on Matlab

Joy in Israel it's very hard to find a job in the financial field in particular and in the other areas in generally

Since I finished my degree in economics, I still have not found a job
in the field
Now I can not move to the U.S, so I thought to do one year in order to have a good basis for studying there
a bout the semesters you are right, there is no freedom in the middle of the semesters

Joy I have another question: which Unis are there good ( with a good name)

and affordable (not too expensive per a year)x



​

Thanks ​

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Give this a try Quant Network Program Selector | Quant Network
Bar Ilan University is in that list, I believe.
Transferring to another program is not really an option. You will have to apply like everyone else. Whether the new program can take some credits for courses you took in Israel is a case by case basis, you will have to contact the prospective program for this answer.

 

[Joy Pathak]

First of all thank you guys for your answers

Marko, I forgot note that the program also has a course by the name: Workshop on Matlab

Joy in Israel it's very hard to find a job in the financial field in particular and in the other areas in generally

Since I finished my degree in economics, I still have not found a job
in the field
Now I can not move to the U.S, so I thought to do one year in order to have a good basis for studying there
a bout the semesters you are right, there is no freedom in the middle of the semesters

Joy I have another question: which Unis are there good ( with a good name)

and affordable (not too expensive per a year)x



​

Thanks ​

Andy has linked you to the Program Selector. Use it to make your decisions. In terms of expensive,

University of connecticut 11767
Baruch 20700
University of dayton 21870
Stevens Institue of Tech 33000
Poly 34000
Kent State 34000
USC 34500
University of Toronto 35000
Stanford 35000
North Carolina State 37000
Boston University 39000
Georgia Tech 43500
Illinois Institute of Technology 47000
University of Chicago 49000
University of California Berkeley 49500
Cornell 52000
University of Michigan 56000
Claremont Graduate 70000
Princeton 73220
Carnegie 74000


Maybe that will help. A small fraction of the programs from the list. Some of the numbers might be off so double check them. Most of those have been taken from the program selector. Some of the per credit numbers have been changed to total numbers. Many universities also provide quite a bit of scholarships so remember that when comparing too. In terms of reputation and so on, you will have to assess that for yourself by researching the particular programs.

Research the university extensively. Look through the threads on this forum. If you still have additional questions post them and I am sure the several members on this thread will try and help. I personally will be attending the Illinois Tech program, so feel free to ask anything about that.

 

[An Israeli]

Ok Andy I understood, thanks

wow Joy it's a lot of money for me and it's just for the tuition fees without residence, subsistence etc

maybe I will be able to presume the

first one, University of Connecticut about 11,767$ per a year or the

second one, Baruch University about 20,700$ per a year

but with whatever a financial aid for an international students or something

If I don't have a mistake I heard about the second one, about Baruch University, is it in New-York right?x

and Baruch sounds like an Israeli name or a Jewish name, is that University has relation to Israel or to Judaism?x

​

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Come on, take an initiative and do some research. Use Google.
Nobody likes to spoon feed people who are too lazy to search for the answer themselves.
Baruch College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
QuantNetwork Wiki

 

[An Israeli]

LOL, Ok Andy you are right but I'm not lazy
I asked that, blc maybe he knows someone that studied there or something like that

Andy maybe do u know how to convert grades in numbers to the US grades
I tried to seek how to do that but I didn't find
my grades are 0 to 100
in US it's A,B,C, etc

 

[Joy Pathak]

LOL, Ok Andy you are right but I'm not lazy
I asked that, blc maybe he knows someone that studied there or something like that

Andy maybe do u know how to convert grades in numbers to the US grades
I tried to seek how to do that but I didn't find
my grades are 0 to 100
in US it's A,B,C, etc

I donot know anyone who studied at U Conn. I don't know much about their program. I merely stated their fees.

The second cheapest is Baruch. Search through these forums. There are several Baruch students/alumni/faculty on here. Baruch is a good program. Use the wiki page that Andy linked. Google the program. Check out their website. Etc etc.

Don't worry about Grade Conversion. The universities do it for you when you apply.

But just in case (I don't know it's credibility):

This is what I found for : Israel

Scale U.S. Grade Equiv.
75-100 A
61-74 B
50-60 C
0-49 F

(WES Grade Conversion Guide )

 

[An Israeli]

Thanks Joy

I have to say that I'm new here and I don't know much about this site
so I will search the forums and I will ask

thanks