Best MFin programs!

[RQayy]

Hey guys,

I am considering applying for the MFE or MFin. I am aware of a lot of the eminent programs of the MFE but not so much about the MFin. Can you guys help? I know of MIT and Princeton but their programs are very hard to get into.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

I don't know what best is but Anthony, a member here, has a collection of Master in Finance programs on his site

 

[MSFHQ]

Thanks for the plug Andy!

In the MSF/MFin space I think Princeton would be the best with MIT a close second. WUSTL has a great program as does Vanderbilt. The issue you run into when talking about the best is that the MSF degree (with exception of Princeton and MIT) is very regional.

Example. Suppose you want to work in California. WUSTL is very high ranked, but probably doesn't place well on the west coast. If you told me Cali was your desired workplace I would say go with Claremont McKenna. If you told me NYC was where you want to be I would say Villanova/Vanderbilt. If you said Chicago I would say Purdue/UIUC/DePaul. Boston is just full of good MSF programs, but BC, BU Investment Management, Bradeis, Bentley all stand out.

You see what I mean.

Give me a little more info and I can give you a better rec.

 

[TraderJoe]

SUNY-Buffalo has got a superb MFin program with $10K tuition (less than one-fourth of what the other schools charge). For that quality, I don't think that you will find a better bargain in USA.

 

[MSFHQ]

MSF Program Cost

MSF Program costs.


I think Buffalo is cheap if you are a NYS resident, but if you are looking to actually work after the degree I would avoid it. Go for a major MSF program and you will be able to find employment (if that's your goal).

 

[TraderJoe]

MSF Program Cost

MSF Program costs.


I think Buffalo is cheap if you are a NYS resident, but if you are looking to actually work after the degree I would avoid it. Go for a major MSF program and you will be able to find employment (if that's your goal).

A bit harsh, perhaps. Almost all the MSF students from Buffalo find good jobs in New York City.

 

[coolharvard]

A bit harsh, perhaps. Almost all the MSF students from Buffalo find good jobs in New York City.

SUNY-Buffalo....? if you compare two resume side by side, one with SUNY-Buffalo, one with something like,... UC Berkeley or UCLA or Columbia or Cornell... assuming other parts of resumes are mostly similar, who would you interview?

 

[MSFHQ]

A bit harsh, perhaps. Almost all the MSF students from Buffalo find good jobs in New York City.

Where are you getting these placement stats? I am curious to see them. The MSF at Buffalo is a both a traditional MSF and a MFE. The one I am talking about is the traditional MSF. I am sure they find jobs, but I seriously doubt UB is placing into FO IBD, S&T or AM. It is a good school, but all SUNY schools really suffer from a poor branding by the state. Maybe the MFE places in some type of quant roles, but if you want to do a SUNY MFE look at Baruch which I think has much better brand in NYC.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Putting MIT and Princeton on the same sentence is inappropriate for several reasons. The only thing they have in common is how they designate the degree. That's where the similarity ends.

I happen to talk to directors, students and alumni of both programs on many occasions and I would suggest prospective students to do the same thing.

Many people have made the mistake of putting many programs under an ill-defined bracket and blindly apply to them without a deep understanding of what each has to offer.

 

[alain]

SUNY-Buffalo....? if you compare two resume side by side, one with SUNY-Buffalo, one with something like,... UC Berkeley or UCLA or Columbia or Cornell... assuming other parts of resumes are mostly similar, who would you interview?

Probably the SUNY person because the other guys only did as good as the SUNY person.

"If the other schools are so good, and only admit really good students, I would expect those really good students to be superstars."

 

[MSFHQ]

Putting MIT and Princeton on the same sentence is inappropriate for several reasons. The only thing they have in common is how they designate the degree. That's where the similarity ends.

I happen to talk to directors, students and alumni of both programs on many occasions and I would suggest prospective students to do the same thing.

Many people have made the mistake of putting many programs under an ill-defined bracket and blindly apply to them without a deep understanding of what each has to offer.

I think within the MFE space you might be correct, but MSF degrees are for general banking or S&T. You really don't NEED the knowledge jump that the degree provides. What it does provide is another year of recruiting and another name on your resume. I like to put MIT and Princeton in the same sentence because both schools offer a top tier name. I think the Princeton program is more developed and might be better, but the MIT program is growing, shoring up and offers an amazing name.

Within the MSF space we have Princeton, MIT, WUSTL, Vanderbilt, BC, Villanova, Claremont McKenna, Purdue, UIUC, Bentley, UofR, and Florida as some of the more well known names. You can add Duke and UVA on there also if you stretch it a little. Not a great big universe.

For the MFE you have countless top tier programs and powerful names.

 

[RQayy]

Thanks for the plug Andy!

In the MSF/MFin space I think Princeton would be the best with MIT a close second. WUSTL has a great program as does Vanderbilt. The issue you run into when talking about the best is that the MSF degree (with exception of Princeton and MIT) is very regional.

Example. Suppose you want to work in California. WUSTL is very high ranked, but probably doesn't place well on the west coast. If you told me Cali was your desired workplace I would say go with Claremont McKenna. If you told me NYC was where you want to be I would say Villanova/Vanderbilt. If you said Chicago I would say Purdue/UIUC/DePaul. Boston is just full of good MSF programs, but BC, BU Investment Management, Bradeis, Bentley all stand out.

You see what I mean.

Give me a little more info and I can give you a better rec.

Ideally, I would like to work in NYC or Boston so my top three choices are BC, Rutgers and Vanderbilt. However, I am strongly considering Claremont McKenna as well. How good is the program at Carnegie Mellon?

---------- Post added at 01:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 AM ----------

A couple of more questions.

In terms of tuition, what sort of grants are available for UK students applying to such schools?

From my research, I'm thinking the MSF and MFE distinction is kinda blurred right now. Although one is more quantitative, a large proportion of MSF programs are following suit. Any thoughts?

 

[MSFHQ]

Ideally, I would like to work in NYC or Boston so my top three choices are BC, Rutgers and Vanderbilt. However, I am strongly considering Claremont McKenna as well. How good is the program at Carnegie Mellon?

---------- Post added at 01:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 AM ----------

A couple of more questions.

In terms of tuition, what sort of grants are available for UK students applying to such schools?

From my research, I'm thinking the MSF and MFE distinction is kinda blurred right now. Although one is more quantitative, a large proportion of MSF programs are following suit. Any thoughts?

The MSF and MFE distinction is fairly clear. MSF is all graduate level finance classes. You need stats, probability and some calc. That's about it. MFE involved higher level math, programming, etc. MFE programs really don't place into general investment banking positions. MSF programs place into IB.

CMU is in a whole other league. If you are seriously looking at CMU I would forget those other programs (maybe with exception of Claremont McKenna) and focus on CMU, Baruch, Columbia, NYU, etc. This site really focuses on the MFE programs. My site is focused only on the MSF program.

 

[DominiConnor]

It's also worth thinking about non-MFE programs that contain the right mathematics.

Arguably, the best masters for a quant in Europe is the PIII at Cambridge, which contains no explicitly financial mathematics at all. Some people I respect would disagree and remove the 'Europe' qualifier. It's also pathetically cheap, and that applies to most non-finance masters since you pay a serious premium for the financial bit.

 

[alain]

what is PIII at Cambridge?

 

[RQayy]

what is PIII at Cambridge?

I believe he is referring to the MPhil at Judge Business School!

---------- Post added at 09:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 PM ----------

The MSF and MFE distinction is fairly clear. MSF is all graduate level finance classes. You need stats, probability and some calc. That's about it. MFE involved higher level math, programming, etc. MFE programs really don't place into general investment banking positions. MSF programs place into IB.

CMU is in a whole other league. If you are seriously looking at CMU I would forget those other programs (maybe with exception of Claremont McKenna) and focus on CMU, Baruch, Columbia, NYU, etc. This site really focuses on the MFE programs. My site is focused only on the MSF program.

The programs at Baruch, Columbia and NYU are MFE programs, which are more difficult for me to get into with a law background. My career advisor informed me that the CMU program, provides the most balanced program, providing the best of both worlds so to speak..

 

[MSFHQ]

Review of the Cambridge MPhil program:

Cambridge MPhil Program Review


Tepper CMU MSQF program course list:

Course Descriptions : Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon

The program might be more rounded, but it is still pretty high level math involved. I would say if you can do the MSQF program you could do an MFE at another school.

 

[RQayy]

Another advantage my careers advisor has explained to me is that with the MFE, you have a wider number of peers. I knew that already, but are the admissions to MSF really considerably smaller than MFE?

 

[MSFHQ]

Another advantage my careers advisor has explained to me is that with the MFE, you have a wider number of peers. I knew that already, but are the admissions to MSF really considerably smaller than MFE?

There are more top schools with an MFE as compared to an MSF. You can go to NYU, CMU, Columbia, Chicago, etc.

MSF you can go to MIT and Princeton.

MFE programs tend to be larger or have been around for a longer time. Your career is not necessarily limited, but MFE grads tend not to go into banking or asset management, etc. It really boils down to what you want and what you are good at. If you are good at and passionate about high end math you are probably not going to be interested in being a pitch book monkey.

 

[DominiConnor]

I believe he is referring to the MPhil at Judge Business School!
No, I am not, I apologise if I appear to have given an endorsement of the finance at Judge.

Until recently there was the Part III of the Mathematics Tripos at Cambridge, which has recently changed to have a more modern name, Master of Mathematics, but for years to come it will be referred to as the Part III.

This thread has caused me to revisit the site, and amend my earlier remark that it contains no finance to saying that it is a small optional % and not exactly mainstream finance.

I also read the rules (I am both anal and a fast reader), and you can test whether you share my sense of humour by reading this line from the rules on grading:

"The Examiners form a totally independent body and are not constrained to act in any particular way"




Master of Mathematics / Master of Advanced Study (Part III of the Mathematical Tripos)