CQF as a good refresher for an experienced professional?

[RonIpad]

Dear QuantNet

I have a question about CQF (Certificate in Quantitative Finance). But first some background:

• I am in my late thirties.
• I have worked for over 10 years in a large Bank.
• I have been programming for over 25 years and I am very good at it.
• My first university education was a 5 years engineering degree leading to MSc in Computer Science and Engineering, I also did a Master in Business Administration after that to round things up.
• I am a CFA Charterholder, this this program when I already had 5+ years relevant experience.
• I am since a couple of years a trader and part of my job is to build up the quant/algo trading business within the product class I work in.
• I earn too much money to take a year off to do a MFE.

IT was many years ago I did the engineering mathematics and I never really had to use advanced mathematics in my career until now. Therefore my maths is a bit rusty (I was very good at maths and physics in school though). I used a Matlab and similar tools a lot during university time, but I only have a bit of practical experience in newer languages like Python and R.

I have a feeling that brushing up advanced maths within the context of finance could help me do my current job better, i.e. design better trading algos and improve my chances of fruitful cooperation and collaboration with the pure quants in my area.

Now to my question: Would you say the CQF program would be worth the time I would have to invest in it? Would it likely help me to become a better algo trader, algo designer and leader/manager in my area?

Note, the cost of the program is not an issue for me. Time is.

Thanks in advance for your advice

 

[Anupriya]

Hi Ronlpad

Don't want to toot my own horn, but why not pursue a specialized course in Algo trading if you want to become an expert?

CQF is like MBA in quant finance. It will give you insights on credit pricing, risk management and mathematical models used in finance. However, if you are looking for a specialization in trading (quant/algo/hft), QuantInsti's EPAT might be a better option for you. Check it out too.

Ping me if you want more details.

Thanks
Anupriya

 

[TheComplexUnit]

The CQF is effectively a condensed MFE. Having looked through the syllabus, I will postulate that there is very little there of utility to a buy side quant. Specifically, there is virtually no correspondence between doing exercises in stochastic volatility under Black-Scholes-Merton type assumptions, and designing a solid systematic trading framework which accounts for the intricacies of market microstructure.

A saner alternative would be a course in machine learning. Coursera has a range of possibilities for you here.