If you had to create your own MFE program starting from the entry level beginner calculus, what books would you read in order to accomplish this?
I think most MFEs expect you to have a basic foundation in Math, Stats, and Programming. Finance knowledge is always considered a good-to-have, but not a must-have like the other three pillars of quantitative finance.
I believe that the purpose of MFE is to build on that foundation:
- first, you go from basic concepts that you know to advanced concepts,
- then you apply those concepts in Finance
- then you try to figure out the next step..i.e. how can you go even beyond the teachings of the class (for your career, research, etc..)
Therefore, starting with entry-level calculus doesn’t seem like the right approach for a program, to me. MFE programs must focus on making sure the students have up-to-date knowledge about the field they wish to work in before leaving the school so that they can hit the ground running in the industry. That’s why industry projects/internships are a part of the curriculum.
If any MFE program starts with teaching any of the pre-requisites in let’s say the first semester, etc.. then that’s a big red flag for me
You should cover the basics through the pre-MFE courses which is the right place to start as mentioned above by professor
@Daniel Duffy.