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Does Getting an MFE Make Sense for Me???

  • Thread starter Thread starter JSTAR
  • Start date Start date
Joined
9/24/08
Messages
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Hello,

I'm new the forum and I was wondering if I could seek some advice in regard to making a decision on whether or not I should go for an MFE.

To provide a bit of background, I currently work in the industry on the risk management side (located in NYC). Started at JPM in the credit derivatives middle-office, then did about two years at BLK supporting their risk and portfolio analytical tools (mainly dealing with structured products) and have since moved on to business development in the structured finance risk group at another firm.

My goal is position myself to become a "quant" (i.e. quant trader, quant researcher, etc.) and enter a role in either trading or portfolio management. In order to make myself a more attractive candidate when the market I have been considering getting an MFE; however, I'm not sure if I fit the profile of your typical MFE candidate since I did not major in Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, etc. as an undergrad. In that regard, I was thinking about getting an MS in Statistics while trying to keep a focus on the applications to finance. However, I was wondering which of the following would make the most sense to help me achieve my goals:

  1. MFE alone
  2. CFA and/or FRM
  3. CFA & MS in Stats
  4. MS Comp. Sci & CFA

My primary goal is to emerge, when the market corrects itself in the next 3 - 5 years, as a desirable candidate. My preference would be work on a trading desk and be a part of the decision making process when it comes to making investment decisions. I am considering going back to school on a part-time or a full-time basis.

During my professional experience I learned a lot of risk and pricing of various fixed-income securities. However, I do not do any programming in my current role and would say that I forgot most of what I learned in school and relearned at my previous employers. So, I would definitely need to take some remedial courses if I were to persue an MFE. Not sure how this would hurt my chances of getting accepted into a decent program.

Here is a rundown of my undergraduate profile (I graduated in 2004):

  • Degree: B.S. Economics, Minor Business from a large state school
  • GPA: 3.6/4.0
  • Accomplishments: Honors College, Dean's List multiple times, built an econometrics model one summer as part of fellowship program I was accepted to, built a web-based database driven application as part of a class project, and tons of extracurricular activities
  • Undergrad finance related courses: Econometrics, Statistics, Finance, Acctng, Calculus (did not take Calc II or linear algebra but took Econ courses that taught and used these tools)
  • Undergrad programming courses: C++, Java, SQL, PHP, VBA
  • Work programming experience: SQL, UNIX, some VBA
Any advice would be highly appreciated.

JSTAR
 
We had/have students with similar backgrounds in our program. I would say an MFE could help you accomplish your career goals.
 
Would the MFE alone be enough or would a CFA be a requirement as well? What about doing Comp Sci or Statistics along with a CFA or similar credential? I know for asset management and research the CFA is almost prerequisite. However, I'm not sure if this is the same for these "quant" type jobs.

Which is more important? The finance, mathematics or programming when it comes to skill set?

I'm trying to get an idea of what employers are looking for when recruiting for these positions.
 
Well take this with a grain of salt from me (a hopeful undergrad), but...

Do you have a quantitative/engineering background?
Do you have a background in finance complete with a derivatives course?
Can you hold your own in OOP (Object Oriented Programming)?

Then according to the chairman of Lehigh's finance department, an MFE is unnecessary, though you may want a course in stochastic calculus.
 
though you may want a course in stochastic calculus.

agree, once this got this part covered, one is able to read almost all the quant finance books/papers.
 
Hello,
I’m new the forum and I was wondering if I could seek some advice in regard to making a decision on whether or not I should go for an MFE.

Is money your primary motive? You don't need to have STRONG programming or quantitative skills to be a portfolio manager or trader. It will put you at a competitive edge but its not a necessity.

This is just my opinion but unless you really enjoy programming and quantitative problem solving it could actually be just a waste of time as you've already stated that you forgot most of your programming skills gained at your previous employers and undergrad so maybe the MFE might not be the best route for you to take.

Just something to think about.. Many portfolio managers will work with a team of Quants, and Quant developers.
 
Having a degree like that is definitely a plus in your future.
 
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