- Joined
- 10/17/14
- Messages
- 35
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First time posting here, nice to meet you all!
I had some questions about which academic degree I should pursue to become a quant for a hedge fund - I hear the career is one of the most lucrative and demanding in finance, which sounds great to me since I need to keep busy at all times.
Currently, I'm finishing my B.S. in Mathematics with a minor in Traditional Computer Science (so, programming-oriented, ie. Java, C++) at a public state university. Courses I have taken that are applicable to the field include the standard calculus sequence (I-III), differential equations, linear algebra and advanced linear algebra, mathematical modeling, mathematical statistics, and a graduate level PDE class. I've also taken the more "pure" mathematics classes, such as abstract algebra and a mathematical logic class as well as macro/microeconomics and two upper-level Finance classes (Risk Management, Investments).
By the time I graduate, my GPA should be around a (3.3 , 3.5) out of 4.0. I like to think that I've tailored my course selection to develop strong analytical skills with a solid programming background that is reinforced by some knowledge of financial instruments.
I'm wondering if I should immediately try for a graduate degree or if I should enter the industry doing entry level analyst work. Also, if I am to pursue a graduate degree, which degree should I pursue? M.S./PhD in Mathematics or a MFE/MQF? Which is considered as more desirable in the career field?
I would only want to immediately enter the industry simply because I come from a lower-middle class family that has become financially strained and I would like to eliminate my dependency while paying down my student loans. I also hear that the work experience does wonders when applying for graduate programs.
If I do choose to head immediately into graduate school, I'm currently considering University of Illinois for graduate school since it's relatively close to home and I don't believe I'd even be considered at the University of Chicago due to graduating from a public state school.
Also, I'm sure I can simply DAFS, but I was wondering if anyone could briefly explain what the MFE program at the University of Illinois is like, or what a MFE/MQF program is like in general. By this I mean, is it more financial mathematical theory or application/programming with theoretical concepts?
Thanks in advance for all responses, and apologies for the long post!
Respectfully,
mathemagician
I had some questions about which academic degree I should pursue to become a quant for a hedge fund - I hear the career is one of the most lucrative and demanding in finance, which sounds great to me since I need to keep busy at all times.
Currently, I'm finishing my B.S. in Mathematics with a minor in Traditional Computer Science (so, programming-oriented, ie. Java, C++) at a public state university. Courses I have taken that are applicable to the field include the standard calculus sequence (I-III), differential equations, linear algebra and advanced linear algebra, mathematical modeling, mathematical statistics, and a graduate level PDE class. I've also taken the more "pure" mathematics classes, such as abstract algebra and a mathematical logic class as well as macro/microeconomics and two upper-level Finance classes (Risk Management, Investments).
By the time I graduate, my GPA should be around a (3.3 , 3.5) out of 4.0. I like to think that I've tailored my course selection to develop strong analytical skills with a solid programming background that is reinforced by some knowledge of financial instruments.
I'm wondering if I should immediately try for a graduate degree or if I should enter the industry doing entry level analyst work. Also, if I am to pursue a graduate degree, which degree should I pursue? M.S./PhD in Mathematics or a MFE/MQF? Which is considered as more desirable in the career field?
I would only want to immediately enter the industry simply because I come from a lower-middle class family that has become financially strained and I would like to eliminate my dependency while paying down my student loans. I also hear that the work experience does wonders when applying for graduate programs.
If I do choose to head immediately into graduate school, I'm currently considering University of Illinois for graduate school since it's relatively close to home and I don't believe I'd even be considered at the University of Chicago due to graduating from a public state school.
Also, I'm sure I can simply DAFS, but I was wondering if anyone could briefly explain what the MFE program at the University of Illinois is like, or what a MFE/MQF program is like in general. By this I mean, is it more financial mathematical theory or application/programming with theoretical concepts?
Thanks in advance for all responses, and apologies for the long post!
Respectfully,
mathemagician
