How to best approach MFE admissions without a perfect math background?

[N.Kaito]

Hello,

I will start a Master’s program in Computer Science at Illinois Institute of Technology soon, and after that, I want to apply for a Financial Engineering Master’s program.

However, I don’t have a perfect math background for Financial Engineering programs and am considering schools like Chicago and Baruch, which offer prep courses. Completing these prep courses does not guarantee admission.

To increase my chances, I am thinking about taking online prerequisite courses in multivariable calculus and probability alongside the prep courses, even though some content overlaps. This way, I can apply to more schools that require these prerequisites.

Right now, I have many things to do, including GRE preparation and prerequisite courses, so I want to prioritize and plan my strategy well.

Do you think this combined approach is a good idea? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

There is no need for a perfect math background, as long as you get high grades in the relevant math courses. You do not need to be a math major or IMO math medalist.
Programs use the math requirements to filter out those who can't handle the math courses in their curriculum. The hardest one is stochastic calculus. Just get the Shreve books from Amazon and go through it. Your aim is to be able to handle the courses because you don't want to struggle with the courses while preparing for the internship interviews.
Here is a list of someone who is going through the same process

Baruch MFE Thread 'Feedback on plan for building profile for Baruch MFE Fall 2026?'

9/2/24

Hi everyone,

I posted here around a month ago, and have since put together a plan for the next year in order to bolster my application, as well as fill most of the quantitative holes from my undergrad degree. Any feedback/suggestions would be much appreciated!

A little background:
I graduated in 2021 with a BBA in Economics/Finance from Baruch College. My GPA was not good (~3.00), but I’ve since gained 3.5 years of experience in industry. My career so far has been in data engineering, software project management, and data science. I consider myself very proficient in Python, SQL...

• grxthy
• Replies: 28
• Forum: United States

• 

 

[nuraV]

There is no need for a perfect math background, as long as you get high grades in the relevant math courses. You do not need to be a math major or IMO math medalist.
Programs use the math requirements to filter out those who can't handle the math courses in their curriculum. The hardest one is stochastic calculus. Just get the Shreve books from Amazon and go through it. Your aim is to be able to handle the courses because you don't want to struggle with the courses while preparing for the internship interviews.
Here is a list of someone who is going through the same process

Baruch MFE Thread 'Feedback on plan for building profile for Baruch MFE Fall 2026?'

9/2/24

Hi everyone,

I posted here around a month ago, and have since put together a plan for the next year in order to bolster my application, as well as fill most of the quantitative holes from my undergrad degree. Any feedback/suggestions would be much appreciated!

A little background:
I graduated in 2021 with a BBA in Economics/Finance from Baruch College. My GPA was not good (~3.00), but I’ve since gained 3.5 years of experience in industry. My career so far has been in data engineering, software project management, and data science. I consider myself very proficient in Python, SQL...

• grxthy
• Replies: 28
• Forum: United States

• 

I could be wrong here, but even do you dont 'need' to be a math major, would having a math major send a stronger signal to these programs (which are all math heavy?, as opposed to cs or other degrees?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Of course but super tailor your undergrad for the sole purpose of getting into a MFE program can be tricky. What if MFE does not work out? What if you find something else more interesting or lucrative, etc?
That being said, the most common background for MFE is math/CS/engineering for the most quantitative programs.

 

[N.Kaito]

Thanks, Andy Nguyen.

Regarding the preparation example for Baruch College that you provided, I feel that the study plan is too specialized for Baruch only. Given that Baruch is a highly competitive program, I believe focusing solely on one university might be too risky.

So, my question is: Should I prepare by taking formal university-level math courses (e.g., multivariable calculus) that grant official credits, enabling me to apply to a wider range of Financial Engineering (MFE) programs?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

So, my question is: Should I prepare by taking formal university-level math courses (e.g., multivariable calculus) that grant official credits, enabling me to apply to a wider range of Financial Engineering (MFE) programs?

Yes, you should take credit-bearing courses whenever possible.
Many people do not have that option so online courses or pre-MFE courses like those by Baruch MFE is the second best option.

 

[houseofjiao]

Hey Andy,

Is it ALWAYS preferable to take credit-bearing courses over pre-MFE courses, if one has already completed the prerequisites? For example, having completed:

Calculus I,
Calculus II,
Calculus III (Vector Calculus),
Linear Algebra,
Probability,
ODEs,

does it make more sense to: (1) add PDEs (credit-bearing) and Linear Algebra II (credit-bearing) vs. (2) completing 2-3 pre-MFE courses? I'm trying to weigh which would add more value when applying to an MFE program (assuming doing both is not an option).

Thanks!

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Ideally, do ODE and PDE

Online Courses

www.datasim.nl