Maths vs ML/Data Science and Programming skills - Which is more valuable in 2021?

[Rika]

Hey guys,
I was wondering what skills are more essential for a successful quant career in 2021? Would it be an in-depth knowledge and training in mathematics or a focus on programming and ML/Data Science? What should the ideal curriculum focus on? Not to say that picking either means ignoring or neglecting the other. I understand that multi-disciplinary knowledge is essential but what is more valuable in the industry?

To simply things,
Curriculum 1: Strong emphasis on mathematics and a little less on coding (and ML/DS)
Curriculum 2: Strong emphasis on coding (and ML/DS) and a little less on mathematics

Which curriculum would prepare a student better? I understand that there is no black and white answer for this but do let me know your opinion guys!
Thanks in advance!

 

[Qui-Gon]

Whichever more closely aligns with your strengths. Of course, like you are saying, you need to make sure you are well-rounded -- however, what I think will allow you to truly be a value add as a quant is having a strong knowledge of at least one of the two and being sufficiently good with the other. When I was an undergraduate and had decided to focus on quant finance, I thought I had to learn math/stats/cs/econ/finance simultaneously and be dominant in each one to stand a chance. At least so far as the bandwidth of my brain is concerned, this was simply not feasible for me. Instead, I chose one (math), learned it as well as I could, and then allowed the perspective I had developed to inform the way I approached understanding the other subjects. If you have strong roots in one, as you learn the others you will notice connections back to your field of origin which in turn enhances your understanding of the new subject(s).