COMPARE Rutgers University MQF vs Stevens Institute of Technology MFE

[neal zheng]

Hi All,

I got accepted to Rutgers MQF Program and Stevens Institute of Technology MFE program. I do not know which one is a better choice. Can someone give me some advise on the school?

I am looking to be risk management consultant.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Did you look at the courses each program offers? Do they have any risk management track/concentration?
Do they place graduates in RM roles?

 

[amitre]

Hi all,

Wondering if there has been any updates on this? I've researched and met faculty members of both programs but as far as faculty goes, they both do a good job at selling the program.

I've also found this article which ranks Stevens as #2 but I am concerned of its validity??
25 Great Master of Financial Engineering Programs 2015

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

@Andy Nguyen

 

[mhy]

Hi all,

Wondering if there has been any updates on this? I've researched and met faculty members of both programs but as far as faculty goes, they both do a good job at selling the program.

I've also found this article which ranks Stevens as #2 but I am concerned of its validity??
25 Great Master of Financial Engineering Programs 2015

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

@Andy Nguyen

The ranking is useless. These are the criteria they used to score the programs:

Innovative program offerings

• Online courses – 1 point
• Evening courses – 1 point
• Part-time options – 1 point

Program options

• Availability of a concentration – 2 points
• Student engagement in the field-internship or project – 3 points

No mention of faculty quality, student / employer feedback, mean salary after graduation, placement rate, nada.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Hi all,

Wondering if there has been any updates on this? I've researched and met faculty members of both programs but as far as faculty goes, they both do a good job at selling the program.

I've also found this article which ranks Stevens as #2 but I am concerned of its validity??
25 Great Master of Financial Engineering Programs 2015

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

@Andy Nguyen

Disregard anything on that website.

 

[pingu]

Disregard anything on that website.

why? (I agree with you but I think you should state why you think so)

 

[Andy Nguyen]

@mhy mentioned a few reasons why rankings not based on actual data is not to be taken seriously.

 

[rajanS]

Rutgers program is garbage.

 

[pingu]

Rutgers program is garbage.

That's a very strong claim. Could you back that up?

 

[rajanS]

That's a very strong claim. Could you back that up?

Its regarding msfm. Not sure about the mqf. Sorry

 

[pingu]

Its regarding msfm. Not sure about the mqf. Sorry

what's the MSFM? why do you claim is garbage?

 

[amitre]

@Andy Nguyen if you had to pick between either one, with in state tuition which one would you lean more towards? Rutgers Business School has a decent rep, however in their rankings in tfe they have dropped quite a lot. Stevens on the other hand has moved from 17th to 13th.

Thanks in advance!
Andi

 

[amitre]

Hi,

wondering if there is any update on this?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[JPohlmeyer]

Hi,

wondering if there is any update on this?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

I can't imagine @Andy Nguyen is going to make your decision for you.

 

[New Yorker]

What about the other program at Rutgers?
M.S. Mathematical Finance vs
Masters of Quantitative Finance

 

[NMT]

Hello Everyone,

I have received admits from Rutgers for MQF and from Stevens for MFE.

I am confused as to which admit I should accept for my masters degree.

It would be really helpful if someone could state the pros and cons of both these programs as it would help me taking a decision.

 

[jarryds]

Hello Everyone,

I have received admits from Rutgers for MQF and from Stevens for MFE.

I am confused as to which admit I should accept for my masters degree.

It would be really helpful if someone could state the pros and cons of both these programs as it would help me taking a decision.

I don't know anything about Stevens, but I do know about MQF. In my opinion the coursework was lacking the quantitative rigor I was looking for. Most of the courses were more finance, economics, and basic math/stats. The program kind of seems like a dressed up MBA. I even spoke with people in the program who echoed that the courses were not very tough. In their words: "It seems like people were just looking to get good grades instead of actually learn quant material." But it all depends on your career path. I am interested in heavy quant, maybe research, so I needed a more mathematically advanced program. I was in a group chat with other incoming MQF students, and they were more interested in PM/less quantitative work. A lot of them were interested in getting a CFA charter. Most MFEs are professional degrees, and MQF is definitely pushing that agenda. If that is what you want, great. But if you are thinking research/maybe PhD/going outside of quant using your degree (data science/tech), I would stray away from MQF.

Also if I recall there is a huge price gap between the two. MQF was still too expensive for me and I got a scholarship.

Also take all of the opinions on here with a grain of salt. Nobody has the right answer. Most of the people you see commenting here are in the same position you are in. Kind of like the blind leading the blind. Find coursework you like, try to contact faculty/current students and see what you think. My recommendation is go to LinkedIn, searching by school and finding the people that went to the programs. Try to connect with them and ask what they liked about it and how far it got them.

 

[Adityabhatias]

Hey everyone! Yesterday was a solid day for me! Landed an admit from Stevens for their MFE program as well Rutgers MQF program. Now I need your help. Where should I go? Cost isn’t a huge constraint for me. What matters to me are opportunities, internships, placements, program quality etc.
Seeking advice as to where should I go and which program will offer better opportunities.