UNC CH - BA Physics, Quantitative Finance Option

[TarheelUNC]

This year UNC Chapel Hill created a new degree for people interested in becoming quants. Essentially you get a BA in physics and take 6 or so business courses in the #6 ranked undergraduate Kenan-Flagler Business school. I was just interested on whether anybody thought this was a good option, or would it be better to get a BS in physics?

 

[TehRaio]

what are those 6 business courses?

 

[TarheelUNC]

http://advising.unc.edu/files/2014/07/Quantitative-Physics-BA-2014.pdf
Those listed (Corporate finance, investments, fixed income, derivatives, and risk management), plus managerial accounting.

 

[TehRaio]

please, paste the description of these courses in here, so people can better advise on their relevance for quantitative finance.

 

[TarheelUNC]

Managerial Accounting - Elements of accounting for management planning, budgeting, and contro. Emphasis is on management uses of accounting information.
Corporate Finance - Theoretical foundations of optimal financial policy. Problems and cases provide application of theory to financial decisions involving cash flow, capital structure, capital budgeting.
Investments - A survey of investment principles and practices. Emphasis is given to the problems of security analysis and portfolio management with special attention to the investment problems of the individual investor.
Fixed Income - The course covers traditional bonds and term structure concepts as well as fixed income derivatives and interest rate modeling.
Derivatives (588) - Introduction to derivative securities instruments (options, futures, and swaps) and applications to the management of stock and fixed income portfolios and other financial and business risks.
Derivatives (688) - Real world applications of the concepts of no-arbitrage pricing covered in the introductory course will be covered. Other applications of derivatives such as portfolio insurance, the consideration of debt and equity as options, and real options.
Risk Management - Develops methods for applied analysis of financial and operational risks.

I'd also have to take an ECON class;
Intermediate Theory: Price and Distribution - The determination of prices and the distribution of income in a market system.

From the Carolina Undergraduate Bulletin.

Sorry for the wait I had to find my bulletin. Thanks for the help though!

 

[C S]

You didn't explain what the difference between a "BS in physics" and a "BA in physics with [these six courses and econ course]" is. We can deduce from the question that the BS doesn't include those six courses, but what would you take instead?

 

[TarheelUNC]

The BS degree covers much more physics material. For the BA I would take Calc I, II, II (multivariable calc), and Diff Eq for math, then also Intro to mechanics, intro to EM, mathematical methods, thermal physics, mechanics, experimental physics, and EM. For the BS in addition to those classes I would take numerical techniques, quantum mechanics, required research, advance laboratory, applications of quantum mechanics, along with a few other higher level physics classes of my choosing.

 

[TehRaio]

what are your priorities tarheelIUNC?
because quant as your top priority or something else?

 

[TarheelUNC]

I'm fairly certain I'd want to do something in finance, not 100% sure what

 

[TehRaio]

then if finance is your main goal do the Bachelors and take the business courses, as they will help you wrap your head around what you might be interested to do in finance.
If, later, you want to pursue a Ms in Finance or Quantitative Finance, It will surely help with your statement of purpose and everything else

hope it helps.

 

[TarheelUNC]

Awesome! thanks so much for your input

 

[damonloveavril]

Get out of UNC ASAP. UNC won't help me you get anywhere. KFBS is a joke, seriously. I could give you some advice if you want to apply for MFE programs.

 

[TarheelUNC]

what makes you say that?