Imperial College London - MSc Mathematics and Finance

Overall, I think the course is great; it covers all the important topics of quant finance and is mathematically rigorous, making it great preparation for a job as a quant at a top bank, hedge fund etc. The optional modules allow you to explore a wide range of interesting topics, such as quantum computing or deep learning. All the lecturers are highly successful academics in their field. The department has great connections to the industry and there are regular talks by companies discussing the work they do and advertising quant roles they have available.

I can't say I have enjoyed it massively because of how incredibly intense it is. You have to keep up with lectures and content and completing coursework alongside preparing and applying for quant internship positions. I think even some of the most academically gifted students would find this course a challenge because of the amount of work.

The two standout aspects of this program are the career services and the electives available. A lot of the reviews here have already touched upon it but the career services in the program are excellent. With weekly career fairs and interview preperation sessions the program ensures its students are well equiped to enter the workforce. In my opinion the electives were first class, in particular the Market Microstructure and Topics in Quantitative Finance ones. Through them one can get a very good idea of what the current research landscape looks like. These two aspects of the program complement each other well, balancing both theoretical and practical knowledge.

This is an experience of great value with courses covering various topics that could be useful whether students choose to do a PhD or pursue a career in the industry. Course materials are so well prepared that I still go back to them occasionally after graduation; the quality of course delivering however may vary, which is understandable as the programme is trying to cover a wide range of topics in a short period of time. Career service is a highlight as there are weekly workshops with institutions, where opportunities are advertised and students get a chance to speak to practitioners and understand what is happening at the frontier. Many of the alumni could turn out to be future colleagues of a cohort.

- A combination of math, computing, and finance.
- In terms of career services, it is second to none.
- Weekly career talks/ events, enabling you to make connections.
- A wide range of options for elective modules.

I am writing this review at the request of Andy Nguyen :)

Though I should first mention that my review of this program falls under a bit of an "outlier" review.

First of all, before joining this program I was already an undergraduate at imperial, studying mathematics, and I got into the program through a recommendation letter from Jack (the course director).

Secondly, I entered the program already with QR internship experience at a top hedge fund, and landed a QR position at a tier 1 hedge fund about a month into the program. Ever since then I have not been interacting with the program much if I'm going to be honest.

With regards to my experience with Jack, he was my undergrad thesis supervisor and is currently my personal tutor for this MSc program so he is very approachable and friendly.

With regards to the lectures, the lectures are nice I guess- they are all recorded so you can view them again at your own leisure. Furthermore, there are office hours where you can go and visit the lecturers to ask them further questions.

Finally, and possibly most importantly, lets talk about things pertaining to careers/placements on this program. Every week there is a practitioner series (where people from certain companies come in and talk about the work they're doing, some examples include Citadel, JPM, Nomura etc), there is also a careers fair (where a company comes in and present their opportunities for an hour followed by networking), and also interview preparation sessions which are taught by some professors. Also, there are lots of opportunities that are offered specifically for people on this course that are advertised by Jack (Kaiju Capital Management, BNY Mellon, etc).

PS: So far we seem to be doing better than Oxford MCF in terms of placement/job offers (as in, a higher percentage of our cohort have offers so far).

The highlight of the math and finance program is its excellent career service. The program has direct industrial connections and a strong alumni network. Career lectures and interview tutoring sessions are held every week. Exclusive interview opportunities are provided by some banks and funds.

The program has very relevant coursework. Strong focus on mathematical finance but also enough coverage on machine learning and coding practice.

Most graduates will join various quant teams at investment banks or hedge funds in London and a few will go for a PhD.