MS in CS or MS in Applied Math?

[MNRC]

I'm currently in a MS in CS program but have been taking some math courses and have enjoyed them more. All of my current CS courses can be credited towards an MS in Applied Math degree if I transfer to that program. If I want to work as a Quantitative Developer, is it better to have a MS in CS or MS in Applied Math degree? Which one do companies look more favorably upon? The MS in CS is ranked in the top 30 nationally and MS in Applied Math is ranked in the top 10.

A third option might be to complete the MS in CS and do a certificate in financial math.

My impression is that computer science, statistics, and data science are the hot ticket items in the current market.

 

[Sonny D]

I think an MS in CS and you showing interest in Finance is better than an MS in Applied math. Companies are starting to realize that a good programmer is very valuable, and they already have too many math people that cannot program well

 

[TehRaio]

reputation might help with HR but at the end of the day it's the content of your degree that matters (courses you take etc...)

 

[MNRC]

reputation might help with HR but at the end of the day it's the content of your degree that matters (courses you take etc...)

Which courses would you recommend for the current market? I am personally interested in artificial intelligence and will most likely focus on this, but would like to tailor other classes to market demands.

 

[TehRaio]

just stick to mimicking what's done in a MFE degree and you should be fine.

 

[MNRC]

I think an MS in CS and you showing interest in Finance is better than an MS in Applied math. Companies are starting to realize that a good programmer is very valuable, and they already have too many math people that cannot program well

What if the MS in applied math is from NYU Courant? Does this name make any difference or is the MS in CS degree still a better bet?

 

[C S]

just stick to mimicking what's done in a MFE degree and you should be fine.

Or as several of us were discussing in another thread, DON'T mimic what's done in an MFE, as the keystone (stoch calc), is mostly useless.

 

[TehRaio]

I actually agree with the content of that thread. The OP is not in a mfe program so I'm hoping that part of his curriculum is general enough to offer some job market flexibility. Then again, OP wants to work in quant finance so there might be a course or two that can be useful inside the mfe.

 

[Four]

Or as several of us were discussing in another thread, DON'T mimic what's done in an MFE, as the keystone (stoch calc), is mostly useless.

Thanks for pointing this out. Which other courses in a typical MFE would you recommend avoiding? Or if you don't want to retype, could you point me to the link(s) where you had the discussions?