Quantitative finance masters comparison UK

[kolamy]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a software engineer and an oversea student with two years of experience. I want to enter the finance sector and work in the UK.
I received several offers for MSc in Quantitative Finance (and similar) from the following universities:

• University of Glasgow : Quantitative Finance MSc
• University of Leicester : MSc in Financial Mathematics and Computation
• Newcastle University : MSc in Quantitative Finance and Risk Management
• Queen Mary University of London : MSc Mathematical Finance
• University of Sussex : MSc in Financial Mathematics
• University of Strathclyde : MSc in Quantitative Finance
• University of Exeter : MSc Financial Mathematics and MSc Computational Finance
• The University of Leeds : MSc Financial Mathematics
• University of Essex : MSc Financial Engineering and Risk Management and MSc Computational Finance
• Birkbeck College : MSc in Financial Engineering.

I'm still waiting for university of Lancaster's Quantitative Finance MSc response.
Please help me in choosing the better one from the above and why is it good and how are the job prospects.

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[Johan KJ]

Have you seen this thread?
https://www.quantnet.com/threads/best-quant-programs-in-uk.12648/

Btw, have you applied to Imperial MathFin, LSE FinMath or Oxford MCFinance?

 

[TheComplexUnit]

In terms of level of superiority, Mr KJs (implicit) recommendation is spot on.

Caution: if overseas means "work visa required", be advised that this is not easily attainable. Specifically, the overwhelming majority of MFE international students are given the boot upon completion of their programme. Even for Imperial we're talking somewhere around 90+%.

Also, insofar as you wish to work as a quant, observe that an MSc typically not will meet the entrance requirements of any financial institution in the UK worth working for. In other words: you'll need to do a PhD as well.

A harsh reality indeed!

 

[bigbadwolf]

Please help me in choosing the better one from the above and why is it good and how are the job prospects.

Most of the programs you've listed are worthless and the subsequent job prospects are zilch. Sorry for my words.

 

[kolamy]

Have you seen this thread?
https://www.quantnet.com/threads/best-quant-programs-in-uk.12648/

Btw, have you applied to Imperial MathFin, LSE FinMath or Oxford MCFinance?

Yes, I did, but it's not the same case.

Unfortunately I didn't because the fees are too expensive for me!

 

[kolamy]

Most of the programs you've listed are worthless and the subsequent job prospects are zilch. Sorry for my words.

Thank you for your honnesty.

Would you specify the other ones?

 

[kolamy]

Caution: if overseas means "work visa required", be advised that this is not easily attainable. Specifically, the overwhelming majority of MFE international students are given the boot upon completion of their programme. Even for Imperial we're talking somewhere around 90+%.

Thank you for the information. I didn't knew that!

 

[bigbadwolf]

Thank you for your honnesty.

Would you specify the other ones?

Oxford, Imperial maybe, LSE, .... But if you're looking for placement and visa afterwards, it's rather dicey.

 

[Michael Coulon]

Hi kolamy (and others interested),

You might be interested in having a look at a fairly new program we have here at Sussex (I'm a lecturer here, so yes, a bit biased! ). I see you've applied to Sussex, but our degree is separate from the one in the Maths department. It's called FRIA (Financial Risk and Investment Analysis), and based in the business school:

www.sussex.ac.uk/bam/fria

Now, you may stop reading at the words 'business school', but we are a bit unusual here, as we have quite a number of very mathematical people here (I am one of several to have a PhD in maths) and lots of financial industry experience, including Prof Carol Alexander (who definitely ticks both those boxes!) leading our group. She created the FRIA MSc last year, and our first group of students is now approaching completion. From my experience, it's definitely a strong degree with very useful content, we are keeping entry requirements high (quantitatively strong students) and class sizes low, and career prospects should be good not least because of the industry contacts in our group. I won't write any more because there's an entire thread Carol started about it last year that you can read:

https://www.quantnet.com/threads/su...sk-and-investment-analysis.13979/#post-117680

If you really want only computational finance (heavy C++ coding, etc) with nothing else mixed in, then it might not be right for you, but if you'd like a bit more of a balance with the quant stuff and practical stuff both represented, you might be interested in applying (definitely still taking applications and I think sending decisions out fairly rapidly). And I'm happy to answer questions on here if you like.

Best wishes,
Michael

 

[ExSan]

Most of the programs you've listed are worthless and the subsequent job prospects are zilch. Sorry for my words.

what about

• Birkbeck College : MSc in Financial Engineering. ????

 

[bigbadwolf]

what about

• Birkbeck College : MSc in Financial Engineering. ????

I've heard good things about it but I believe it's an evening program spread over two years.

 

[kolamy]

I've heard good things about it but I believe it's an evening program spread over two years.

There's also a full time option (1 year).
Do you think it's a good choice?