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Msc Finance TCD

  • 05-12-2007 10:04pm
    #1
    Hornblower_live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭


    Hi. Im doing physics, but thinking about going to a finance house or bank after graduation. A mate of mine in TCD pm'd me on a new MSc in Finance there.
    Anybody have experience of these sorts of courses? A quick scan of the site seems to have a lot of weight on the linkage with the CFA (which I guess I will have to look up on who they are). any experience with them?

    Would I be better off getting a job and doing an MBA later on? Or going to the UK for a Msc?


Comments

  • #2
    Chominator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭Chominator


    The M.Sc in Finance is very broad - I would look at exactly what area of work you would like to get into and then pick a course from there. I did an M.Sc in International Banking & Finance in Liverpool which was pretty good and very practical. Prospects.ac.uk have a really good search facility for postgrad courses in UK on their site.


  • #3
    Hornblower_live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭Hornblower_live


    Chominator wrote: »
    The M.Sc in Finance is very broad - I would look at exactly what area of work you would like to get into and then pick a course from there. I did an M.Sc in International Banking & Finance in Liverpool which was pretty good and very practical. Prospects.ac.uk have a really good search facility for postgrad courses in UK on their site.

    problem is I dont know :mad: So something broad would suit wouldnt it?
    Any thouts on TCD/CFA? :confused:


  • #4
    haughj
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭haughj


    Hi, I have worked in Finance for ten years and have a masters degree in it. I find a lot of people who suceed in banking hold a physics/maths/chemistry based primary degree. Not sure what area you are looking to go into, but I did work for a large investment bank and a lot of the traders are from a maths background, some wiht MSC and PHD. It depends what area of banking you want to work in, but if you are good at maths, and interested in working in the trading markets, think about London. These banks give good inhouse training so if you show a bit of research on your part and go for an interview, your degree background might help you in getting in the door. hope this helps..


  • #5
    ixus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭ixus


    Hi,

    Have you read the other thread on this?
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055093579

    Anyway, I'm doing the MSc. in Financial Services in UL at the moment, in the middle of exams! I came from a computer engineering background, but have a strong interest in the financial world so took up this course.

    The CFA is a qualification, Certified Financial Advisor. It is a self thought course over a minimum of 3 years. It's a toughie, the Msc would prepare you for it. I'd suggest checking out the UL, DCU and TCD websites on the courses they offer and asking questions about them if you have any.

    If you can handle physics and have an interest in finance, I reckon you'd adapt to the course pretty well.

    Ixus


  • #6
    damnyanks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,276 ✭✭✭damnyanks


    With a physics degree you have the correct background to get into market related roles. Banking as in corporate finance maybe not as maths isnt as important.

    Just a FYI - London has gone tits up, grad intake is 25% of what it was last year if not less. The next 6 months are going to be crap as well. You will need to wait until 2009 for budgets to re-align.

    The quant finance degree in smurfitt would be your best bet in Dublin. It's got a strong gearing towards landing people jobs as they do 18 month program including an internship.

    As far as programs abroad you've cambridge and oxford in the uk which are your best bet. After that you've the likes of lse, warwick, ucl, edinburgh and cass.

    If you can hack 2 years do a grand ecole program in france (Check out HEC Paris). These are the best programs if you're trying to get into banking (Origination and what not)

    IF you want to get into a market related role its all about maths maths maths.


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  • #7
    blucey
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 261 ✭✭blucey


    damnyanks wrote: »
    With a physics degree you have the correct background to get into market related roles. Banking as in corporate finance maybe not as maths isnt as important.

    Just a FYI - London has gone tits up, grad intake is 25% of what it was last year if not less. The next 6 months are going to be crap as well. You will need to wait until 2009 for budgets to re-align.

    The quant finance degree in smurfitt would be your best bet in Dublin. It's got a strong gearing towards landing people jobs as they do 18 month program including an internship.

    As far as programs abroad you've cambridge and oxford in the uk which are your best bet. After that you've the likes of lse, warwick, ucl, edinburgh and cass.

    If you can hack 2 years do a grand ecole program in france (Check out HEC Paris). These are the best programs if you're trying to get into banking (Origination and what not)

    IF you want to get into a market related role its all about maths maths maths.
    It really depends on what you are interested in as the poster says. For CFA-type work (analysis and interpretation, portfolio construction etc) a CFA orientated course is a must. For instrument pricing and financial engineering, a quants course. Horses for courses.
    Its not clear that a GE course is nesc. better than say a Msc from Cass. We are blessed in europe with a lot of good courses, many in Ireland and the UK. contact the providers, ask questions.


  • #8
    Fremen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,481 ✭✭✭Fremen


    I came from a BSc in maths and computers, moved to London last year to do an MSc in financial maths in King's college. It's a great course if you ask me: very heavy on the maths: mostly probability with some numerical analysis and computing thrown in.

    If you're looking for a quant-type job, it's worth thinking about. I'd start reading up on what you want to do now, though


  • #9
    blucey
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 261 ✭✭blucey


    Fremen wrote: »
    I came from a BSc in maths and computers, moved to London last year to do an MSc in financial maths in King's college. It's a great course if you ask me: very heavy on the maths: mostly probability with some numerical analysis and computing thrown in.

    If you're looking for a quant-type job, it's worth thinking about. I'd start reading up on what you want to do now, though

    Its a truly excellent course...but. Its a course in applied (financial) math. Its not a course in finance - no financial analysis, no corporate, no international, no macro etc. Thats not a criticisim - but it does show that it depends on what you want. If you want an applied math degree in finance, its fantastic. If you want to understand the broad range of financial activity with some clarity and depth, maybe not so good. Similarily with other quant degrees - they are quant. Maybe thats stating the obvious, but anyhow. Good luck with the course.


  • #10
    pisslips
    Closed Accounts Posts: 833 ✭✭✭pisslips


    O.K
    I'm in the exact same boat as the O.P.
    I've become very interested in the Msc. Financial & Industrial Mathematics in DCU.
    I e-mailed the guy responsible for the course and he said that most graduates from the course go into risk analysis or trading.

    The reason I'm looking at DCU is because I think I might be able to get my grant continued for this masters rather than taking out loans to go abroad or to Smurfit.

    Any advice here?


  • #11
    damnyanks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,276 ✭✭✭damnyanks


    Whats the question ? :)

    Do you know anyone thats done the course? Did he say what sort of companies


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  • #12
    graduate
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 335 ✭✭graduate


    I don't see why a grant would not be equally applicable in Smurfit as TCD. The Master of Management Science is a quant business course and is only €1600, not narrowly focussed on finance applications, but that mightn't be any harm if there is a lull in financial services right now.


  • #13
    pisslips
    Closed Accounts Posts: 833 ✭✭✭pisslips


    Well I'm more interested in financial engineering or else continuing study in Maths physics.I'm not so interested in broader finance master's and definately not buisness management.
    I want a career that involves problem solving but not so much of the logistical or marketing or man management variety.

    I thought my maintanence grant and free fees wouldn't apply to the more expensive smurfit quants course, I could be wrong of course.

    I'm a little bit unsure naturally of the next step.I know that a risk analyst would probably need mathematical financial and computer programming knowledge and I like the sounds of that.

    I know that these options are still open if I was to do a postgrad in Maths physics also.

    Oh and it's DCU nothing to do with TCD, it's just I think the OP and I are in similar positions.

    I was looking at this company also,http://www.firstderivatives.com and their training seems very good.

    I could end up hating it.
    I've the feeling I only really have one shot at this aswell, since I've noone to pay for me to piss around trying masters for two or three years.


  • #14
    graduate
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 335 ✭✭graduate


    The more specialist the job the more likely they will train you in the specific financial stuff you need for the job, rather than expecting you to have learned it on a course. But they will expect good mathematical and programming skills to know that you can benefit from training. Since the likes of the Management Science course gives you this, a lot of people end up in backroom financial techy jobs in the likes of Murex. There is a shortage of people to do these jobs.

    Grants will pay a maximum amount for Smurfit courses, you'd have to top this up yourself, not quite sure how it would work with the 16 months quant finance course in Smurfit.


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