Quant roles require a PhD though so most people won't be interested. A lot of maths graduates go to IBD and other non-mathsy roles like management consulting and accounting.
Yeah you're right, i just assumed a mathematician would be more interested in something heavily mathematical such as S&T and hedge fund analyst etc
Are you sure, i thought you can get a quant role with an undergrad degree?
Yeah you're right, i just assumed a mathematician would be more interested in something heavily mathematical such as S&T and hedge fund analyst etc
Are you sure, i thought you can get a quant role with an undergrad degree?
No, you need a PhD but some exceptional candidates get in with a masters degree in maths. Btw, most roles in S&T aren't really heavily mathematical, it is just the derivatives desk and some other ones. Equity trading has very little maths except adding up and subtracting. But yeah, I kinda expected Imperial students to be more interested in trading than IBD, which uses their analytical skills more.
Yeah you're right, i just assumed a mathematician would be more interested in something heavily mathematical such as S&T and hedge fund analyst etc
Are you sure, i thought you can get a quant role with an undergrad degree?
Not as a 'quant'. You'll most certainly need a PhD or Masters for that.
HFT/Algo prop firms take on trainee traders (or software devs) from undergrad though. Some quant HFs will take on analysts and traders too.
But I agree with Trapz, there are a minute no. of quanty roles out there so top Maths grads will also look at consulting, software engineering, actuarial, IBD, research etc. However, between IBD and S&T, Maths/Physics/CS grads gravitate towards the latter, on average.
No, you need a PhD but some exceptional candidates get in with a masters degree in maths. Btw, most roles in S&T aren't really heavily mathematical, it is just the derivatives desk and some other ones. Equity trading has very little maths except adding up and subtracting. But yeah, I kinda expected Imperial students to be more interested in trading than IBD, which uses their analytical skills more.
Not as a 'quant'. You'll most certainly need a PhD or Masters for that.
HFT/Algo prop firms take on trainee traders (or software devs) from undergrad though. Some quant HFs will take on analysts and traders too.
But I agree with Trapz, there are a minute no. of quanty roles out there so top Maths grads will also look at consulting, software engineering, actuarial, IBD, research etc. However, between IBD and S&T, Maths/Physics/CS grads gravitate towards the latter, on average.
Ahh right, prop firms and hedge funds is pretty mathematical, right?
S&T certainly seems more enjoyable for someone with a passion for maths!
And a question to both of you guys: Im contemplating between doing a maths degree and an economics degree
Between the two, which one is better for a career in derivs/equity trading, or prop trading an hedge funds? Do you think being more mathematically proficient will be more advantageous?
Ahh right, prop firms and hedge funds is pretty mathematical, right?
S&T certainly seems more enjoyable for someone with a passion for maths!
And a question to both of you guys: Im contemplating between doing a maths degree and an economics degree
Between the two, which one is better for a career in derivs/equity trading, or prop trading an hedge funds? Do you think being more mathematically proficient will be more advantageous?
Maths is better for derivatives and quant hedge funds. For the rest, it doesn't really matter. I'm not an expert working in IB btw- I am a sixth form student so I'm not exactly the most reliable guy. I'm trying to decide between maths and economics too! Have you considered a joint honours degree in both?
Ahh right, prop firms and hedge funds is pretty mathematical, right?
S&T certainly seems more enjoyable for someone with a passion for maths!
And a question to both of you guys: Im contemplating between doing a maths degree and an economics degree
Between the two, which one is better for a career in derivs/equity trading, or prop trading an hedge funds? Do you think being more mathematically proficient will be more advantageous?
Maths to keep the prop firm/quant HF route open. The brainsteasers you'll get in interviews for those gigs will be ridiculous, and I'm sure a couple make you sit a Maths test (Optiver at least) before giving out interviews. But don't choose your degree for prospects, choose it because you WANT to study it. They're a 3-4 year commitment remember.
Quant (or systematic) HFs are very quantitative, in comparison to a deep value/fundamental hedge fund which isn't. And yes, to get anywhere near a Jane Street/SIG-type prop firm, you better have a solid grasp of maths - especially probability and stats.
S&T is because there are more complex desks (exotic derivatives) where a Mathsy (Maths/Physics/Engineering/CS) degree will be of more use as the concepts behind the products require a high level of appreciation for Maths. Vanilla desks/vanilla derivatives desks only require you to be 'ok' with numbers - hence why you'll find all sorts of grads (History, Econ, PPE etc) on them as well as the typical quanty grads. All in all, you need to be comfortable with quick mental maths but anything beyond that isn't a necessity.
Maths is better for derivatives and quant hedge funds. For the rest, it doesn't really matter. I'm not an expert working in IB btw- I am a sixth form student so I'm not exactly the most reliable guy. I'm trying to decide between maths and economics too! Have you considered a joint honours degree in both?
Thanks, you seem to have the knowledge anyway lol. Yeah i was thinking of a joint honours but would only be interested in doing that in somewhere quality like Warwick, other joint honours courses can be poorly organised and ive been warn against it.
Maths to keep the prop firm/quant HF route open. The brainsteasers you'll get in interviews for those gigs will be ridiculous, and I'm sure a couple make you sit a Maths test (Optiver at least) before giving out interviews. But don't choose your degree for prospects, choose it because you WANT to study it. They're a 3-4 year commitment remember.
Quant (or systematic) HFs are very quantitative, in comparison to a deep value/fundamental hedge fund which isn't. And yes, to get anywhere near a Jane Street/SIG-type prop firm, you better have a solid grasp of maths - especially probability and stats.
S&T is because there are more complex desks (exotic derivatives) where a Mathsy (Maths/Physics/Engineering/CS) degree will be of more use as the concepts behind the products require a high level of appreciation for Maths. Vanilla desks/vanilla derivatives desks only require you to be 'ok' with numbers - hence why you'll find all sorts of grads (History, Econ, PPE etc) on them as well as the typical quanty grads. All in all, you need to be comfortable with quick mental maths but anything beyond that isn't a necessity.
Yeah, i do enjoy maths very much and see economics as a sort of applied maths and stats. It seems like maths opens routes to more of the high careers that interest me, thanks for your help
Not necessarily true. My brother studied maths at Cambridge then went to work for Jane Street as a quant and said that undergrads are recruited so long as you have good research experience at undergrad. This can be in the BA year or the undergraduate masters, or earlier if you network well with researchers at the university and get involved.
This is where oxbridge has the advantage: Tutorial and supervisions tend to lend themselves to close experience with research leaders and therefore opportunities to join their teams.
Not necessarily true. My brother studied maths at Cambridge then went to work for Jane Street as a quant and said that undergrads are recruited so long as you have good research experience at undergrad. This can be in the BA year or the undergraduate masters, or earlier if you network well with researchers at the university and get involved.
This is where oxbridge has the advantage: Tutorial and supervisions tend to lend themselves to close experience with research leaders and therefore opportunities to join their teams.
edit:
I hadn't seen this. Should have read the full thread before replying.
Wait, as far as I know Jane Street doesn't have quants - part of their business model is that all traders are quant traders and so are effectively trading strats - and you can definitely get into MS and GS as a strat without a PhD (about half of the strat team who interviewed me at MS didn't have PhDs). It is much more uncommon for a quant to not have a PhD, especially now-a-days.
Wait, as far as I know Jane Street doesn't have quants - part of their business model is that all traders are quant traders and so are effectively trading strats - and you can definitely get into MS and GS as a strat without a PhD (about half of the strat team who interviewed me at MS didn't have PhDs). It is much more uncommon for a quant to not have a PhD, especially now-a-days.
Oh. Quant trader. I'm not sure of the distinctions. Could you maybe explain the difference? The lines seem very blurred depending on who you ask.
In the meantime, I'll drop him a message and ask how exactly he sees the difference just so we're all on the same page. It's probable I slightly misunderstood what he explained. So, of course, grain of salt with everything said.
Oh. Quant trader. I'm not sure of the distinctions. Could you maybe explain the difference? The lines seem very blurred depending on who you ask.
In the meantime, I'll drop him a message and ask how exactly he sees the difference just so we're all on the same page. It's probable I slightly misunderstood what he explained. So, of course, grain of salt with everything said.
So my friends have been very kind as to reveal the profile books for the spring weeks they attended, and I've managed to tally up the number of times each university showed up.
This data is based off of the profile books/attendent lists at the following firms: JPM (Markets), BAML, Nomura, BP IST, CS and Lazard. Obviously, this is partial data (only c.37.5% of all SWs) and not a complete representation of all 16 or so spring weeks, but it gives us a rough idea.
So my friends have been very kind as to reveal the profile books for the spring weeks they attended, and I've managed to tally up the number of times each university showed up.
This data is based off of the profile books/attendent lists at the following firms: JPM (Markets), BAML, Nomura, BP IST, CS and Lazard. Obviously, this is partial data (only c.37.5% of all SWs) and not a complete representation of all 16 or so spring weeks, but it gives us a rough idea.
Damn the targets are dominating! Another brilliant performance by LSE & Warwick! I think these stats are aparent in other banks too I remember my mate telling me during his Goldman FO SW that half the cohort was from Warwick/LSE.