Is A Computer Science Degree Ok For Finance/investment Career?

Hi, would a degree in Computer Science still be as good as an economics or mathematics degree for a career in the city? Perhaps the Imperial MEng in Computing?

Reply 1

Jump

18

I would have thought it wouldn't be as good as Maths,Finance or Economics but would be better than almost any other degree.

Reply 2

Brown Patrick Bateman

10

jumpunderaboat

I would have thought it wouldn't be as good as Maths,Finance or Economics but would be better than almost any other degree.

Yep spot on. Imperial CompSci would let you walk into the Tech side, and there's quite a few who're in IBD or trading/sales.

Reply 3

melbourne

OP

Jools

Yep spot on. Imperial CompSci would let you walk into the Tech side, and there's quite a few who're in IBD or trading/sales.

what kind of salaries are we talking tech side? It would definitely be less hours then IBD! 50 hours per week? What about gradiate starting salary?

Reply 4

Brown Patrick Bateman

10

melbourne

what kind of salaries are we talking tech side? It would definitely be less hours then IBD! 50 hours per week? What about gradiate starting salary?

Tech normally starts on £30-35k (at most £40k) but doesn't exponentially increase thereafter unlike some other divisions; 50hrs/week sounds about right.

Reply 5

Lexic

Probably specialised degrees, such as those in Accounting and Finance, or straight Finance may be very slightly preferred, but on the whole, all of the employers I've talked to have said that any rigorous* and sufficiently numerate degree would meet the entry requirements per se :smile:

.

* If you can show that you've worked extremely hard, despite not having the ideal degree for a certain position (i.e. Actuarial Science for actuarial work) and have got a good result in a numerate degree then I've been told you'll be held in very high regard, even higher than those who have achieved reasonable degrees in the specialised subject.

Reply 6

melbourne

OP

yeh Bazthemonleu used to say that physics degrees are more sought after than economics ones because their more numerical!

Reply 7

melbourne

OP

yeh Bazthemonley used to say that a physics degree is more sought after than economics because its more numerical!

Reply 8

Lexic

melbourne

yeh Bazthemonley used to say that a physics degree is more sought after than economics because its more numerical!

If you take a trip to the Oxbridge forum then you'll realise that you probably shouldn't take everything BazTheMoney said for gospel :p:

!

I'm not very sure about Econmics being less numerate than Physics, certainly at Oxford it is very numerate, but then againg, Physics is very mathsy also :smile:

, Economics isn't always seen as a degree of preference however, I think thats the main point, just because you don't have a degree in Economics (or for that matter Finance/Accounting/etc) doesn't mean you can't get a degree in said sector.

Reply 9

Brown Patrick Bateman

10

Apart from the hardcore quantitative side of IB, your degree choice still isn't that significant, people are getting into IBD and sales/trading at top banks with degrees in History, Theology, Geography and even Education Studies (from top unis however) - someone's got into Tech for 2005 with a Philosophy&Theology degree!

Reply 10

Jump

18

Do you know if Computer (or ICT) Management is considered the same? (as that is sortof my plan C choice of degree...which barely makes sense to me let alone anyone else)

Reply 11

Lexic

jumpunderaboat

Do you know if Computer (or ICT) Management is considered the same? (as that is sortof my plan C choice of degree...which barely makes sense to me let alone anyone else)

I don't think it would be as numerate which may be a problem :smile:

, also I don't think its seen as being as respectable as straight Computer Science by employers.

Reply 12

JrW

14

Personally, from what I have heard, you certainly do not need a numerate degree to work in sales/trading at the top BB IBs...although you have to be numerate, as Jools has said before, you are at absolutely no disadvantage...in fact degrees with an element of numeracy and literacy are probably the most suitable e.g. PPE, E&M, Pure Economics etc

Reply 13

material breach

12

Lexic

I'm not very sure about Econmics being less numerate than Physics, certainly at Oxford it is very numerate, but then againg, Physics is very mathsy

Oh how wrong you are...

Reply 14

JrW

14

Speciez99

Oh how wrong you are...

I agree...physics is hugly mathematical, whereas maths only constitutes a relatively small part of an economics degree

Reply 15

Jump

18

Lexic

I don't think it would be as numerate which may be a problem :smile:

, also I don't think its seen as being as respectable as straight Computer Science by employers.

Fair enough, better stick with Maths and Econ then!

Reply 16

material breach

12

jamierwilliams

I agree...physics is hugly mathematical, whereas maths only constitutes a relatively small part of an economics degree

Definately, obviously those doing physics have to learn alot of other stuff like economic models and how markets work but maths isnt one of those things.

Reply 17

Jump

18

jamierwilliams

I agree...physics is hugly mathematical, whereas maths only constitutes a relatively small part of an economics degree

The maths in an econ degree must be substaintial as most top places (Warwick, Notts, Oxbridge etc) all ask for an A in A level Maths.

However I think once in the degree modules in things such as econometrics are optional.

Reply 18

material breach

12

jumpunderaboat

The maths in an econ degree must be substaintial as most top places (Warwick, Notts, Oxbridge etc) all ask for an A in A level Maths.

However I think once in the degree modules in things such as econometrics are optional.

My physics friends walked the macroeconomics module as it was so basic compared to the stuff in physics.

Reply 19

Jump

18

Speciez99

My physics friends walked the macroeconomics module as it was so basic compared to the stuff in physics.

Fair enough, I should've said that I have basically no experience in any of this... just hearsay and impressions.

Is A Computer Science Degree Ok For Finance/investment Career?

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