Financial/Commodity Trading: which MSc? : Have a Physics BSc

Schaeler2014

A programme was broadcast last week on BBC2 entitled Traders: Millions by the Minute

radiotimes.com/episode/c4y6xg/traders-millions-by-the-minute--series-1---episode-1

Of particular interest was the group of people based in London, who were being tested to determine if they had the ability to trade live with real money which belonged to the company in question.

I would have some interest in this field. I shall be graduating with a BSc Physics degree, and was wondering which MSc would potentially help in this role?

Possible options are:
1) MSc Materials Science (lower Russell Group uni)
2) MSc Advanced Composities & Polymers (ex-poly uni)
3) MSc Computational Finance & Trading (lower Russell Group uni)
4) MSc Plasma Physics (lower Russell Group uni)

Concern with option 1): would a MSc Materials Science be of interest to trading employers?

Concerns with option 2): this is not a Russell Group uni, also would this degree be of interest to trading employers?

Concerns with option 3): potentially this course will be of little use outside trading if I later discover I'm not suited to trading (as was the case last night with one guy who had an MSc Business). Also, possibly no point taking this course if going to be working in the field, since probably need to work in the field to genuinely understand it.

Concern with option 4): there are considerably more jobs available in the field of Materials Science than Plasma Physics, therefore MSc Materials Science more useful if looking for a non-trading job.

ulinbac

Schaeler2014 wrote: »

A programme was broadcast last week on BBC2 entitled Traders: Millions by the Minute

radiotimes.com/episode/c4y6xg/traders-millions-by-the-minute--series-1---episode-1

Of particular interest was the group of people based in London, who were being tested to determine if they had the ability to trade live with real money which belonged to the company in question.

I would have some interest in this field. I shall be graduating with a BSc Physics degree, and was wondering which MSc would potentially help in this role?

Possible options are:
1) MSc Materials Science (lower Russell Group uni)
2) MSc Advanced Composities & Polymers (ex-poly uni)
3) MSc Computational Finance & Trading (lower Russell Group uni)
4) MSc Plasma Physics (lower Russell Group uni)

Concern with option 1): would a MSc Materials Science be of interest to trading employers?

Concerns with option 2): this is not a Russell Group uni, also would this degree be of interest to trading employers?

Concerns with option 3): potentially this course will be of little use outside trading if I later discover I'm not suited to trading (as was the case last night with one guy who had an MSc Business). Also, possibly no point taking this course if going to be working in the field, since probably need to work in the field to genuinely understand it.

Concern with option 4): there are considerably more jobs available in the field of Materials Science than Plasma Physics, therefore MSc Materials Science more useful if looking for a non-trading job.

Hi OP,

In answer to:

1) Probably wont be interested
2) No clue what that is
3) Where is this masters UL?? Most people coming out of a Comp Finance Masters don't go on to trade and I mean 95%

It sounds like you don't know what you want to do. You need to answer the following:

1) Why trading?
2) What type of trading do I want to do and why?
3) Is it purely about money?
4) I know 2 Day Traders and both work 6am to 8.30pm each day. Are you prepared for that? One of them is doing very well, the other makes about €5k per month but when he take his desk fees, software license cost of trades, his take home is only €1,500. which is only €7.50 an hour after costs!!

The Execution Traders I work with usually work from 8 -7/8pm. Depending on the market. If its quiet they leave early though or if they have made a large amount of money in one day they go home.

5) Trading firms will ask you a lot of probability questions in interview. How is your knowledge of it? Some even code, can you code.
6) Are you willing to work for below minimum wage while learning (1 year maybe 2)
7) How much do you like sleep? I know this sounds stupid but I have another mate who worked in Valuations for 2 years and he slept all weekend and used to find an hour sleep in toilet on Thursdays and Fridays during lunch. It's quite common.


The University issue isn't a massive deal. If your grades are good enough in Ireland you will get into the likes of Warwick and LSE (I had offers but thought the Masters here was more relevant. Had a 2.1 in degree and got a 2.1 MSc)

Schaeler2014

ulinbac wrote: »

2) No clue what that is

You could say it's a specialised area of Materials Science.

ulinbac wrote: »

3) Most people coming out of a Comp Finance Masters don't go on to trade and I mean 95%

What do they go into?

ulinbac wrote: »

4) the other makes about €5k per month but when he take his desk fees, software license cost of trades, his take home is only €1,500. which is only €7.50 an hour after costs!!

Wow, that's quite bad.

ulinbac wrote: »

Had a 2.1 in degree and got a 2.1 MSc)

Was that in Physics, or some other area?

ulinbac

Schaeler2014 wrote: »

You could say it's a specialised area of Materials Science.



What do they go into?



Wow, that's quite bad.


Was that in Physics, or some other area?

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