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Finance/Computer Science v. Finance/Economics Double Major
 

artfuldodger23's picture
 
Points)
 on 4/26/12 at 8:18pm

For a while now I have been wanting to broaden my horizons and pick up a double a major. Two areas I was thinking about was Computer Science and Economics two subjects that have I have been highly interested in. I hope to do Quantitative/Computational finance in the future and I feel that these two major can serve the purpose for my specialized finance Finance track. I have taken a year of computer science in high school (it was nothing; and I know comp. sci is notorious for being very difficult) on the other hand I enjoyed learning about economics for a while now. I feel that finance/economics are two in the same considering they fall in the same category somewhat so I am worried that picking up the Economics major might be useless in the future but I don't know if this is true. Which combination do you recommend and please take into account these factors: Will help in quantitative/computational finance, marketability, job opportunities in each type of combination, what will recruiters think?

Thanks

Tags:
protectedclass's picture

I would recommend English as

 
Points)
 on 4/26/12 at 8:50pm

I would recommend English as a second major.

IlliniProgrammer's picture

If you're at the University

ST
(Almost Human, 9,214
 
Points)
 on 4/26/12 at 8:53pm

If you're at the University of Chicago or NYU, do Finance/Econ.

If not, CS is a tough degree and it gives you a bit of a put against another bank recession.

But yes, you have to do the engineering math sequence. And you have to do Systems programming (C and threading) and you have to do data structures (C++ and pointer hell) and you have to do algorithms/theory (I thought it was fun brain teasers but most people found it impossible.)

The good news is that C++ has gotten easier. Back when I was your age (2004), we had to code everything up in PICO on a black and white screen. Then we had to compile. And the compiler would tell us we had made five spelling mistakes. And you'd spend about 1/2 the time it took for you to write the code inserting semicolons, fixing typos, and looking up documentation and man. pages on which functions took which parameters.

Oh well, it beat coding by punchcard and assembly.

Now with eclipse, visual studio, and completion lines, you don't have to put up with that BS. You also get to run stuff in debug mode. They've taken out a lot of the drudgery, but you need to think like an engineer or a mathematician more than ever.

Work hard, play hard.

nontarget kid's picture

There is no way you are doing

ST
 
Points)
 on 4/26/12 at 9:15pm

There is no way you are doing quantitative/computational finance without some sort of mathematics or computer science degree. I am doing a financial economics and mathematics double major at a non target. I chose this combination because I want to do derivative structuring in the future. Also, coming from a non target, the mathematics really sets me apart from all the economics ba's from targets.

artfuldodger23's picture

OP Here - I go to UT Austin -

 
Points)
 on 4/26/12 at 9:29pm

OP Here - I go to UT Austin - McCombs School of Business btw

seedy underbelly's picture

IlliniProgrammer: If you're

IB
(King Kong, 1,090
 
Points)
 on 4/26/12 at 10:27pm
IlliniProgrammer:

If you're at the University of Chicago or NYU, do Finance/Econ.

Agree.

UChicago is one of some very traditional (read: backward, inflexible) colleges that don't offer the option of majoring in Finance. (These include my school) => Major in Economics at UChicago and Finance at NYU Stern.

Also, computer Science in Investment Banking is pretty useless. You're actually better off majoring in English, despite the sarcastic post above, as it would allow you to maintain a higher GPA.

BigHedgeHog's picture

seedy

(Baboon, 122
 
Points)
 on 4/26/12 at 11:50pm
seedy underbelly:
IlliniProgrammer:

If you're at the University of Chicago or NYU, do Finance/Econ.

Agree.

UChicago is one of some very traditional (read: backward, inflexible) colleges that don't offer the option of majoring in Finance. (These include my school) => Major in Economics at UChicago and Finance at NYU Stern.

Also, computer Science in Investment Banking is pretty useless. You're actually better off majoring in English, despite the sarcastic post above, as it would allow you to maintain a higher GPA.

GPA means nothing once you start working. Having a CS background will give you more options in the future. Always go with the tougher subject matter when in doubt. The knowledge that you gain about tech will open more doors in the future. You would also give yourself the option of understanding / doing a start up one day.

JDawg's picture

If you want to get into

(Gorilla, 516
 
Points)
 on 4/27/12 at 12:24am

If you want to get into quant/computational finance, then CS is a no-brainer. You really should be majoring in CS or math if you want a good shot in the quant world.

Toronto's picture

Do not use CS in high school

 
Points)
 on 4/27/12 at 3:58am

Do not use CS in high school to compare to university if you want to major in computer science. I think you would be better off in software engineering if you want to code. CS in university is more math than programming in my opinion.

Also, you will impress just with a nice GPA as a CS major. You don't need the double major, this isn't liberal arts.

Kenny Powers's picture

IlliniProgrammer: If you're

O
 
Points)
 on 4/27/12 at 10:03am
IlliniProgrammer:

If you're at the University of Chicago or NYU, do Finance/Econ.

If not, CS is a tough degree and it gives you a bit of a put against another bank recession.

But yes, you have to do the engineering math sequence. And you have to do Systems programming (C and threading) and you have to do data structures (C++ and pointer hell) and you have to do algorithms/theory (I thought it was fun brain teasers but most people found it impossible.)

The good news is that C++ has gotten easier. Back when I was your age (2004), we had to code everything up in PICO on a black and white screen. Then we had to compile. And the compiler would tell us we had made five spelling mistakes. And you'd spend about 1/2 the time it took for you to write the code inserting semicolons, fixing typos, and looking up documentation and man. pages on which functions took which parameters.

Oh well, it beat coding by punchcard and assembly.

Now with eclipse, visual studio, and completion lines, you don't have to put up with that BS. You also get to run stuff in debug mode. They've taken out a lot of the drudgery, but you need to think like an engineer or a mathematician more than ever.

pico...ahhh, wow. i've heard stories like this, blows my mind. so old school compiling on the remote server..."javac program.java && java program"

pick em, lick em, stick em

IlliniProgrammer's picture

Kenny

ST
(Almost Human, 9,214
 
Points)
 on 9/13/12 at 1:45pm
Kenny Powers:
IlliniProgrammer:

If you're at the University of Chicago or NYU, do Finance/Econ.

If not, CS is a tough degree and it gives you a bit of a put against another bank recession.

But yes, you have to do the engineering math sequence. And you have to do Systems programming (C and threading) and you have to do data structures (C++ and pointer hell) and you have to do algorithms/theory (I thought it was fun brain teasers but most people found it impossible.)

The good news is that C++ has gotten easier. Back when I was your age (2004), we had to code everything up in PICO on a black and white screen. Then we had to compile. And the compiler would tell us we had made five spelling mistakes. And you'd spend about 1/2 the time it took for you to write the code inserting semicolons, fixing typos, and looking up documentation and man. pages on which functions took which parameters.

Oh well, it beat coding by punchcard and assembly.

Now with eclipse, visual studio, and completion lines, you don't have to put up with that BS. You also get to run stuff in debug mode. They've taken out a lot of the drudgery, but you need to think like an engineer or a mathematician more than ever.

pico...ahhh, wow. i've heard stories like this, blows my mind. so old school compiling on the remote server..."javac program.java && java program"

Yes. And javac would throw errors in the following order, iirc:

1.) Syntax errors, like missing commas.
2.) Missing brackets.
3.) Misspelled functions, functions and variables that don't exist.

Today, eclipse just underlines the error, and you fix it before your cursor even leaves the line.

Most professors still operate and teach on vi. I was just in an Artificial Intelligence course where the prof. mentioned vi and emacs as good dev environments. It's like telling kids that Adele came out with a great new song and everyone should go out to the record store and buy the vinyl LP. Or by the time you're done explaining the process by which you go buy a record and play it, they can get their Iphone out and download the song on ITunes.

Rhaposidizing about the days of CDs probably makes me just as much of an old man to these undergrads on the forums. And one day, they will sound like me when they talk about when you had to connect your IPod to your computer to get music.

Work hard, play hard.

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