Is CS necessary? Or is programming experience good enough?

So people have said that CS is the best major for trading. I've mostly read that it's because of the programming experience that comes along with it. I'm just wondering if any quantitative major would be enough if you have some programming experience (maybe something like computer engineering), or if the extra amount of programming experience you gain by going all out with a CS major is that much more beneficial.

 

Yeah I know that, but would a major in CS be worth it even if you are somewhat interested in other engineering fields?

I'm interested in CS/EE/Mech. Eng./CE/Physics, so I'm just trying to figure out if a major in CS would be that much more beneficial than the other ones.

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 

CS should take you through the math requirements of engineering, at least that is what I see at my school. Stuff like Linear Algebra, Calc 1-3, Diffeq, and maybe some other stuff....that's all I know about this.

"I'm short your house"
 

Double E is just as good as CS. Btw, physics is natural science, not part of the engineering school. It really comes down to your passion, which will have a lot to do with your GPA. Also, I don't think CS degree by itself is good for career in finance. Just my 0.02...

 
Best Response

Yeah I'm aware of physics not being engineering which is why I'd probably just minor in it or maybe try to double major w/ an engineering major... which seems like it would be ridiculous if I did EE with it...

gaahh... decisions decisions, I got some time to make up my mind but I wanna learn all of em :(

I'd really like to do CS because it would be the easiest major to start a business with, jobs are available for CS majors almost everywhere, it seems like something I'd be good at, and because of what people have said about CS being the best major for trading... but being able to build computers/electronic devices/study physics seems like it would be awesome too.

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 

It really depends on what you like to do. The only class that is interesting to me in CS is algo design. If you think you can graduate with a CS degree with a good GPA, i say why not. Also you are right that CS degrees are FAR more marketable than physics degrees as far as undergrad degrees go. so yeah go ahead and do a physics minor to satiate your curiosity, and get out of college with a CS degree. Just my 0.02...

Note: If I can time travel, I would choose Math and CS instead of Math and Finance. And oh, time travel is possible. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/22/science-light-idUSL5E7KM4CW20… 'Particle breaks speed of light'

 

As others have said, CS would be best for a broader range of careers, as it contains an intrinsic hedge if you later decide quant trading is not for you (can always go into tech etc.)

That being said, any science major should do (plenty of math & physics guys in HFT), provided you take some classes in programming on the side. Particularly helpful should be a programming systems class (teach you style and proper coding in low-level language) and some algorithms / AI classes. In HFT you have a lot of design/scripting work (even on quant side), so writing readable, efficient code is key, likely more important than knowing fancy machine learning techniques.

 

Ab eveniet quos corrupti accusantium laudantium fugit repellat. Voluptas deserunt rerum et pariatur qui sit. Repellat est animi a est in iste occaecati autem. Fugit omnis eum corrupti unde quisquam est. Porro eos quaerat accusantium velit fuga.

Ut est ut ea minus sed quia sint veritatis. Et aliquid sed tenetur est veniam recusandae. Ratione aut autem aut et perspiciatis.

Atque et laboriosam saepe. Veniam saepe nesciunt temporibus rerum maxime.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”