NYU Financial Mathematics Degree

You antisocial or something? Why aren't you asking your buddies from NYU

Well, lets think. The classes I am referring to are graduate level. I am an undergraduate. I am not too sure as to how you interact with graduates in your own college, let alone university (as the financial math program is part of the Courant Institute) but I am not too chummy with any of them.

Hmm let's think, somehow I doubt you're the only undergrad badass enough to take graduate level classes. And anyways, it's not too hard to email a professor or your adviser or some random grad student, unless you're socially retarded even in emails.

When you act like a smart ass be sure to at least get the first part down.

But why can't you talk to a professor or adviser or even maybe find alumni (I don't know what kind of alumni organization you've got and how accessible alums are)? These people are likely able to tell you not only about the program but probably have some insight as far as how it's viewed in industry, how beneficial it is, etc. In all seriousness, this is a really good approach (I'm not saying asking on the forum was dumb or anything, but you should/can employ multiple strategies right, so why not take advantage of this other resource you have)

I stopped reading after the first line of your fucking essay, but this is retarded. The only people who would know anything about some program at NYU no one has ever heard of are people who are in or have been in the program. Not people on some random message board.

And no shit people are going to have different opinions, taking into account different people's opinions to make your own decision is pretty fucking important

OK, this isn't meant to be ultra harsh but it's going to sound like it.
How much finance do you want? You're going to be a sophomore at nyu stern, and judging from history you're going to major in finance, and then take a math minor / dbl major. If you pile those ECs into fin math, you basically have a degree that overlaps 50% of the time and isn't worth it. And then you want to add on Financial Math, which is another degree, potentially more $, and ultimately a few more years of the same, unless you water down the education more and finish your B.S. in 3 years.

Diversification reduces risk -- diversify your current academic bulletin, don't pile it all in one bucket. If you have a math/physics background, with your finance major, and a solid understand of what else is out there, then apply to grad programs. yes NYU is great, but so is UChic and princeton.

And it is very easy to talk to grad profs, advisors, and grad students (aka TAs) at NYU.

I realize that it may be easy to talk to someone about it; however, this is not a matter of procuring general information. As I stated earlier, I have already spoken with professors, and I was seeking a different perspective. If I wanted to, I could have graduated by now as I have sufficient credit; however, I have an interest in finance and want to further my abilities. And, believe it or not, I am an extremely well rounded student with a broad base of knowledge. I hardly see the necessity to question a person's educational plans when all that was asked was information about a program. Please tell me if I was wrong in thinking that a forum for those interested in I-banking is the wrong place to ask about a quant finance program from which numerous banks recruit. And for the record, I want to do this program because I want to not out of any sort of obligation. I will have no problem getting a job without it. Also, if were familiar at all with the program and not simply talking out of your ass, you would realize that it covers stochastic processes, financial software development, statistical arbitrage as well as other areas that are not even touched by any sort of undergrad finance degrees I am aware of.

Well for one thing it's pretty useless for corporate finance in an investment bank. What do you want to actually do?

I am not completely sure. Coroporate finance would be one option; however, I have also been considering bulding arbitrage models for hedge funds or something more in the "quant" area.

Well you'll probably want a PhD for that

It's an incredibly useless program for corporate finance. For building truly "quant" models you'll need a PhD.

Obviously! I am a sophmore for christ's sake! I know all of these things. I was just seeking the perspective of a student that is or was in the program. I am taking the classes for no reason other than the fact that I love mathematics and finance and, therefore, enjoy the union of the two even more.

Holy shit you sound like such a fucking tool. What math classes have you taken so far?

Real and Complex Analysis, Calc I-III, PDEs, linear algebra, Algebra, Advanced Series and Sequences, Combinatorics. I think that is all. I learn a lot outside of the classroom though.

Those classes are just prerequisites and have very little to do with the actual program. Try taking a few of the actual program courses and talk to the students there to get a better feel for it.

You've got a good base, but you really need to take more probability classes.

Don't think you have the background for stochastic calc unless it's very watered down. You need a lot more theoretical stats.

I have taken a probability and a stats class each 4 credits. It is not watered down. It is the typical grad stochastic class. Keep in mind also that I said I continued my learning outside of college. I have read and worked through several other texts on advanded stats and probability theory. Besides, I have 3 years of college left anyways. I did most of that stuff while in HS.

Also, if were familiar at all with the program and not simply talking out of your ass, you would realize that it covers stochastic processes, financial software development, statistical arbitrage as well as other areas that are not even touched by any sort of undergrad finance degrees I am aware of.

Yeah I wasn't talking out of my ass, I know the professor who helped start the program, and know professors who run the PhD Finance degree also. (i went to stern, if you didn't figure that out already)

It's obviously a good program, if you know the names of Avellaneda and Engle who teach in it then you know it's intense. That said, as an undergrad, doing the program might be too intense, or too specific, and though you have a strong fundamental quant background, ultimately it could eat up a lot of valuable credits and leave you in a murky middle ground -- not well rounded as an undergrad education, but not strong enough for a quant role. I suggest you take some of the classes, but don't short yourself on non-quant courses, they may help you as well. As for the people in it, they're remarkably smart, but not very stimulating outside of a numbers world. It's Courant -- you've seen the building, that's the personality of the program.

And how the fuck could you graduate already as soph? I think you got your credit math wrong, ironically.