Yes I s hould mention that MSF is one finance degree and there are now few different finance specific degrees out there such as the MFE and a some others.
An MS in economics will be more usefull in trading, particularly the FX markets. I hold both an MS in Economics and an MBA in Finance.
Manolis... Greek right? You didn't by any chance live in Gaithersburg Md did you? I knew someone names Manolis once....
Columbo, I was in exactly the same position that are describing a few years ago. I always wanted to go to the Masters level but the vast majority of MBA programs are general in nature and really not to relevant to a trading career. Essentially a lot of time and money spent that could be used more productively. Long story short, after much digging I was able to get into a program that is in partnership with the education branch of our securities regulator here (Canada--CSI) where courses (i.e. Reg. Rep. status et al) count toward your MBA so you are able to rack up industry designations and get your MBA. The best of both worlds. You may wish to do the same. Cheers.
Thanks. Here is my next question... did it alter/help/propel your trading? Or was it just a "personal enhancement" type of thing? Did you learn anything new that would help you go forward in managing OPM or something of the sort? Thanks
Well for me the two overlapped. One, doing Masters level work was always in the cards from before I even finished my undergrad. Until I started this program it looked like I was going more of an MA (Economics) route as there really was no way I was willing to spend time on information that did not have a practical application to either my personal trading, the trading I've done in the industry or whatnot. See for me a long time ago (20 years) I made the decision to be a professional in this industry and have acted accordingly (or tried at least-lol) and this program fit perfectly. So it did enhance my trading. But like most things in this biz it was not a direct moment a la when I found the perfect trading setup via "Prof. Smith.". However, the accumulation of knowledge and thinking about how this applies to the real world was very valuable (i.e. a deeper understanding of risk, portfolio mechanics, exposure to different ideas/mkts.) let alone the discipline that comes from juggling work(trading), school, family and personal time (what's that---lol). As for how it affects OPM it is mandatory, not so much the MBA in itself but the industry designations . Right off the bat you require these for regulatory means let alone for being a professional. You have worked for a bank so I think you get my drift here. There are ways that some have done this without being part of the industry just as there I'm sure some extremely talented surgeons without a medical degree, but as a rule of thumb, who would you go to--honestly. This is not to slight the retail traders here but is in the context of this forums' heading, CAREER trader, there is a huge difference. I'll probably get flamed for that one from some on these boards as it does seem that the fantasy is to come out of nowhere with the magic indicator/holy grail, raise a couple of yards on Monday and retire on Thursday afternoon to rap video splendor. But my experience is that it doesn't work that way. My advice here is if you want a career in the biz then start racking up the paper, it absolutely makes a difference. Cheers.
I've said this before and I'll say it again.... the best traders I've ever seen have little or no college, and just a high school education. if you're looking to make money (in trading or elsewhere) an MBA is just a waste of time and money. Just a thought blackguard