What degree/master/phd would be the best for a trader?

Discussion in 'Professional Trading' started by GloriaBrown, Jun 19, 2014.

  1. I am thinking of studying a master and trading is what I am interested the most. I am thinking to pick one of these:

    master of finance
    master of risk management
    master of statistics
    master of financial engineering
    MBA

    No matter for just improving my own trading ability or possible a professional trading related job in future, which one should I choose? I can also pick one that is not on this list as well. I live in a big city so there are any kind of master over here.
     
  2. ras72

    ras72

    A master in screwing people with a thesis on Alan Parson's Eye in The Sky and a Phd from the school of hard knocks.

    ras72
     
  3. Daal

    Daal

    None of these courses are likely to help you much, in fact they might even harm you because you will think you know something, you might develop theories/views of how things ought to work and this will make you attached to your trades. PHDs are probably the worst traders, they are too enamored with the idea that they are smart and they know how things work to accept being wrong and being flexible.
     
  4. But the best ibanks or trading firms hire mostly phd for developing strategies.
     
  5. JTrades

    JTrades

    Have you considered computer science with maths/statistics?
     
  6. Daal

    Daal

    If you want to work for a bank then you are probably better off asking people in the industry who hire
     
  7. tom_czr

    tom_czr

    Definitely "master of statistics" - statistical research and data mining is most important thing in trading...
     
  8. newwurldmn

    newwurldmn

    You need to be a student of life to succeed in the finance world.

    But if you pursue a masters or PhD in any of those fields, it will help you a lot. PhD's are required to do original research, which demonstrates the ability to think beyond the text book. That's why so many banks hire PhDs.

    Financial Engineering degrees as good as they expose you to the theoretical world of finance as well as give you some tools.

    If your goal is to get into an investment bank or top tier hedgefund, you have to either go a top school for financial engineering/MBA, or have a phd from a decent school.

    If your goal is to trade from home, then I would probably skip the degrees and take selective courses where you are lacking understanding.
     
  9. Clint

    Clint

    Undergrad would be good to have computer science (lots of math skills to get through computers), then spend another 1.5 years to work on a finance related major. For grad school, statistics, math is good. Best of all, if you don't like finance, you can find a tech job, or developing automated trading stuff.
     
  10. dbphoenix

    dbphoenix

    Psychology
     
    #10     Jun 19, 2014
    wartrace likes this.