What should I choose? [education]

MagisterMan

Sweden525 Posts

October 05 2011 09:25 GMT

Okay so I'm in my third year (5 yr program in Sweden) in industrial engineering and I have to soon choose which field to specialize in (specialize in 4th and 5th yr). There are two fields I'm interested in:
-Financial engineering
-Operations research

I love math, programming and statistics and both of them use it a lot so I find the courses at both pretty much equally interesting (though technically the operations research specialization is under logistics so there are fewer OR courses than FE ones).

I'm looking into working in the US in the future (I have citizenship, so no problem with visas etc). Read that demand for people with OR backround will rise lika 20% the next 10 years, but what about finance and especially quantitative finance? Seems like there are popping up FE degrees all over american colleges. Also, according to one of my lecturers, if you want a top job in quantitative finance you better have a PhD and that was not the case of OR as much. Problem with OR for me is that you pretty much have to go into consulting (at least that is my understanding) and as an introvert, consulting doesn't seem very appealing.

So maybe TL can help me, cause I know many people who visit are well educated. Also if you guys can give me tips on other sites where I can ask that would be great!

Thanks!

MagisterMan

Sweden525 Posts

October 06 2011 23:16 GMT

I'll just go ahead and bump this thread with a song

Endymion

United States3701 Posts

October 06 2011 23:20 GMT

financial engineering, get a job with an investment firm for 1.5 mil out of college and retire at 30 with a yacht and ferrari.

quantitative finance is ridiculously difficult (requires you to be both a business major and an engineering major in how you think, not common at all), but the pay out is enormous if you land the right contacts and internships

MagisterMan

Sweden525 Posts

October 07 2011 09:48 GMT

On October 07 2011 08:20 Endymion wrote:
quantitative finance is ridiculously difficult (requires you to be both a business major and an engineering major in how you think, not common at all), but the pay out is enormous if you land the right contacts and internships

I guess, but I think my backround in industrial engineering will help me with that. Right now I'm leaning a bit towards financial engineering, but I will also take a few OR courses. I would imagine it is easier to find a job in OR/Logistics with a few courses in OR, than in finance with only a few in finance (hope that made sence :p). Anyways I'm looking into doing next year abroad in the US - first choice is University of Illinois and then Georgia Tech.

nayumi

Australia6499 Posts

October 07 2011 11:26 GMT

nvm

tpyo

32 Posts

October 07 2011 11:58 GMT

Have you considered becoming an actuary? Plenty of math and statistics

MagisterMan

Sweden525 Posts

October 07 2011 12:24 GMT

On October 07 2011 20:58 tpyo wrote:
Have you considered becoming an actuary? Plenty of math and statistics

Yeah, but I've almost done 2½ years now in engineering so I don't think I'd like to change path from it. Or could you become an actuary with a master of science in engineering?

tpyo

32 Posts

October 07 2011 14:43 GMT

On October 07 2011 21:24 MagisterMan wrote:

Show nested quote +

Yeah, but I've almost done 2½ years now in engineering so I don't think I'd like to change path from it. Or could you become an actuary with a master of science in engineering?

AFAIK, only a bachelors degree and a "strong background in math" are required

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What should I choose? [education]

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