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dougieGmastaflex
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Centre for Doctoral Training in Financial Computing

November 7th, 2014, 7:47 am

Hey folks,Does anyone have any knowledge of the PhD programme from http://www.financialcomputing.org? The website itself is slightly out of date, with the most recent listed event going back to 2012, but it seems to have a legitimate connection to the London universities. I was considering heading back to Imperial as they have a devoted centre themselves http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/quantitativefinance/ but there seem to be some slightly more adventurous topics floating about the former website. There also seems to be a lot of opportunity for funding. The Imperial page further states that "The Mathematical Finance group is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral training (CDT) in Financial Computing and Analytics", so would there actually be any difference in applying to one or the other?
 
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neuroguy
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Centre for Doctoral Training in Financial Computing

November 7th, 2014, 11:44 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: dougieGmastaflexHey folks,Does anyone have any knowledge of the PhD programme from http://www.financialcomputing.org? The website itself is slightly out of date, with the most recent listed event going back to 2012, but it seems to have a legitimate connection to the London universities. I was considering heading back to Imperial as they have a devoted centre themselves http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/quantitativefinance/ but there seem to be some slightly more adventurous topics floating about the former website. There also seems to be a lot of opportunity for funding. The Imperial page further states that "The Mathematical Finance group is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral training (CDT) in Financial Computing and Analytics", so would there actually be any difference in applying to one or the other?yes its legit.I think the whole thing is also pretty good (not done a course, but have been to events and met students and tutors)As a general rule with DTCs, if a school is under that umberella then it easier to go thru the DTC unless the specific course does not come within the DTC remit or you are not a UK citizen.Best to approach the admissions offices of the schools in question since they will be able to advise on the suitable entry route.
 
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jimmybob
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Centre for Doctoral Training in Financial Computing

November 7th, 2014, 12:47 pm

Though I didn't do one, I think DTCs are a pretty good idea for most people who want to do a PhD. Didn't look into this particular one a great deal but I know people who have done 4 year DTCs at other places. You typically get to do 2 or 3 potentially quite different projects in the first year, one of which (hopefully) morphs into your PhD project. This is good for finding an area that really interests you and also a supervisor you'll like working with.
 
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dougieGmastaflex
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Centre for Doctoral Training in Financial Computing

November 7th, 2014, 1:05 pm

Fantastic, thanks for the reply. I guess my second question would be whether a PhD acquired from a CTD is regarded as less sound than one coming from single University where you have worked closely with a small team of supervisors? My gut instinct suggests that the wider exposure a CDT grants you should result in a better balance of skills, but then again I'm never sure when it comes to stuff like this. I've just read this article on CDTs http://blogs.plos.org/thestudentblog/20 ... g-centres/ and it seems like they get better funding, better training and greater interest from external business, but a good point is made in that ?a PhD is a journey of scientific discovery; some training along the way may be helpful but it is not the main point?.So I'd be keen to hear if any academia folks (or recruiters) out there distinguish between a candidate trained via a CDT or the classical approach?
 
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dougieGmastaflex
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November 7th, 2014, 1:07 pm

Ahh cheers jimmybob, your reply must have popped up as I was writing my next question, thanks for pre-emptively answering! I'll have to look into the CDT approach, I quite like the sound of it - it seems a bit more lively than the normal PhD path.
 
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jimmybob
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November 7th, 2014, 1:45 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: dougieGmastaflexAhh cheers jimmybob, your reply must have popped up as I was writing my next question, thanks for pre-emptively answering! I'll have to look into the CDT approach, I quite like the sound of it - it seems a bit more lively than the normal PhD path.Definitely worth looking into. But you should know that after the first year it is just a 'normal' PhD. You'll be supervised by an academic in a particular department/faculty. For example a guy I know (Maths undergrad) did a 'life sciences' DTC. He ended up doing his PhD with an academic in the engineering department. Another guy I know was part of a 'complexity sciences' DTC and ended up doing his PhD with an academic in the physics department. So after the first year you'd be in a research group somewhere in the university, alongside other PhD students (who may or may not be DTC funded).As for what you write on your CV at the end of it, that is an entirely different question...