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Covariant
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 12:55 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: quantmehQuoteOriginally posted by: CovariantWhat if I just enjoy doing physics and what to do some for 4 years?before you become PhD, you don't really "do physics". it's what you do after the degree that matters. if you plan to leave the field after getting a degree, i'll tell you it's stupid. go straight to PhD Fin if you plan to be in finance. if you spend 4 years learning, learn relevant stuff. trust me it's A LOT of stuff they teach in bus schools contrary to what you may hear from those who never done ECON or Fin PhDsWorth considering. However:1. PhD Finance is insanely competitive. I have fairly good marks and go to a top university but realistically my app is unlikely to be better than 100 other motivated people some of whom have had their heart set on it since school.2. It limits me to finance, when really that's just one possible area of interest and largely due to chance that it happens to borrow a lot from physics in this area. In that case if QF goes under in 4 years I really am fucked, rather than just having to take a less desirable or less well paid job.Also, sort of what I'm saying is I want to take the physics PhD skills and do a similar sort of thing just not in physics academia, rather than that I want to "leave the field" in the sense of becoming a surfing instructor or something. I plan to do a PhD that will have a lot of transferable maths/coding and possibly stats skills.
 
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spv205
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 8:31 am

for quant roles PhD in finance is not as well regarded as Maths/Physics Phds.Covariant are you sure its so easy to get into these Oil and Gas roles with a physics phd- I assumed most other industries really are looking for people whose degree reflects the industry (ie engineers /biochemists etc as appropriate) rather than people who are "good at maths" as is done for quant finance jobs.
 
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spv205
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 8:31 am

fat finger
Last edited by spv205 on November 2nd, 2011, 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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Cuchulainn
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 9:00 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: spv205Covariant are you sure its so easy to get into these Oil and Gas roles with a physics phd- I assumed most other industries really are looking for people whose degree reflects the industry (ie engineers /biochemists etc as appropriate) rather than people who are "good at maths" as is done for quant finance jobs.Don't know how it is now but you had to know applied maths, numerics and FORTRAN, especially writing large FEM packages for reservoir engineering and exploration. Maybe all the packages have been written by now and there is nothing left to do?High-performance computing is probably an evergreen?
Last edited by Cuchulainn on November 2nd, 2011, 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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DevonFangs
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 12:44 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: quantmehQuoteOriginally posted by: CovariantWhat if I just enjoy doing physics and what to do some for 4 years?before you become PhD, you don't really "do physics"Disagree. During my masters thesis I wrote one paper (on my work, not someone's else) and presented it at a conference. And I'm not the only one I know who did so, so call it "do physics" or whatever you like. I'm annoyed by this snobbish academic behavior.
 
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Covariant
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 1:05 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: spv205for quant roles PhD in finance is not as well regarded as Maths/Physics Phds.Covariant are you sure its so easy to get into these Oil and Gas roles with a physics phd- I assumed most other industries really are looking for people whose degree reflects the industry (ie engineers /biochemists etc as appropriate) rather than people who are "good at maths" as is done for quant finance jobs.'Easy' - I have no idea. Nothing seems easy in the present market. But I know those jobs at least exist, and I am told they like physics PhDs.Other option is to graduate with a masters' at the end of this year, work for a few years and then do an MBA. I have the academic pedigree to have a chance of going to a top university. What do you guys think of that? Really I am finding it hard to get excited about the range of jobs available to me as a first grad. The MBA roles seem similarly boring frankly, but at least my boredom will be better remunerated.QuoteOriginally posted by: DevonFangsDisagree. During my masters thesis I wrote one paper (on my work, not someone's else) and presented it at a conference. And I'm not the only one I know who did so, so call it "do physics" or whatever you like. I'm annoyed by this snobbish academic behavior.My masters' thesis is also expected to result in a paper presenting original research, which is why I don't feel like I'm doing fake physics even now, let alone at PhD level.
Last edited by Covariant on November 2nd, 2011, 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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ThinkDifferent
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 1:37 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: quantmehQuoteOriginally posted by: CovariantWhat if I just enjoy doing physics and what to do some for 4 years?before you become PhD, you don't really "do physics".Freeman Dyson disagrees.
 
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DevonFangs
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 3:29 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: ThinkDifferentQuoteOriginally posted by: quantmehQuoteOriginally posted by: CovariantWhat if I just enjoy doing physics and what to do some for 4 years?before you become PhD, you don't really "do physics".Freeman Dyson disagrees.Jeez he's still alive!I also personally know a folk who's a full time researcher in uni w/o a PhD (admittedly a white fly)
 
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quantmeh
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 5:24 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: DevonFangs I'm annoyed by this snobbish academic behavior.i'm sorry, but that's a common behavior. it's like hiring an electrician who's not certified. do it at your own peril. if something goes wrong, you won't get insurance payment. PhD is a qualifying degree.
 
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ronwise
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 6:39 pm

when someone writes papers being MSc or PhD student - he ALWAYS has a supervisor who actually tells him what to do. The point of having PhD and doing science is to supervise yourself. It is really stuped to think that MSc or PhD student can actually do scence alone.
 
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Covariant
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 10:07 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: ronwisewhen someone writes papers being MSc or PhD student - he ALWAYS has a supervisor who actually tells him what to do. The point of having PhD and doing science is to supervise yourself. It is really stuped to think that MSc or PhD student can actually do scence alone.Partially. But most of that boils down to trying to find money more than anything else - you still can ask more experienced people in your group for help, and most post-docs and lecturers actually work with or under more senior academics anyway.To my mind what qualifies 'real' physics is that the work is both original and useful.
 
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DevonFangs
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Quant finance is 3-5 years

November 3rd, 2011, 11:14 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: ronwisewhen someone writes papers being MSc or PhD student - he ALWAYS has a supervisor who actually tells him what to do. The point of having PhD and doing science is to supervise yourself. It is really stuped to think that MSc or PhD student can actually do scence alone.Disagree on many levels. First, nobody can do science alone. Second, the fact that one is learning doesn't mean she's not doing research. Third, as soon as you get out of academia and find a job you'll need to be supervised, but it doesn't mean you're not really working.I find quantmeh's point more reasonable.