Besides the listed Math and Stats courses, would it be helpful for someone to take Economics courses such as Micro, Macro, or Econometrics? Are these classes not worth taking since they are not quantitatively demanding? Just curious since I know some of the programs have a Finance component to them which usually requires some background in Economics. Thanks in advance!

It is not really important that you take this. You can do without it.QuoteOriginally posted by: zooeyHow important is Complex Variables? I did not take this course during my undergrad. The course was at the level of "Complex Variables and Applications" by James Brown and Churchill.ThanksZooey

Try to take a class in Macroeconomics, or at least sit in on one. The more you know about macro the better since when you interview you will be asked a lot of questions on the financialmarkets, which are driven by macroeconomics. It is not absolutely necessary, but it helps. Not everyone who interviewsyou will be from the quant side. Others will ask you market and macrorelated questions. Or you can just keep up on the economy on your own by doing a lot of reading.QuoteOriginally posted by: SungBesides the listed Math and Stats courses, would it be helpful for someone to take Economics courses such as Micro, Macro, or Econometrics? Are these classes not worth taking since they are not quantitatively demanding? Just curious since I know some of the programs have a Finance component to them which usually requires some background in Economics. Thanks in advance!

Besides the preparation mentioned for the MathFin program, is there any preparation, in general, that people recommend for interview/jobs for someone entering a MathFin program?Thanks

heres what I would recommend for preparation, assuming you did an undergrad with a good amount of maths:Revise the basics : undergrad statistics/probability, linear algebra (matrix diagonalization etc), and ODE's. If you kept your lecture notes, great, otherwise the Schaums outlines are not bad. Do plenty of practice as maths skills,like everything else can get rusty.Once you are very happy with that, read Hull for intro to financial Markets, learn the basics of Matlab and C++ programming as it will make your life easier. If you want, then read Baxter&Rennie for a not-too-technical introduction to stochastics, and take a look at Brzezniak&Zastawniak for a summary of formal probability theory and an intro to stochastic methods.You might want to read Joshi or Wilmott Howison & Dewynne as alternatives but dont worry too much about understanding all the detail at this stage. The books will come in handy over the year anyway.

Thanks for the recommendations.I've been reviewing the math areas you mentioned, including analysis. For the computer area, I've been doing some C++. Are there any languages employers are looking for (you mention Matlab - is Mathematica used at all?), such as Perl, VBA, SQL, etc?How helpful is the CFA?Since most MathFin programs are roughly a year, it seems that potential employers can't really base their hiring decisions on grades, assuming that you get a job before you graduate, so what do they look for?Thanks.