I just heard UCL are launching an MSc in quant finance. From reading these forums, I get the impression they aren't known for their work in this area but I would be interested to hear opinions on potential etc...

indeed, like who would be teaching it, anyone well-known ?

I cannot comment on their qualifications, I put up this post in order to find out a little more, get thoughts, opinions, you know, that kind of thing... All I know is that for their MSc in financial computing, they apparently have some banks on board in the sense that they suggest projects for the MSc students. I guess there's no reason why UCL couldn't move into this field. If it's of any interest to anyone, then trywww.cs.ucl.ac.uk/financialcomputing

I'ts not a quant programming course. It just ain't, I teach this stuff, and well, it's just not like this at all.There is a lot said unsaid about this course. I even tried contacting them, but they chose not to reply.So, putting both my hats on as both someone who has hired this sort of person and a pimp...Database Systems (MScCS)Looks OK, certainly you need SQL if you're going to be doing dev in a bank.Communications and Networks (MScCS)This is just bollocks. Actually to be a little more precise. It's CompSci. I know Nyquist and Shannon, but it defies belief that you will use this in a bank.Just so you understand my position, me big hard techie, me done security for British government and banks, you no need know this."Telecommunications History" ? Give me a break.N-ISDN ! Yes, really. The absolutely only purpose of this part of the course is enable the student to read & enjoy early Dilbert Cartoons.OSI, presentation layer ? What's next, a thematic critique of early British TV SciFi ?"The misogyny of Baker-era Daleks as viewed from a Marxist-OSI perspective" ?Actually, it's not even bollocks. It bollocks with huge holes in it. Nothing on security, and apparently nothing on the particular protocols used in finance.What about FIX ? Bloomberg's flying circus of random self destructing protocols ?Human Communication InteractionAt this point, I begin to wonder if this is some sort of spoof designed to discredit a respectable British college ?This is utter, pointles rubbish for any career in banking.Real men code guis in Win32, or if forced in C# forms. Occasionally you grab a bit of data from the luser with Java or a crap little bit of VB.I've slept with language graduates who could do better than this.Software EngineeringIt's a grounder in UML etc. As such, this is an important skill for the wannabe quantdev.It says it is an "advanced course in s/w engineering. That is a cynical lie. It's an intro, though possibly a good one.I simply can't think how you could put an "introduction" course under it.Artificial Intelligence and Neural ComputingI think everyone who wants to do serious s/w should do a course like this. A real programmer thinks in a richer domain than the language he uses for implementation, else you're just a coder who's waiting to be outsourced.But it's not going to get you a job, unless you're shit hot and lucky enough to be interviewed by a real programmer.I can't even guess why they have three apparently AI courses, when the market for such skills is so limited.Financial Information SystemsLooks quite good. But whilst time is wasted on stupid stuff, there is simply no enough of this.Islamic InvestmentThis is naked buzzword engineering by UCL. Maybe somewhere, someone is asking for an s/w developer with a superficial skim on Sharia.Or more probably, not.The more useful courses, seem not to have descriptions. I'ts hard to see how that puts them in a good light.I could go on, (Banking law made me laugh out loud) but there are just so many critical things missing.C++, yes C++ They don't have a fucking course on C++. What shambling bunch of zombies missed that ?I see no evidence of numerical methods.Actually programming isn't there hardly at all except for a bit of Java, and in particular network programming for data feeds.Perhaps they're scared of C++ ? Do they worship some jungle God who forbids the use of such arcane magic ?Excel, you may have heard of it ?Windows ? Unix ? Real time stuffPerl (good money to be had there)But the biggest missing thing they are missing is a clue. They don't have one.This is a cheap lash up of courses borrowed from grown up departments.But it's not cheap, 15 thousand quid for overseas students.If you're not very bright and British, and live at home with your parents in London, and currently unemployed, this course is for you, since your parents may stump upthe £3168 bto get you out of the house.Do not come to Britain to study this course.

Well, that settles that then! Anyone fancy a curry?

QuoteOriginally posted by: DCFCI'ts not a quant programming course. It just ain't, I teach this stuff, and well, it's just not like this at all.There is a lot said unsaid about this course. I even tried contacting them, but they chose not to reply.So, putting both my hats on as both someone who has hired this sort of person and a pimp...Database Systems (MScCS)Looks OK, certainly you need SQL if you're going to be doing dev in a bank.Communications and Networks (MScCS)This is just bollocks. Actually to be a little more precise. It's CompSci. I know Nyquist and Shannon, but it defies belief that you will use this in a bank.Just so you understand my position, me big hard techie, me done security for British government and banks, you no need know this."Telecommunications History" ? Give me a break.N-ISDN ! Yes, really. The absolutely only purpose of this part of the course is enable the student to read & enjoy early Dilbert Cartoons.OSI, presentation layer ? What's next, a thematic critique of early British TV SciFi ?"The misogyny of Baker-era Daleks as viewed from a Marxist-OSI perspective" ?Actually, it's not even bollocks. It bollocks with huge holes in it. Nothing on security, and apparently nothing on the particular protocols used in finance.What about FIX ? Bloomberg's flying circus of random self destructing protocols ?Human Communication InteractionAt this point, I begin to wonder if this is some sort of spoof designed to discredit a respectable British college ?This is utter, pointles rubbish for any career in banking.Real men code guis in Win32, or if forced in C# forms. Occasionally you grab a bit of data from the luser with Java or a crap little bit of VB.I've slept with language graduates who could do better than this.Software EngineeringIt's a grounder in UML etc. As such, this is an important skill for the wannabe quantdev.It says it is an "advanced course in s/w engineering. That is a cynical lie. It's an intro, though possibly a good one.I simply can't think how you could put an "introduction" course under it.Artificial Intelligence and Neural ComputingI think everyone who wants to do serious s/w should do a course like this. A real programmer thinks in a richer domain than the language he uses for implementation, else you're just a coder who's waiting to be outsourced.But it's not going to get you a job, unless you're shit hot and lucky enough to be interviewed by a real programmer.I can't even guess why they have three apparently AI courses, when the market for such skills is so limited.Financial Information SystemsLooks quite good. But whilst time is wasted on stupid stuff, there is simply no enough of this.Islamic InvestmentThis is naked buzzword engineering by UCL. Maybe somewhere, someone is asking for an s/w developer with a superficial skim on Sharia.Or more probably, not.The more useful courses, seem not to have descriptions. I'ts hard to see how that puts them in a good light.I could go on, (Banking law made me laugh out loud) but there are just so many critical things missing.C++, yes C++ They don't have a fucking course on C++. What shambling bunch of zombies missed that ?I see no evidence of numerical methods.Actually programming isn't there hardly at all except for a bit of Java, and in particular network programming for data feeds.Perhaps they're scared of C++ ? Do they worship some jungle God who forbids the use of such arcane magic ?Excel, you may have heard of it ?Windows ? Unix ? Real time stuffPerl (good money to be had there)But the biggest missing thing they are missing is a clue. They don't have one.This is a cheap lash up of courses borrowed from grown up departments.But it's not cheap, 15 thousand quid for overseas students.If you're not very bright and British, and live at home with your parents in London, and currently unemployed, this course is for you, since your parents may stump upthe £3168 bto get you out of the house.Do not come to Britain to study this course."run, don't walk.."

DCFC - you make mention of nyquist and shannon and you say its bollocks. Have you had a look at the work by John F Ehlers?Read "Rocket Science for Traders" and "Cybernetic Analysis for Stocks and Futures". This stuff is mind blowing. Atleast for an electrical engineer like me it is. Think of all those fools out there who use FFT on financial time series data that is undersampled. Nyquist comes in handy here.QuoteOriginally posted by: DCFCI'ts not a quant programming course. It just ain't, I teach this stuff, and well, it's just not like this at all.There is a lot said unsaid about this course. I even tried contacting them, but they chose not to reply.So, putting both my hats on as both someone who has hired this sort of person and a pimp...Communications and Networks (MScCS)This is just bollocks. Actually to be a little more precise. It's CompSci. I know Nyquist and Shannon, but it defies belief that you will use this in a bank.Just so you understand my position, me big hard techie, me done security for British government and banks, you no need know this."Telecommunications History" ? Give me a break.N-ISDN ! Yes, really. The absolutely only purpose of this part of the course is enable the student to read & enjoy early Dilbert Cartoons.OSI, presentation layer ? What's next, a thematic critique of early British TV SciFi ?"The misogyny of Baker-era Daleks as viewed from a Marxist-OSI perspective" ?Actually, it's not even bollocks. It bollocks with huge holes in it. Nothing on security, and apparently nothing on the particular protocols used in finance.What about FIX ? Bloomberg's flying circus of random self destructing protocols ?.

You really reckon that a comms course will get people to the level where they can use Nyquist on FFTs ?Also you need to look at the people UCL says it wants to attract...They're diverse, apparently, and no "diverse" doesn't mean ethnic background, and they are really not going to make that leap.Look at this module, it ain't maths, except maybe in passing since it would upset the "diverse" people.Cybernetic Analysis for Stocks and Futures is a technical analysis book. You come here, to this forum, and cite a TA book ?Actually I might chuck in a TA lecture to such a course in the same way that PW does in the CQF, but for completeness not because it makes sense.You might think that the comment about this module being useful only for getting more value out of early Dilbert cartoons was exaggeration for effect.It did start off this way, but I looked up the relevant cartoons, and it's true, this is the only use, unless you intend it as an introdcutory course for people who will do CompSci when they grow up.I've managed IT people in banks, and trust me, never not once have I interviewed somenoe by asking "what political factors lead to the demise of Prestel and the user rejection of ISDN".Actually, Scott Adams gives a concise and eloquent description of the failure of ISDN. and it's good for a laugh in the pub.But when you take into account lost earnings ISDN et al costs you 2000 quid for something Mr. Adams will sell you for a tenner.As it happens, we share partially backgrounds to an extebnt, and like you at first I thought TA, information theory et al would take over the markets.We both have been wrong.Move on.