Why did you choose to study this Masters course?
I chose this MSc course because I wanted to improve both my analytical skills in finance and my quantitative skills in programming and mathematics. The MSc Quantitative Finance course represented a great challenge - when I first looked at the course I was impressed by the quantitative level of the courses, which was just what I was looking. In addition, I liked the fact that this course is taught by the Alliance Manchester Business School and the School of Mathematics, so you can have the best of both worlds.
Alliance MBS is one of the few schools of business in the UK where you might find a Master course such as the MSc in QFFE, very quantitative and it is well organised through the year, and suitable for everyone who wants to study the quantitative field of the financial world.
What were you doing before your MSc?
Before the MSc, I studied economics at undergraduate level.
Are there any course units you found particularly useful and why?
I found most useful the units of Stochastic Calculus, Computational Finance, Financial Econometrics and Interest Rate Derivatives. I think these four units are the core of the programme, since there is a strong relationship between them. Whatever your learn in the first three it can be put to practice right away in the last one, since these one will show you how some well known derivatives such as swaptions and others can be priced just like in the real world.
What have you been doing since graduation?
Now I am working as a Financial Economist for the Central Bank of Chile. In particular, I work for the Financial Research Unit in the Financial Policy Division. I support the research of the Senior Economist and I also will have to conduct my own research in fields like Financial - Macroeconomics, Financial Stability and Financial Econometrics.
What has been the biggest benefit of studying at Alliance MBS?
The main thing has been the opportunity to share my class with extraordinary people, highly prepared which meant that one had to perform at the top level to succeed. In particular, the class may be very competitive, so you have to work hard to achieve a merit or distinction.
What advice would you give to new Masters students?
For the new Master students I would say, first, show a strong commitment and perseverance, you will need both of them across the year.
Second, keep yourself motivated, this is very important if you want to get more than a Pass. In particular, the great difference between a postgraduate and an undergraduate degree is that in a Masters course, you have to learn everything that you can, and take advantage of some specialised units which will give you specific knowledge that might differentiate you from other professionals when you start your job hunting.
Finally, enjoy your time at Alliance MBS, the University of Manchester and the City of Manchester. It is just a year and there are a lot of good things to do and see, so my advice is never stay at home, even in winter - I found the University and city to be an exciting place to be and I would highly recommend the experience.