Hey all,
I have been lurking here for a while and have really loved the information and incite I get from reading your posts.
I just had question I thought of as I consider going back to school while continuing to pursue trading. My questions is what do you think is the best degree you could obtain that could help you with your trading, not including finance.
I appreciate any responses.
Good questions…
A few answers on this thread (and some.related threads also on Quora):
Why would anyone need a degree to help with trading?
(though it would be helpful in getting a well paid job to fund the trading account initially if needed, but it seems a long, tough, undertain and expensive route to get money).
If you are in the UK doing an undergrad without doubt the best degree is Actuarial Science at the LSE:
Post Grad Financial Engineering at Imperial. or Comp Science at Oxbridge, best for employment prospects.
If you’re looking for a job in finance the Actuarial Science degree will be the best option; you will role out of school as a part qualified Actuary with skills relevant for the Buy and Sell side (Hedge Fund, Investment Banking or Trading) e.g the FIG team in Investment Banking need specifically Actuaries. So you can either complete your qualifications or go into banking. The entry level salary for completing (takes 3 years) is not so good (25 - 40k) but when you are done you can easily command more than £900 a day contracting.
If you want to go into banking, the minute after you get into any one of those programs you should pick the phone and find (LinkedIn) senior level alumni to have “coffee” with (Executive Director or above only). In that case Oxbridge is better for contacts although Financial Engineering at imperial is more relevant academically.
Do your background on the contacts before you meet them and do not be timid with your flattery. Meet a couple of people per bank (spread your risk) and you should have secured an interview. If you are good, you might find yourself in a situation where you are offered your pick of jobs that are not advertised and you are the only candidate interviewing.
The good news is that you can study at the LSE on their external programme which is very easy to get into:
I think that is the link but look around. A good friend of mine is working as an Investment Banker at JP Morgan of the back of an LSE (external) degree.
Also, things like these:
B861 - Investment and portfolio management - Open University Course
Financial-Trading-Analysis.pdf (128 KB)
There is a company in London that does an MSc programme in Proprietary Trading.
Haven’t personally done it, but you can check it out at
Cheers.
Education focus on being right, trading is not about being right… and pulling the trigger and get to know yourself better, isn’t something you can study or get a degree in. However, if you want to go work in investment banking, by all means knock youself out with a degree or two 
but for actual trading, I would put my educational money in a trading account
macro economics
math
sociology
... see:
"Master's degree in finance"
(though there is no mention of what your undergrad. would be: horticulture?) 
Then again...
THESE people
do not even want to SEE your little degree haha
You don’t need a university degree to trade successfully from home…if that is your aim. What you need is a lot of time and patience, a little nous, the ability to handle your finances (and your trading account) to your best possible advantage and [U]rock solid psychology[/U]. Anything else is surplus to requirements…possibly helpful but definitely not necessary.
Not needing a degree and a degree being helpful are two different things though. A degree in macroeconomics would certainly be helpful to any trader, even if they can trade without it.
I’ve got a Degree in Finance with Risk Management - I can also openly admit that it’s been little to no use for Retail Trading.
The bottom line, in my opinion, is that Finance really is common sense from both a management and a corporate accounting view.
There seems to be a stigma attached to trading, at least from a corporate view point. They only employee the best of the best; when in reality a degree is just another way to filter through the applicants.
If I ever had the opportunity to interview people for a trading role I would certainly not use degree’s as a filtering process. Rather, the characteristics of the person and the way they react in certain situations would be far more important. That cant be taught from a book, however a degree can.
Does it help with fundamental analysis, at least?