Mechanical, Nuclear or Petroleum Engineering?

poorengineer · Post by **poorengineer** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:08 am

Hey guys,

After using the search function, I noticed that the vast majority of engineering PhDs with a quantitative position are from Financial Engineering or EE backgrounds.

I'm curious if anyone has had experience with quants from a Mechanical, Petroleum or Nuclear engineering background.

I ask because as a ME undergraduate I did a stint in Nuclear Engineering and learned how to used MCNPx (Monte Carlo code developed for Los Alamos National Lab) as well as did some simple Uranium price modeling and computational fluid dynamics.

If anyone has had experience with said topics, what is your opinion on its pertinence to quants?

Thanks

tabris · Post by **tabris** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:40 am

Thermo and Fluid dynamics come to mind for applications to quant.

But at the end of the day, its whether you can bring what you learn in your field and apply it to finance, whether you understand the math that is currently being used in finance and whether you can pick up the math from other engineering fields and apply it to finance.

kanukatchit · Post by **kanukatchit** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:08 pm

Students from these type of backgrounds tend to struggle with probability, which every quant, imho needs to have a good base in. This is not your question, but it will come up sooner or later.

Being brutally honest, again imho, its a tough sell with the other plethora of candidates around unless you have some hardcore PDE etc relevant experience. Then again very few things are impossible, this is not one of them.

Hope that helps.

poorengineer · Post by **poorengineer** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:37 pm

What depths of probability are required for a quant?

I ask specifically in relation to an Electrical Engineer--I know that most Nuclear Engineers have to take numerous probability/statistics classes. Petroleum Engineers seem the same way too, on of the doctorate programs I was looking into required heavy knowledge in Geo statistics/probability.

I agree that MEs won't have a sound foundation however perhaps those who specialize in Thermal-Fluids will, due to the ubiquity of PDEs and statistical thermodynamics.

kanukatchit · Post by **kanukatchit** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:41 pm

At the very least being more than familiar with a graduate level introductory class to probability in electrical engineering.

poorengineer · Post by **poorengineer** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:38 pm

Kanukatchit,

I see. Are you by any chance an EE. I am wondering whether there exists stark differences between EE probability and those of other engineering disciplines.

kanukatchit · Post by **kanukatchit** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:12 am

No not EE. But took some classes at some point. why cant we compare course content at a particular University ? In general though, it will depend on who is teaching it etc i.e. the background of the guy/gal teaching it. Engineering tends to be more applied so its going to differ by discipline, no ?

are you yet to decide your grad major ?

poorengineer · Post by **poorengineer** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:54 pm

Kanukatchit,

I agree with you, it is pretty hard to compare programs to programs without a sufficient curriculum or other sources of information. I meant in a "general" sense since barring Financial Engineers, I know that Petroleum Engineers typically have to possess some skill in economic modeling (especially for reserve analysis) but I guess a quantitative analyst needs more technical/math skills rather than brief studies in economics.

In your opinion, is it the more technical/quantitative skills that matter or would a doctorate specializing in Risk/Decision Analysis be more pertinent?