Banking Summer Internship for Maths Student

[larkin1993]

I'm a maths student going into 3rd year. I was told to start early looking into a banking internship for next summer. The problem is I'm really confused by all the different sectors of the banks. Taking Morgan Stanley for example http://www.morganstanley.com/about/careers/programs/summeranalyst.html . The technology option looks like it might be suitable but I've heard lots of people saying you might want avoid being stuck in the back office. There are so many different areas and I'm wondering which one I as a maths student with programming experience would be suited too? Thanks

 

[meanrev]

I'm on the buy side rather than the sell side, so my advice is limited, but I don't believe there's a lot of creative quantitative work to be done at BBBs for math interns. I'd just go for any front office QA internship. Edit: Looking at the list, I'd go with either IBD or "Strats and Modeling" (never noticed MS had such a department). Possibly fixed income. I'm rather reserved about 'equity research' because that's an area where I feel intelligence is the least of an edge, even though the phrase includes the word 'research'. Ask around WSO.

 

[larkin1993]

Thanks for the advice. I'm a bit confused about the strats and modelling option http://www.morganstanley.com/about/careers/pdf/SA_SM_QF_NA.pdf. At the bottom under requirements it says "A Bachelor’s degree with expertise in Mathematics, Financial Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Quantitative Finance or Computer Science." It then however refers to the applicants as students. Does that mean the summer analyst positions are not open to undergraduate students? When you say IBD I assume the IB is investment banking but what does the D stand for? Thanks again

 

[meanrev]

:) Investment banking division.