A member of the MSF LinkedIn group was kind enough to provide this student review of the Lewis University Master in Finance program. Located approximately an hour outside of Chicago, the Lewis MSF provides a great opportunity for anyone looking for advance their education.
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1) Why a Master in Finance in general? Why the Lewis Master in Finance program in particular?
I wanted a more specialized degree as opposed to a broad degree in business administration. I already hold a BS in Finance so I saw the MSF as allowing me to develop my finance more. I chose Lewis University because it was affordable and was not too far from the Chicago area. All of their classes are at night so you can still work and go to school.
2) Who would you recommend an MSF to?
I would recommend an MSF to any undergrad student that is going to graduate with less than a 3.0 GPA, doesn’t have a job lined up or wants to develop more of a refined skill set in finance to make themselves stand out more.
3) Pros / Cons (if any) of your program.
- Pros – Specialized finance courses such as Fixed Income, Derivatives 1 & 2, Quantitative Methods for Financial Markets, and etc. All night classes allowing one to work and attend school. Can be completed in 1 calendar year. Designed to prep you for the CFA (professors use actual CFA prep books from the CFA institute). They don’t require the GMAT.
- Cons – School is about 45 mins away from downtown Chicago. Most recruiting is done by local companies (a few large companies such as Caterpillar and Sarah Lee).
4) Misc. Talk about your experience, recruiting, campus, events, whatever you want.
In conclusion I would recommend anyone to go to Lewis University for their master in finance. It’s a good school with good professors. The only major downfall is that I haven’t seen any investment banks or major financial institutions recruiting but some of my classmates worked at some major financial institutions/companies (Northern Trust, Walgreens,…). There are opportunities to network with your class mates as at any other school.
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Here is a link to the Lewis University Master in Finance program