The Washington University in St. Louis MSF program is one of the top masters in finance programs out there and their placements every year really reinforce this hard earned reputation. I’ve been able to post for the last 2-3 years their rather comprehensive report and this year continues this trend. Unlike many schools, Washington University in St. Louis prepares a great document for all of their programs discussing placements, salary, etc. Very helpful when students try and compare schools and ultimately make a decision on where to attend. Enjoy and check back soon for more information on this great masters in finance program
2017 Placement Information
Salary Information
This is always something students focus on. I think it is helpful, but it also needs to be taken in context with overall placements. Certain industries (investment banking) has standardized salary and signing bonuses. The median is not always what you should expect. That being said, directionally, it is helpful information.
| Asset Management | 17% | Venture Capital/Private Equity | 11% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diversified Services | 17% | Consulting | 6% |
| Industry Finance | 16% | Investment Banking | 6% |
| Finance - Other | 11% | Commercial Banking | 5% |
| Private Wealth Management | 11% |
* Please note that salary information is for US placements only.
Employment by Job Function (MSCF)
The career paths MSF graduates take coming out of a program is a factor of the economy, the desires of each specific cohort and the general strength of a program. Students typically want investment banking or sales & trading, but the percentage of students who want these careers shift from year to year.
| Asset Management | 28% | Investment Banking | 11% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance—Quantitative Research | 28% | Venture Capital/Private Equity | 11% |
| Capital Markets/Research | 17% | Industry/Corporate Finance | 5% |
Employment by Job Function (MSQF)
The quantitative track has a slightly different career path for many students. With that said, you will see a lot of similar, front office type placements for these students as well.
| Bank of China | Fourthstone | Oracle Corp. |
|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Asset Management | Lewis and Clark Capital | PIMCO |
| Centene Corporation | Moody’s Investors Service | RBC Capital Markets |
| Compass Group Equity Partners | Mooreland Partners | SFMG Wealth Advisors |
| Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P | Morningstar, Inc. | Washington University Investment Mgmt. Company |
| Engro Corporation | NISA Investment Advisors | |
| Enova International | Office of the Comptroller of the Currency |
Organizations that Hired MSCF Students
This list continues to grow every year and with this growth, the alumni network of MSF graduates for incoming students to reach out to. As a program matures, the effort put in during the early years really pays off as MSF graduates get promoted and are able to help other MSF students get interviews. WUSTL has done a great job with this and they continue to add to this roster.
| Akuna Capital | Guotai Junan Securities | Moody’s Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| CCB Principal Asset Management | Houlihan Lokey | NISA Investment Advisors |
| China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC) | HSBC Group | Reinsurance Group of America |
| CIB | Huarong Securities Co. | Shenwan Hongyuan Securities |
| CITIC Guoan Group | IHS Markit | Société Générale Group |
| David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Tungsu Group |
| Essence Securities | Lumeris | Viant Capital |
| Express Scripts | LW Investment Management (USA) LLC | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago | Macroeconomic Advisers | |
| Goldman Sachs | Mastercard |
Organizations that Hired MSQF Students
| Placement Details | Numbers (#) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Total Students | 481 | 100% |
| Students with Placement Information* | 276 | 57% |
| Not Seeking Employment | 12 | 2% |
| Continuing Education | 8 | 67% |
| Other Reason | 3 | 25% |
| Starting New Business | 1 | 8% |
| Seeking Employment | 264 | 55% |
| Full‐time Offer ‐ Accepted | 191 | 72% |
| Still Seeking Employment | 63 | 24% |
All in all, I was pretty impressed with the placements that the Washington University in St. Louis MSF program had last year. The program continues to do very well and this is reflected in the number of applications as well as the range of institutions that they place students in.
Also, heads up, but Round 1 applications are due October 17th. I wanted to alert all of you to this as I have found it gets more competitive the later rounds as fewer slots are available to those who apply.
Here is a link to the Washington University in St. Louis MSF Program
