I was lucky enough to receive another student review of the Georgia State University MSF program, this time from a domestic student currently working in F500. Should give a slightly different perspective and review of the program. Hope all of you find this informative and helpful. Two recent reviews is a great thing and should provide a lot of insight for anyone considering applying.
1) Why an MSF in general? Why the Georgia State University MSF specifically?
The question for me wasn’t whether or not I should get a Master’s degree, but if an MBA was the best fit for my skill set and where I saw myself in the next few years. Because my undergraduate degree was in business, I already had classroom experience with all the various business specialty and I knew I wanted to stay with finance. I decided, instead of retaking classes I’ve already experienced (and did not particularly enjoy), I would focus on the area I did enjoy – finance.
I did fairly extensive research in Atlanta-area programs before I decided on GSU’s program. The areas I considered were: part-time programs (I wanted to continue to work while I pursued this degree), ease of program (how much would the administration help me with things like class scheduling), and, of course, cost. Georgia State University has an excellent reputation in helping their students who work full-time as well as providing real world examples in the class room with their executive faculty and that is ultimately why I chose the program.
2) Who would you recommend an MSF to?
I would recommend an MSF to anyone who wanted to get into the finance industry or wanted to further their knowledge of finance. To be more specific, an MSF is directly applicable for anyone who wants to pursue careers with financial institutions or within treasury departments of corporations.
3) Pros/Cons (if any)?
There are pros to any Master’s program such as increased networking opportunities or advancing your career. Specific to this program, some of the pros include the international experience of the classmates as well as the real world experience many of the professors bring to the classroom and the ability to choose your specialization. Many of my classmates are also sitting for their CFA and CFP certifications and this program helps you succeed in that area.
Though reasonably priced for a higher education degree, the cost associated is definitely a con. A con that is specific to my own experience is the focus on financial institutions because of the relationship Georgia State University has with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Though this is not a con for everyone, and may, in fact, be a pro for many, my interests lie primarily with corporate finance as opposed to financial institutions.
4) Anything else you’d like to talk about. You can discuss Atlanta, recruiting, alumni help, etc. Whatever you think would be helpful to students trying to decide whether or not to attend.
If you want to stay in Atlanta, Georgia State University is the way to go. It has a great reputation throughout the area with connections at all of the Fortune 500 companies in the city.
Here is a link to the Georgia State University MSF Program
