The London Business School Masters in Finance program is consistently ranked the best (the #1 post experience program in 2011, 2012 and 2013) by the Financial Times Rankings and one of the most well known schools around the world. While the majority of my visitors ask about US programs, there are a few overseas favorites. This is one of them.
I’ve been lucky enough to have received a recent review of the program and think all of you will find it very informative. Hopefully I will be posting more information on the program in the future and really highlighting this great UK program. Anyone interested in living overseas for a year or more and looking for a top graduate education should check it out!
———————————-
1) Why a Masters in Finance in general? Why the London Business School Masters in Finance program in particular?
I’ve always known that, at the right time in my career, I would want to do an MBA; and that, for it to be really worthwhile, it would have to be at one of the top business schools in the world. When I started researching programmes a couple of years ago I came across the London Business School Masters in Finance (MiF) and was impressed with what it offered: (1) a 1-year programme, allowing me to return to work as quickly as possible; (2) a rigorous, MBA-level curriculum, which would allow me to specialise in my areas of interest, without studying less relevant general management classes; (3) the same networking and career benefits that I could gain from any top-5 MBA programme.
I searched the web for similar post-experience masters but realised there was no other programme in the world that would offer the same academic standing, world-leading reputation and extensive network that LBS offered. Once I began to meet with MiF students at the School my first impressions were reinforced, as I realised that everyone was impressive in their own right; intelligent, driven and with strong business experience under their belt. The programme attracts talent from around the world, which leads to a diverse class from a range of nationalities, finance backgrounds, and with a range of career goals – it’s a great social environment and a fantastic place to learn!
2) Pros/Cons (if any) of the degree and LBS experience?
Pros:
- Impressive classmates, from more than 50 different nationalities and with a diversity of professional backgrounds
- It’s the only MSc in Finance in the world comparable with a top MBA (with direct access to leading employers)
- World-leading faculty who are also practitioners (consultants in industry, government and financial institutions)
- Broad and high-quality electives offering
- Experienced career services team with dedicated MiF career coach
- Opportunity to network with MBAs, EMBAs and Sloans
- Access to a huge alumni network, with more than 36,000 alumni
- Located in the heart of London – a buzzing, international city, and world finance hub
- LBS has a huge variety of clubs (over 100) and events that cater for all tastes. No matter what your interests, there will always be way more activities you want to sign-up for than you have time to fit into your week!
Cons:
- London weather is not always the best!
3) Who would you recommend the London Business School Masters in Finance to?
- Any finance professional looking to do a Masters in Finance who has the right experience and can get in (it’s the best in the world so very competitive!)
- MBA applicants, with a finance background, pursuing a career in financial markets roles (asset management, hedge funds, sales, trading, research, strategy, structuring, risk management, etc.)
- MBA applicants with a finance background, who want to focus purely on a finance curriculum, and gain relevant knowledge and technical skills, rather than studying general management classes
If you want to find out if the MiF is for you, you can submit your CV here and a member of the admissions team will then write to you to give you a better idea of how well suited you are to the programme.
4) Anything else. Feel free to talk about recruiting, groups you are involved in, London, job search, etc. Anything you want.
MiF On Campus Recruitment – All MBA roles are also open for MiFs to apply to and, because if the flexibility of our programme, we can apply to full-time positions as well as internships. For many roles in sales and trading, asset management and hedge funds, more MiFs have actually been hired in recent years than MBAs, due to our relevant finance experience (even though we’re a much smaller class – 120 full-time MiFs versus 400 MBAs)
Advantage over US schools – When you’re based in the centre of London, the networking opportunities are boundless, with hundreds of finance headquarters based here. Crucially, though,
European business school recruitment is often only focused on a few top schools, and London Business School is usually considered to be number one. This means that LBS students are highly sought after in Europe, and you won’t have to compete with several other renowned schools like you might have to in the US.
Social life – Whether it’s taking part in club events, going for dinner with classmates or networking with other LBS students over a free beer at Sundowners, there is always something going on in the MiF and School communities. The area around the School is always buzzing with activity, and that’s without even exploring the rest of London! Over the next couple of weeks we have a MiF bonfire night, a Latam Club party, a class Korean dinner and a Christmas cruise down the Thames river to look forward to!
Here is a link to the London Business School Masters in Finance Programme