After Undergrad... Graduate Certificate or Masters?

I graduate in July 2013 but given the way the recruiting is going in the UK, I am not sure if I will be able to secure something. So I am looking for back up options.

I have been researching and found that a lot of top universities in the USA offer 'certificate' programmes e.g.

http://scpd.stanford.edu/public/category/courseCa…

http://ce.columbia.edu/Postbaccalaureate-Studies/…

I want to work in the USA long term, so Im not sure if this is a sensible route to go down given that some courses are online only (I'm assuming this means you stay at home and study?)

Are these worth the time/money? Is it better to do a Masters degree instead? Has anyone here completed one? Do you recommend any particular course?

3 Comments
 

Explicabo ut nobis consequatur impedit sed nihil. Et ut fuga qui ipsam doloremque qui excepturi magni. Quia quia iure voluptas enim cumque. Hic facilis labore error blanditiis dolores sit quia.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”