Certificate or Honors Thesis
I am a junior at Northwestern University, deciding whether I should pursue an honors thesis in Economics or a financial economics certificate from Kellogg. The economics degree I have is not from Kellogg, as undergraduates are not allowed to take those courses. However, as someone who is entering banking, maybe transferring to the buy-side and getting an MBA later on, would an honors economics thesis be the route to go, or should I pursue a certificate from Kellogg that is geared toward banking and the fields I will be pursuing?
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to consider:
Honors Thesis in Economics:
Financial Economics Certificate from Kellogg:
Recommendation: If your primary focus is on entering banking, transitioning to the buy-side, and eventually pursuing an MBA, the Financial Economics Certificate from Kellogg is likely the better choice. It aligns more closely with your career trajectory and offers practical skills and industry relevance that will be immediately beneficial. The honors thesis, while impressive, may not carry the same weight in the finance world unless it directly ties into your career goals.
Sources: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/school/msc-finance-at-tilburg-university-or-msc-business-economics-financial-economics-major?customgpt=1, Northwestern ECON vs IU Kelley vs Vanderbilt ECON, Q&A: Buy-Side Analyst, Feel Trapped, Exit Opps From Sell-Side ER?, Advice on career and the switch into investment banking
probably the certificate, but clubs and internships should be your bigger concern. the classes themselves probably wont matter, just the gpa and school, so prioritize what is actually applicable and what you will get a good gpa in
Current NU student - Kellogg FE certificate won't really help your buy-side recruiting outcomes and may impact your GPA as those classes are known to be quite rigorous. As @Paul_Owen mentioned, GPA is way more important so I would just do everything I can to keep that as high as possible. Honors thesis in Econ could have a slight benefit if you write something about private equity/M&A but I doubt most firms will care. Maybe use your time to practice Excel/PPT to make sure you get your return offer for FT.
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