IB/CB after MPA (think Columbia SIPA, Harvard HKS)

Background:

  • 2-year MPA (Columbia/Harvard/Chicago)
  • Prior experience: World Bank – Treasury
  • 2025 Summer internship - EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Devpt)

Career objective: Long-term interest in M&A investment banking, but I’m aware that most IB hiring is funneled through structured summer associate recruiting, which may limit direct entry post-MPA. Given that, I’m also evaluating corporate/retail banking.

  1. How realistic is a transition into M&A IB post-MPA without a traditional pre-MBA IB background?
  2. Do I have a chance to recruit for full-time 2026 corporate/retail banking analyst/associate roles? If so, which banks should I target?
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