Is the Degree: Finance MA (Master of Arts) Looked down upon by IB recruiting?
I am an incoming student at the University of Edinburgh, and I was puzzled when I could not find any BSc degrees in Economics or Finance. So, I settled on a Finance & Business MA degree.
I just wanted to know...
Is this Looked down upon in the IB world?
Can I still make it into the Upper BB Banks?
What are some things I could do to increase my chances?
EDIT: The University Of Edinburgh calls its 4 year bachelor “Masters” apparently it’s a Scottish Edinburgh thing. So it’s basically a regular bachelor. There are some quantitive classes but it’s not as heavy relative to Ivys for example.
I’ve seen a lot of alumni break into Investment Banks but the majority of them have other schooling separate from UoE
It's not so much about the degree but about the uni. You're cooked buddy
Yeah but isn’t Edinburgh a semi-target? I saw a healthy pool of undergraduates scoring Summer internships at upper BB banks
Yeah?? Some BB banks conduct a lot of informational events from what I can tell. And looking at the career hub I see a lot of banking opportunities listed. And most sources say it’s upper-semi target but I think there’s a hidden caveat.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to know:
Degree Perception in IB Recruiting:
Making it into Upper BB Banks:
Increasing Your Chances:
By focusing on these areas, you can enhance your profile and improve your chances of breaking into top investment banks.
Sources: Finance Degree Worth More Than Accounting Degree?, Masters in Finance after M.S. in Financial Engineering, yay or nay?, Breaking Into Banking: Your Timetable is Everything, Transitioning from tech to a serious finance job (yes, you read that right), Banking is hot again at top MBA programs
I asked my own firm's HR team about degree selection and they said they really don't rank one course over another - they have a lot more Finance / Economics / etc. in the groups they put through to interview than the general student population, but that's the result of a massive sample selection bias (+ my own speculation they might be better-positioned for the online numerical tests). So by extension at least at my firm (and we're not a niche boutique or anything), BA and BSc are viewed similarly, all else equal.
As another user has posted, it's more about university. Edinburgh is Russell Group and I'd say semi-target. I wouldn't say you're cooked but obviously you'll need to do a lot of work
Thank you for going out of your way to ask.
And yeah, The consensus is that Edinburgh is a good Semi-Target. Can you maybe share some headers about the "Working Hard" point?
Any tips besides networking, grades, and technical knowledge?
Of course. And I'd add that everyone really should be "working hard" - any Oxbridge or LSE students shouldn't assume it'll be easy. On how to prepare, I've posted the below elsewhere and editted it a bit for you, and hopefully relevant more for someone about to start university.
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1) Be involved in finance / economics-related societies and attend their events, particularly career-related. I can't comment on specific societies without knowing Edinburgh (I didn't study there), but all universities have the same sort of societies
2) Do a Spring Week. Apply early and apply broadly. Get advice from people in societies. Don't faff about, get your CV sorted and send those applications out early rather than hesitate.
3) Get a role / leadership position in a society, or found one (probably more a Year 2 than Year 1 thing), but in your first year there'll be elections towards the end of the year so be aware of those, and there may even be roles for first years.
4) Network A LOT - try to find people who you have something in common with (same hometown, university, course, etc.) and be personal.
5) As far as summer courses / technical preparations go maybe look at WSO or BIWS - not a formal course as such, but something to educate and prepare you for assessment centres, and indicate some interest in the sector.
6) Find some extra-curricular (ideally, relevant) activities for yor CV. Something finance-related is good, but absolutely don't shy away from having something interesting on there. A great way to grab you interviewer's attention is if you have something in common that's specific. Obviously you need to be lucky, but unless your hobbies are just plain weird or controversial, then listing your niche interests can't hurt (e.g. if you and your interviewer both have military experience, are both keen surfers, or both follow the same anime, it's a conversation-starter)
7) Some of the societies I mentioned above run investment or stock-pitching programs. It's been a while since I graduated so, honestly, I don't know how these work, but I see them increasingly on CVs.
8) You probably stand a good chance with Consulting so do explore this too.
9) Look into first year internships, or a volunteering program for your first year summer. Not a need-to-have but any additional relevant items for your CV are always helpful. These aren't especially common but I do increasingly see them (admittedly more on continental European or APAC CVs rather than British).
10) Hard one, but if you start your own business it's likely to show hustle. It doesn't need to be a successful business, but could be running a YouTube channel reviewing skateboards, buying a bunch of doorway pull-up bars and selling them on campus, or gutter cleaning for the good people of Edinburgh)
I probably forgot some things so hopefully others add. If you want some more advice about life (totally unsolicited) then do enjoy your time while at university, because it's your most valuable ressource and you lose it quickly. Find hobbies, travel, etc. Good luck!
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