LBS MFA vs HEC MiM vs (Hypothetical) Oxford MFE – Best Route to IB in London?
Hey everyone,
I’d love to get some diverse perspectives on my situation. I graduated with a First-Class Honours in Finance from a UK university but realized only after graduating that I wanted to pursue investment banking (IB). I am a Non-EU non-UK citizen with a UK Grad visa till 2026 after which I would require sponsorship.
Currently, I’m taking a gap year (2024-25) to strengthen my CV with relevant experience. Right now, I’m wrapping up an IB internship in the UAE (4 months of experience), and I have strong hopes of landing a PE or larger IB internship for the summer before I start my master's.
I’ve been fortunate to receive admissions into:
- London Business School (MFA)
- HEC Paris (MiM) – with a scholarship
- Waiting to hear back from Oxford (MFE)
My ultimate goal is to break into IB in London (BB or EB). I genuinely love the course structures of all three programs, and I’ve been debating which one would position me best for recruiting.
What are your thoughts? Which program do you think would maximize my chances in London IB? Would Oxford’s MFE be the clear winner if I get in? And how does the HEC MiM compare against the LBS MFA.
Would really appreciate any insights from those who’ve gone through these programs or have experience with London recruiting!
Thanks in advance!
Would avoid LBS MFA, declining program over the years where you'll end up with a boutique like Torch or Fenchurch. Then it's a tough call between HEC MiM and Oxford MFE - it all depends on your ability to land this IB/PE gig before your Masters. Without prior experience, I would go for HEC given the 2-years program length, otherwise Oxford MFE.
Thank you for your thoughts! I do constantly hear that the MFA has been on the decline recently. How does HEC MiM recruit into London by the way?
For a Non-EU non-UK citizen ^^
I’m not 100% sure re internationals at HEC, but I will say that there are a lot of non-UK HEC alumni working at BB/EB in London. I.e. the firms that do sponsor often recruit from HEC, so your chances are decent.
This is a good response. The 2-year duration of the HEC Paris MiM benefits you if you do not have prior experience worth noting, but would somewhat waste your time if you do. The answer to the experience question should decide your choice between Oxford and HEC Paris
Thank you!
Slight exaggeration in the above comment - would say it depends on your current resume but given OP has already decent experience, would not struggle to land a summer in a top BB / EB if pursuing the MFA. Would still priorities Oxford if you can get in. Would only recommend HEC if you want to play it safe and have the resources for an extra year (the campus is horrific imo).
if you ultimately want to work in London: choose Oxford/ LBS
Oxford place better than LBS in the recent couple of years (especially this year) with multiple GS in london and europe, multiple JPM (london and europe), BX, Ares, Jane Street, Moe, multiple UBS, Multiple Barc, multiple MS (london and europe), houlihan RX and more in MM (TD, DC, Nomura etc)
I do have to caveat that workload is intense and it is basically irrelevant to your future work. Everyone in this world seems to understand that the master is for kids to find job except the program manager believes this is for pre-phd. People are very stressed about recruiting in the first term and stressed about exams in the second term so thats that.
Would strongly suggest HEC MiM due to optional gap year which you can do, if you didn't get a Summer.
If you are keen on a 1-year master's and already have a strong profile, Oxford is probably respected the most. LBS inflated their class quite a bit, meaning you are competing with more LBS students for the same amount of interviews allocated to LBS students
Right now, I am in a similar position myself (deciding between HEC MiM and LBS MFA).
Could anyone provide any more insights?
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