MS Finance vs internship

Hi everyone,

I'm a sophomore at a West Coast semi-target, and I'm debating over whether or not to get a Masters in Finance. My school has a progressive degree program where I can take MS Finance coursework and graduate in an extra year, but I've enough completed units to actually get the MSF + BS Business in my 4 years of undergrad. However, the catch is that I'd have to stay in school over this upcoming summer and rule out any internships. Is it worth sacrificing a soph summer internship to begin my graduate coursework, or would it hurt my chances of securing a junior summer internship? Thanks for reading-- I'd appreciate a response.

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Do an internship. Masters are only useful if you're out of options and need re-branding (assuming you complete your MSc at a target program) & a second chance at recruiting. You're still a sophomore, plenty of time to secure a SA position or a FT position if you're out of luck junior year.

To infinity... and beyond!
 

Veritatis similique quod tempora nesciunt et adipisci. Et molestias illo quod nemo libero excepturi consectetur.

In qui blanditiis aspernatur autem molestiae. Ut dolores mollitia commodi eum.

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 12 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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”