What are target Masters in finance programs in the US
I’m looking at going to the Us for a masters of science in finance program. I am too young and only have two years of experience so an MBA at the moment is out of the picture. I currently work in financial advisory with a previous stint in investment banking M&A.
I need help as I do not know which masters program would be helpful in terms of cost/reputation/recruitment. All I know are the brand name schools but there are other schools that place just as well that may be overlooked.
Here is my profile with total experience.
Target school — Canada / 3.0 gpa/3.9 major GPA for finance (my last two years were better than my first two)
Current work — financial advisory in technology — Senior Analyst
Previously investment banking analyst Middle Market M&A
- closed three mandates/worked on equity financing transactions
Would my work experience help me with my overall holistic profile even though my GPA is low? I am planning to make sure my GMAT is high? I may need to write a personal statement letter.
I just need help on schools that would fit my profile and I may have a shot in getting into. I want to spend the money on a good school that is worth it and not drop 100k on a masters just to go to school.
Thanks!
The masters of finance programs are expensive and mostly 1 yr programs at $50k / yr. I’m not sure if they give scholarships at all (or large scholarships)
None of them are “targets” for NYC as the candidates are mostly lower quality - call them semi targets for banks in non-NYC markets
Vanderbilt
Texas (Austin)
Wash U St. Louis
USC and UCLA (expensive)
SMU
Appears Yale does but it might be very new
What do you mean by “lower quality” candidates?
Because most of the folks I know that went UG>>MSF>>IB Analyst did so because they decided they wanted to pursue a banking career some time after their sophomore year of college (and so they missed the boat for on cycle OCR). That gives these people the chance to recruit on cycle their junior year, intern the summer after their senior year, and start FT after the victory lap MSF 5th year.
Honestly, I've worked with analysts that didn't even know what banking really was (in terms of what the job entails, how to get it, how to prepare for interviews, etc) until their senior year - a lot of these candidates have engineering degrees that didn't discover finance until late in the game......which more or less saves them from doing the whole MBA application process + 2 years of school + 1 year of learning the job FT (and the year delay from receiving a non-stub year end bonus). A lot of these guys generally recruit for FT spots during the summer before or 1st fall semester of their MSF program, as well.
Full disclosure: I work in a satellite city coverage office that recruits heavily from a BBA program that also has a well respected MSF program (mentioned a few times in this thread), so everything I wrote above might not be appropriate to extrapolate over the entire universe of MSF programs out there.
Some of my friends from Canada went to schools like Fordham MS in finance and places pretty well in NYC - mind you they didn’t cold apply they networked a lot.
For the school or nyc offers?
There are plenty of scholarships in MSF programs. Its not unheard of to knock down the $50k price tag to $20-$25k.
What do you want from the MSF? Whats your end goal?
MSF programs are typically an extension for undergrad students that want an extra recruiting cycle to break in or that want a stronger school brand name. I went through an MSF program and there were only 2-3 people with prior work experience. Everyone else just lacked the internships in undergrad, went to nontargets, etc. and decided to try their hand again.
You don’t fit that imagine. Consider looking into MBA programs and waiting a year if you think its too soon. I don’t think you would get much value from an MSF.
MS programs are usually tacked on right after college, many of their internship "successes" are people who used it as an extra year of school to make them eligible for undergrad SA programs - so the recruiting cred is not really because they went and did the master's. Recruiting is slim out of MS degrees, since FT recruiting happens in August - before you would even start. Also, MS programs recruit for entry-level Analyst jobs so most places would ding you for having too much experience.
3-5 years of experience is fine for MBA. I would spend a year crushing the GMAT (top score will help make up for low GPA), working on your apps and then go for M7 or top 15 MBA.
What do you want out of this? Sounds like you have good experience but in an international country (is this Canada or another country?). Are you looking to work in the US? If so, make sure your MBA is STEM-designated for extra visa time. But IB background -> top MBA will get you looks at most US investment banks.
Hi. This is Canadian experience in Toronto. I'd want to do a masters program but now that I think about it it may not be worth it because I've been out of school for a year and I have more professional experience. I maybe should continue to work and then do an MBA instead. Also, what I want to get out of this is an opportunity to work in the US with greater professional education and An opportunity to recruit in the US.
It sounds like a masters of finance may not be helpful as like you said it’s usually done right after undergrad.
Just curious where did you do your UG? Off the top of my head about 3 schools in Ontario are common enough that your good GPA + any semi good school with OPT should be fine.
And are grad programs like way expensive in Canada? Schulich and Queens are 100k+? And other no name schools are around there? You could be better off here then. But what’s the plan do you wanna move here permanently?
Okay so I went to one of those schools think Ivey, McGill or queens undergrad. Also doing a grad program in Canada isn’t rlly worth it because big banks don’t like recruiting at the mba level as they would in the USA.
Will my undergrad alone at one of these schools qualify me for opt?
Also yeah I want to move down there permanently that's why I am not looking here for an MBA. more opportunities in the USA than in Canada.
there is no such thing as target master in finance programs in US. in US banks don't target master students. only bachelors and mbas.
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