International Students

Hey guys, I’m from South Africa, want to start a career in IB/ PC. Problem is south african will have no weight in USA/Can/Europe, cheapest option for me would be to study in Switzerland, maybe Canada or an online option from a respected university. Will a masters degree in finance help me as an foreigner to get a career in IB/ PC in either of these countries mentioned above?

 
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I can only speak for the US. But MS and Msc programs aren’t as popular and aren’t regarded as highly as they are outside the US. The jobs available after a non mba masters are the same as with a undergrad degree. But, I’ve noticed a lot international students do masters programs in the US to find jobs here, particularly, those who want to go into Tech and finance. It’s slightly more challenging to recruit for IB with a masters given you only have a year in most cases and it doesn’t really fit summer analyst to full time recruiting timeframe. There are two year finance masters programs that place well (vabderbilt, uva) but you are still competing with undergrads who’ve had 3-4 years to prep. They are also pricey if cost is a concern. The best option, in my opinion, is to work a minimum of two years and apply for an MBA. It’s expensive and you might have to take out a few loans (the institutions fund loans for Int students) but I think you have a much higher chance of getting into IB. Assuming you get into a good school, but that’s also the case in all the options above.

 

With a master's degree from Europe no chance to have a shot for IB in the US even from Oxbridge. However, if you go to a target UK or European uni (HSG in Switzerland is a target) banks in London will consider you. Plenty of European students in London have a master's degree

 

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