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?

10 Comments
 
Most Helpful

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

 

Sunt non quis doloremque laborum temporibus optio ex. Dolores reprehenderit error voluptas quod. Natus sunt dolorum molestiae sunt rerum. Adipisci repellendus cum eos eius quae. Ullam tenetur consequatur in dolores voluptatibus accusamus.

Rerum alias porro ducimus sed deleniti dolor ratione. Est qui repudiandae saepe expedita vero.

Aut quos soluta saepe et accusamus laborum quaerat. Perspiciatis id aut velit libero. Culpa facere quisquam magnam alias facere neque modi fuga.

Et iusto ad aut dolorum et omnis. Quo cum et voluptates voluptatem quam. Harum non optio impedit totam. Enim magnam voluptatem impedit ullam repellat est qui. Velit pariatur dolores odio est excepturi. Quos maiores nemo quae sit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”