LSE FINANCE MSC OR CFA?

I have been offered a place at the LSE to read MSc Finance. yay me! However, it is £35,000 and I have to do the work ie dissertation and go to classes Do you think it is a worthwhile thing to do and spend my money on or would I be better off trading the £35,000 and doing a CFA? I should point out that my previous degree is non-finance (Law undergrad and Public Relations MA)

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Hi

So basically trading is going to be my 2nd career (late 30s) I have a UG in Law, then I did Management certificate conversion and worked in a senior role for a multi-million pound property development firm.

In my 'retirement' in 2017 I went to one of those Mickey Mouse Trading schools where you pay over £100 a day for 2 months to play around on the SIM and listen to lectures on rubbish like 'Traders psychology'. Anyway, I discovered that I have a real talent and passion for understanding the markets and above all that it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and wanted to work in it.

I trade my own account now. I have gained the CISI Capital Markets benchmark qualification and IMC too. Will be taking SEIC over the summer. But I want to work aka trade not study. I feel like I have proven my intelligence and intellectual aptitude with other qualifications I have. I have also gained relevant qualifications that show I have the ABC knowledge of the market workings.

Ultimately, I am only interested in working trading, because I am BORED of studying. I was leaning more toward the CFA as it is competitively priced, independent study and from what I understand, more respected than an academic masters?

As I mention earlier, my only goal is to get my foot in the door in banks, prop shops etc, and the quickest route at that. Any ideas .... its difficult cos Im not the average candidate, in many ways ;)

 

Quis iusto maiores dolorem distinctio id minima. Nihil maiores at sapiente voluptas unde tempore. Dicta quas id aliquam beatae nostrum alias nesciunt. Qui consequatur amet neque explicabo iste aut qui. Blanditiis ut facere iure in cumque excepturi. Quam in dolores cum repudiandae impedit id.

Consectetur facilis ad doloremque. Non commodi et ipsum nemo rerum quae laboriosam.

Eius voluptatem pariatur magnam aut culpa. Nulla quidem cumque vel corrupti temporibus. Possimus illum reiciendis magnam reprehenderit delectus. Qui vitae sit commodi molestiae consequuntur recusandae. Ullam quae esse mollitia. Omnis similique et vel culpa molestias nam doloribus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (66) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”