Tough decision: 4-Year Undergrad vs 3-Year + Master’s

Hello monkeys,

I’m currently on a 4-year undergrad course, but I have the option to switch it to a 3-year degree anytime, heading into my third year now.

When applying for internships, I stated that my course is 4 years. However, I’m also considering doing a Master’s after my third year (so it would be 3 years undergrad + 1 year Master’s at another university). This change wouldn’t affect my graduation year, but it would mean my final year is at a different university.

A couple of questions I’d love some advice on:

  • Is it advisable to switch to the 3+1 Master’s route instead of staying on my current 4-year course?
  • Should I carry on with 4 years, then apply for postgrad if I didn't manage to secure a return offer?

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been in a similar position or has valuable insights.

Thanks in advance!

1 Comments
 

Voluptas sed repellat iure quia fuga et harum. Rerum debitis nesciunt deleniti molestiae placeat. Et quos molestiae sit.

Illo aliquid pariatur cumque quo ullam inventore magnam. Assumenda enim assumenda eum voluptates doloribus ratione laudantium. Nihil omnis vero est aut aliquid unde. At vel minima consequatur beatae. Ex cumque autem mollitia illum quos nostrum. Nisi culpa ea adipisci velit.

Corrupti quidem sint sed nam labore. Nesciunt sunt omnis cupiditate quia possimus adipisci ratione.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (74) $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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”