Best Choice for IB/M&A in London – RSM vs. VU vs. Tilburg
I’m deciding between three master’s programs in the Netherlands and would appreciate insights on which is the best choice for breaking into Investment Banking/M&A in London, particularly at Bulge Bracket firms. The programs are:
1. MSc BA – Accounting & Financial Management (Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University)
2. MSc Finance (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam – FT #56)
3. MSc Finance (Tilburg University – FT #47)
Which of these programs is the most recognized among London IB recruiters and practitioners? Any insights on alumni placement, reputation, or overall strength for this career path would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Up!
RSM of course, it's the best in the NL :)
Yes but the course the master’s is more accountancy/audit than valuation/corporate finance. What’s your take on this?
Does not really matter :) reputation is what counts most. Worst case work and apply early next year to F&I. Good luck
Up!!!!
RSM
the other programs don’t hold nearly as much weight with recruiters.
Is it the fact that reputation > what you study? And GPA > ~ reputation?
RSM has a Finance & Investment master’s but i would have to wait till september 2026 to get in. I don’t want to do that as i’m 25 and by the time i graduate i would be 27. However, if i do the master’s in accounting and financial management i can simply start this year. The AFM program is more targeted towards auditing rather than corporate finance. What do you think is the best course of action?
I see this is a few days old, but in case you have not decided yet..
Relevant background: I studied Business at Erasmus some years ago. Initially I had chosen the Accounting specialisation, but I personally found it soooo boring (no offence intended to accountants, I am sure it is right for some but it wasn't for me), so I switched to specialising in Finance/Investments and ended up in Trading in London.
My take: I looked at the curriculum for the three courses and also at the Financial Times Masters in Finance rankings. The other two are not that far behind RSM in the rankings. So I would recommend prioritising the content over the university in this case. The Finance degrees allow you to specialise in Corporate Finance and you will learn a lot of relevant material. Accounting will be somewhat related but then you would still need to study the corporate finance stuff yourself.
Another thought: I am sure you know how competitive it is to get into London IB. The reality is that lots/most people won't get their dreamjob. If you like Corporate Finance more than Accounting then I think it makes more sense to study that, if you don't think you'll ever want to work as an Accountant.
Good luck with your decision!
Hey man, thank you for the detailed reply.
I’m already learning CF/Valuation/Modeling on my own (think BIWS and WSO courses). Is it feasible to do the AFM program while learning the aforementioned courses to capitalize on both brand name as well as not having to wait to next year to join F&I to do things i already know? What’s your take on this?
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