Boston College MSF vs. CAss Msc Finance
Hello, I am debating between going to Cass msc finance program and Boston College MSF program. It would be great if people can comment on the comparability between the two programs, specifically relating to job prospects upon graduation. I am a US citizen, so don't know if that will make any difference. I would be looking for entry level jobs in finance (IB, Asset Management, corporate finance, Haven't really narrowed it down). I am also a CFA level II candidate for June exam.
Any advice or opinion would be greatly appreciated. Thanks people!!!
I think Boston is a far better option. Cass is well located, but not yet particularly reputable in Europe. Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Warwick, UCL in the UK or even Bocconi, HEC Paris, Stockholm, Rotterdam and St. Gallen in Europe would give you better chances of a FO role in London.
Thanks for sharing your opinion. From the little bit of research that i have done, I've heard that while city university (undergrad) itself doesn't have a great reputation, the cass business school is well reputed and its msc finance seems to carry some weight in UK (ie. decent job placement).
Boston college is more of a mystery to me. I know BC has a good brand name in the US, but I don't know anything about job prospects in its MSF program. My concern is that the program is geared more towards experienced professionals (ie. avg work experience 4 years). Hence job prospects not as ample for entry level candidates like me. Now I've heard, not sure if accurate, that there really isn't much recruiting done via career service for this program, but rather opportunities are primarily found through networking. This could potentially be a problem for a entry level candidate.
Any thoughts on the accuracy of my information or any comments????
When I mentioned that Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Warwick, UCL, Bocconi, HEC Paris, Stockholm, Rotterdam and St. Gallen are above CASS, I was refering to the master level. Even Durham is a better option.
So CASS will give you an option to get a FO job in London, but not a big one. For US it would be very very hard, since I know of quite a few Oxbridge candidates failing to make it to New York. They have too many good candidates in the US already, so they don't need to look outside.
Having said this, I have no idea of the placement ability of Boston College. It just "sounds" better than Cass here in Europe.
Cass's undergrad is worse than its masters programme, so really the university as a whole is Oxbridge, Imperial, Warwick, LSE, UCL, Bocconi, HEC, RSM, SSE and St. Gallen. I'd also throw in schools like Bath, KCL, Nottingham and Bristol as superior institutions.
To the OP, don't do Cass. With a 700 GMAT you should be able to get into a more competitive european programme. Look at the Warwick MSc Finance if you want to study in England. (you probably won't get into Oxbridge/LSE with your relatively low quantitative score/GPA)
BC's program is actually better for someone already in the industry just looking for a little "bump" on their resume. From what I heard (friends, acq etc) it does "okay" into boston based boutiques but recruiting isn't spectacular...not sure of your situation, but if you worked a couple years in the field and wanted to "get an extra look by firm" or don't have experience in a certain field etc... then it's not a bad program...on the otherhand, if you have no experience and banking on this to find you a job, it might not be the best option... just my opinion based on what I heard...take it for what it is...gluck
Hey Bean! Thanks for sharing your opinion. I've heard something along those lines as well about BC MSF career viabilities. And given that i have little to none experience, I'm having my doubts as to how successful I would be in securing job placements after the program.
Do you have any opinion about cass msc finance program? I am really confused as to which program makes more sense for me.
Isn't the MSF at BC a night time program? I remember looking at it and it was primarily at night. I could be wrong. BC is a good school, good name recognition.
BC MSF is a full time, one-year program. Though I think there is the option to do it part-time as well. It's a good program, but you're not going to see BB recruiting for IBD from BC grad programs. Undergrads, yes. Grads, no.
Seems like cass would be a better choice for someone in your situation based on the fact that you have little to no exp...but also keep on mind that Cass isn't that well know in the states...where do you want to end up working US vs Europe...Cass is 2nd tierish in a sense that you have the "Europe Ivies" oxford lse Cambridge then cass...if you wanted to work in Europe for a couple of year then transfer to ny Boston sf later on cass might be the route to go
Btw did you get accepted to both and what are your stats if you don't mind me asking
I don't think I would mind working in UK....eventually i'll probably enjoy it. But i think my main concern is probably the transition period of settling in London for school, given that I've done most of my schooling in the US and feel quite at home here. Also, not sure what kind of opportunities I'll have over at Cass. So given the financial commitment of going to school in London, going to Cass seems a bit daunting in light of all the unknown variables.
Stats: GPA: 3.4 from top 100 universities in US Gmat: 700 (Q48, V 38) CFA Level II candidate
Don't really have a particularly strong math background (ie. completed Calculus I&II)
If Anyone can provide some insights on Cass MSC finance program or BC MSF program, it would greatly appreciated.
Thanks people!!!
Hey people !!! Appreciate the responses. Although a little late in the application process, now I am thinking of applying to a few more schools.What do people think of Bocconi Master Finance program in comparison with Cass?? I don't speak italian, so would that be a problem in terms of job prospects??
I would really appreciate any suggestions or inputs as now am more lost that before.
Thanks people!!!
Bocconi, along with HEC, RSM, SSE, and St. Gallen are considered the core Continental European target schools. Many graduates from all of these programmes do front office investment banking in London. Bocconi has a very good reputation for finance. The drawback, of course, is that it's in Italy, and if you don't speak Italian, you will be limited to working in the UK (Bocconi has a near monopoly on FO IB positions in Milan but you likely won't be eligible for them without language proficiency). Many of the Bocconi programme's graduates go on to work in London (especially the ones with the highest marks) so if you do well academically you have a good chance. This holds true for any of the schools I mentioned above. Let's just say that if you attend these programmes you will definitely get interviews, the rest is up to you.
tentop, are you fucking retarded or are you just completely oblivious to how to navigate a website. If you can't answer the question about needing to know Italian on your own then you don't deserve to go onto grad school. Sorry, but this is the honest truth.
dipset, this is the second time today you've lashed out at a hapless poster, are we having a bad day?
I'm certain the Bocconi website doesn't mention the effect not speaking Italian will have on career prospects. That being said, I agree that the OP could have logically concluded that not speaking Italian will limit his job prospects to outside Italy. I can't blame him for being thorough though.
Dipset is pretty harsh, but I have to agree with him when it comes to the knowing Italian comment. I mean common.
This is the thing everyone looking at MSF programs need to keep in mind. You will be competing with UG kids when it comes to jobs. You go for a MSF degree specifically because you do not have the necessary work experience for an MBA. I think a MSF is an better degree than an MBA because it is focused on one thing vs a generalized business degree, but IB isn't rocket science. MBA teaches networking, presentation, poise, management, leadership, etc. MSF gives you a deep understanding, but you probably don't need to know all the underlying financial theory to succeed in IB.
In Europe it's very common for students to do a 3 year undergrad and then a 2 year masters. In Italy, it's called the 3+2 programme. Definitely doesn't have any negative stigma attached to it as it might in the USA, many many other job candidates you'll meet at final rounds will be from MSc finance programmes.
Hey people, Thanks for the inputs (including dipset). Yes, i could infer that speaking italian would be necessary to work in Italy. But i wanted to know more about prospects for candidates who don't, such as me. (ie. feasibility for candidates to seek employment in english speaking parts of Europe through). The devil is in the details, at least thats how i always approach situations.
That said, I really appreciate all the comments. If people have more inputs to add about Bocconi master finance program, please share them with me.
Thanks people!!!
Natus nesciunt vitae quam nesciunt. Harum laboriosam inventore ut tempora. Molestiae consequatur neque quis eos aut in. Voluptatem accusantium a sequi mollitia a a.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Nesciunt voluptas quod corrupti eaque cumque non nobis. Sint possimus quasi esse asperiores. Adipisci debitis accusamus ullam rerum repellat. Quia est voluptatem hic temporibus saepe velit est ea.
Sed est sequi sunt asperiores eos non consequatur voluptatem. Ex doloremque ipsa rem non ab repellat repellat.
Quisquam corporis nostrum optio error. Ab ad rerum non quibusdam sint. Quod voluptatibus aliquam maiores repudiandae magni est et. Sunt voluptas quia cum laboriosam sed. Quia rerum ipsum rerum.