Columbia SIPA Vs. Columbia Business School Msc programs

We all know that in NYC, Columbia's MBA gives you the best opportunities for finance roles.

But getting into the program is difficult.

As an alternative route, a lot of people also enrol into Masters programs in Columbia's SIPA school and get finance roles - search linkedin to verify this.

But how would the SIPA school's programs compare to CBS's other non MBA masters - the Msc in Financial Economics and a new Msc in Accounting and Financial Analysis, if the goal is to get into NYC's finance industry.

This will help me plan my strategy for next year, I don't think CBS MBA will take me.

Please guys any advice?

15 Comments
 
Best Response

What kind of finance roles do SIPA students get? Even if a SIPA student were to get an IBD job, they'd probably start as an analyst and not an Associate. In any case, if you want to get into finance (depending on the role) I would say any of them would give you a better shot than SIPA. The financial economics is probably for people who want to go into Asset Management or trading, while the new Master's in Accounting is probably going to be a feeding ground for F500, big4 , and a few people going into finance.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers
 

Columbia SIPA vs. CBS - it really doesn't matter. Columbia Graduate is one liner and employers don't usually don't go that detail. I would say Columbia SIPA these days are equally hard to get into as you have more applicants from what I hear.

 

I would check the recruiting access. it's likely that SIPA doesn't have CBS job postings, and you'd be out of sync badly if you don't follow undergrad or MBA hiring cycles

 

It's fair tht they get IB jobs, but why go through the hassle of having to come up with or spin a story just to get people to talk to you? Yeah, it's still Columbia, but like @whattherock" says - make sure there's recruiting access and other things that'll make it easier if you decide to go the SIPA route, because if you don't get IB then what? You have a public policy degree and it'll probably likely be hard to get typical finance roles.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers
 

@whattherock" OttoReadmore thanks guys. SIPA is yet to get back to me, but CBS advised that they offer help to Msc students and some of this help overlaps with what is offered to MBA students.

Yes the risk of just having a public policy degree would be high.

Just one last q: CBS Masters or SIPA which one would be harder to get in? GRE route not GMAT. Thanks

 

Looks like you don't have any offers yet. Basically you don't have the ability to choose yet. I wouldnt mind being picky over two offers, but I do wonder if they'd be like you're applying to two varying Columbia programs, and you look like you can't think straight.

 

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