Why is there a difference in the recruiting of an MBA candidate vs. a Msc candidate? My understanding is that when consulting firms and/or banks hire people they add a premium to someone with an MBA vs. someone with a Msc? Why is that, is it simply because most MBAs have 5+ years for work experience while many Msc grads went straight from an undergrad program and thus may have limited experience?
I guess my question is, if you have 5+ years of experience and then go back and get a Msc, would you then be on par with someone coming out of an MBA program or would companies still apply a discount?
The MSF typically attracts more junior individuals. This is the difference. Also, the MBA is used as a career change and/or re-branding. As of right now, there aren't many "top" schools offering the MSF (MIT and Princeton being the exceptions). This also factors into the perceived difference.
Thanks TNA. So would you say that someone with a similar background/work experience as an MBA grad, but getting a MSc instead, would compete for the same jobs?
If you had comparable experience and the MSc and MBA bands were comparable, then yes.
Thanks again!
Then why would someone choose to spend two years in an MBA program vs. one year in a Msc program, assuming everything else equal? In other words, if the best MBA you can get into is MIT but you also got into its Msc program, why would you ever choose an MBA over a Msc assuming everything else equal (given that the opportunity cost and tuition is so much higher for an MBA)?
MBA stands for master of business administration. M.Sc. stands for master of science. mba is management degree and m.sc. is a research and technological degree.
Thanks for your reply but I know what an MBA is vs a Msc but the fact is that at most universities, if not all, MBA and Msc (I am of course referring to a MS in Finance or MS in Accounting etc and not MS in Engineering or Ms in Chemistry) students take the same classes, except that MS students usually finish in one year (vs. 2 years) and thus specialize more.
So my question remains, everything else equal, why would I choose to go through an MBA vs, lets say, a MSF if I have same the career opportunities afterwards.
At least in the U.S., for most main stream jobs, you will not have the same career opportunities immediately after a MSc/MSF as you would an MBA. I would never look at an MSc/MSF candidate for an associate position, regardless of experience. I think it may be different in quantitative research roles, which I have less experience in. If you only wanted to pursue a 1-year degree, I would look for a 1-year MBA (still would not recommend).
They are different because the classes are not the same (you don't take as many classes in MSF, don't have access to all the same courses) and the students are the same (junior vs those with work experience).
To your question regarding what what happen if equivalent candidates applied for the same job but with the different degrees, I'd expect the MSF student would simply be filtered out. Also, to say that the MSF and MBA at MIT are in the same band is inaccurate. You're comparing apples to oranges, it doesn't matter that they are the same school. For example, you aren't going to successfully argue that the #1 MBA program (Harvard/Stanford) and the #1 MSF program (no idea) are at the same level.
It may get more interesting if you somehow had equivalent candidates where the #1MSF program student is going against a......say Top 25-30 program candidate. But honestly, most firms don't care enough to go out of their way to take a chance on this student coming from a different route. It's not worth the risk; everyone thinks that they are a special snowflake and that the entire recruiting process should be subverted to their benefit. Ain't happening.
MBA vs. Specialized Masters (Originally Posted: 05/09/2013)
To whomever can help,
I am looking/striving to become an associate at an investment bank in the near future. I am 100% going to be attending graduate school at either Baruch College or NC State. The problem is, I am not sure whether I should get an MBA or a specialized masters degree. I am heavily leaning towards getting a Masters in Financial Engineering, being that I double majored in Actuarial Science and Finance and have a very strong math background. Personally, I think that having an MFE will make me stand out because it is rather difficult degree to get and not many people have this yet. Other degrees I could pursue would be MS in Quantitative Finance, MS in Mathematical Finance, and a few others.
To get to the chase, would these specialized masters degrees help me stand out in the field if Investment banking on the associate side of IB or would the heavy math learning in these programs be more beneficial for an IB analyst position?
Do the MFE at Baruch. You won't go into banking, but you will be a quant and at an investment bank. NC State isn't going to cut the mustard.
Baruch MFE is strong. A few Chinese friends of mine are doing it this year. As TNA said you'll become a quant and most probably not an associate in IB. It's a great job though and you'll get paid equally well.
Please do not go to NC State. You will get drown out by Duke and UNC kids for jobs in Charlotte, and most people in NY will never have heard of NC State.
I mean I have a few other schools lined up as well, such as Polytechnic University in NYC, Hofstra, and UCLA out in Cali, so I have some deciding to do. However, instead of becoming a quant, would the MFE allow me to pursue IB analysis? Or Hedge fund Analysis? I feel like the math that takes place in the MFE degree will provide a solid ground for analyzing investments and such.
I have been accepted by NC State and have strong alumni connections at Baruch but haven't made my decisions yet. But I think that is why I am asking because after hearing this, with a degree in MFE, is being a quant the only thing I can get into? Do they, meaning analysts, not use financial engineering? I don't mean to sound ignorant or lacking knowledge of this subject field, but I read different things when it comes to MFE and jobs upon graduating that I figured this forum could help answer some of my concerns and regards to this field.
With a MFE you can, mostly, go into quantitative trading (algo trading) or financial engineering / quantitative analysis (those who price the funky derivatives). No, IB analysts do not use financial engineering.
I don't get why you want to be in IB with that background. What is wrong with a quant field (trading, financial engineering, or an actuarial role - half of your major)?
I took the actuarial science major to have a math background without being a full out math major.. Still took up to calc 3, linear and diffeq. My father worked was in the IB field and I loved the work he did. However, I am just seeing what my options are with this grad degree of MFE. I definitely do not want to go into actuary/insurance field. But trading is something I could get into. I just like the work an analyst will do on a daily basis and such.
NYC Poly has good financial engineering program, no?
I mean, from looking at the 2012 student profiles and academic records of the incoming class, along with meeting some professors and faculty, I would say its a rather good school.
MSF vs work at small firm then MBA (Originally Posted: 11/23/2016)
I am a current senior at a complete non-target. I know it's early and could have more offers by graduation but my situation is this. I am considereing doing a MSF from Vandy, USC, BC, or Nova to get a brand name on my resume. I haven't fully decided between IBD, S&T or AM yet but have worked in PWM the past three years. My other option is I have been offered an analyst job at a very small AM startup. It offers no prestigious brand name to my resume but I would learn a lot. I could do this and apply for a T-25 MBA in a couple of years. Would a small firm stop me from making it into a top program?
What would you choose?
Get both options first. Tough to say otherwise
small firm will make it hard to get into top-5, but top-25 will be possible, imho
Don't listen to whattherock or this Kevin guy which I think is his fake account.
Noelle, Happy Thanksgiving, buddy :)
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