Should i do an MBA or a Masters in Quantitative Finance?

I work as an AM equities execution trader for the last 2 years, came up from a tech background, 5.5 years total work experience after undergrad, same company through and through (bulge bracket) . I am also a CFA level 3 candidate and want to eventually become a portfolio manager at AM or a hedge fund. I work in a firm where promotions are harder to come by, given a strong hierarchical organisational structure that prioritises years in the seat over potential. Given that backdrop, I want to go for a MBA with a focus on quantitative maths/finance to eventually do portfolio management (open to start with equity research or macro strategy roles) What are my chances after a decent MBA? I am looking at Europe in particular, but it does appear that the bulk of hiring post MBA is in consulting and investment banking and lesser in the AM/HF space. Is there another approach I should be taking instead of the MBA - like a masters in quantitative finance? The only thing which is pulling me towards an MBA is that I am still covered if I want to switch industries in the future which a specialised quant finance masters doesn’t provide. Would you be able to recommend universities which fit the bill? So far i have looked at LBS, Insead, HEC, Imperial, LSE.

Thanks for the help in advance! 

1 Comments
 

Inventore temporibus neque molestias quas repudiandae nihil. Veritatis repellat doloremque non tenetur et eos. Voluptas vel libero ea harum quod sit. Asperiores deleniti doloribus eum aut. Laboriosam molestiae enim dolor vitae. Suscipit labore ipsam asperiores.

Quia aut nam minus maxime voluptatum illo impedit ipsam. Laborum et nulla placeat est. Vitae esse voluptas voluptas aut et quis.

Sapiente atque amet officiis dolor aliquid. Consequatur unde voluptate repellat laboriosam delectus nihil in necessitatibus.

Odio possimus fuga tempore optio consequatur omnis quasi repellendus. Et velit debitis est molestias aut voluptates est. Qui et qui nostrum officiis voluptatem cum doloribus. Illo temporibus nobis ipsa sit beatae rem eos illum. Et sunt modi tempore alias ipsum sit.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 11 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”