What are the top west coast Masters of Finance programs?
From a non target, looking to enter masters of finance program mainly to get internships/placements and choosing a resident tuition mainly because it's cheaper. I'm willing to go out of state.
Not interested in quant programs as I don't have the heavy programming/math experience usually required. What does that leave me?
USC MSF but they're not worth the price tag. Career services suck. You should apply to UT, WUSTL, or Vanderbilt
USC is really it. You have UCSD, San Diego University, Santa Clara, Pepperdine and maybe a few other smaller ones. Claremont really was the big one, but their program is largely shut.
IMO, USC is expensive and their career services are trying to get their hands around the program, but the brand is phenomenal on the West Coast and if you are comfortable taking your career into your own hands you should have able to land a good position post graduation. Just don't expect a lot of hand holding.
Does this lack of career services apply to USC business undergrads?
I don't understand. Hand holding? After paying 50+K (only tuition, not living expenses and opportunity costs), you'd expect the career services to better. Brand alone is not enough. WUSTL/Vanderbilt aren't huge brands either. What makes them worth it is the outstanding career services and their transparency. I called USC and they were reluctant to tell me about placements... In fact their whole program is highly disorganized. Their staff aren't very helpful either and are very rude.
Taking your career into your own hands? Sure, don't be lazy and just take CFA level 1, go through extensive financial modeling training, and network as much as you can if you want it bad enough. Have heard about plenty of bankers/stock brokers who got what they wanted without a brand. I personally know one... My ex. Why pay 50+K for brand alone, which isn't even that great? As far as I know, no one pays that much for an MSF just for a brand or education. You have to be crazy if you do that. That's like going to John Hopkins or Brown just because they're well known around the world. That doesn't work in finance world. Why was CMC the best MSF after MIT even though they were known for something that was irrelevant to finance? Their career services.
Lastly, why do we pay for college? Because we have expectations. We pay for their services and those services are not limited to just education or their brand. It's a product. College is a service providing business. You are a customer and you have the right to know pros and cons of what you're buying.
So hand holding? Taking your career into your own hands? Sure do that. Don't waste that much money just to get USC on your resume.... Unless you're rich and can spare 50+K. But still, it wouldn't be a wise investment.
look, if there are more demand than supply, the price isn't always right. Plenty of people are willing to do it, and that's why some schools or some programs (no one in particular) can suck and still have tuition revenue. also you're probably false about the "amazing" career services at some MSFs. if that was really true, MIT Sloan MiF wouldn't have this slam dunk situation among MSFs.
besides, OP needs to get his/her shit together. That lazy duck question simply implies " i need hand holding". wake up and manage your own career.
You go to college to get an education, the schools network and reputation and the overall experience. CFA L1 isn't going to get you into banking. You won't be eligible for college recruiting outside of being in school. Good luck getting an unpaid internship either.
USC has a great reputation and brand. Tons of alumni on the street. Good OCR. What do you need career services for?
Apply to OCR jobs. Reach out to a alumni. Apply to jobs and get an interview. Like what exactly is career services going to do outside of fixing your resume and spoon feeding you contacts?
Vandy and wustl are T25 schools. They have a great brand. They also really don't place a lot on the west coast.
If you need career services to interview for you and hand you a job as a graduate student id suggest not going to graduate school.
Btw. Vandy has phenomenal career services. But that doesn't mean you need them to get a job. OCR is driven at an UG and MBA level. Your resume should be solid before the program. They really just help with alumni and trying to bring in some jobs outside of school level OCR. Aka what you could find on your own.
Question was which msf program is the best on the west coast. Answer is USC.
Did I say it's going to get you into Banking? I just meant that it's more than enough knowledge, it gives you an overview of the high finance. If you want education, that's a cheaper and more effective option. They don't even require a bachelor's for you to be a charterholder.
BTW. Claremont is one of the best liberal arts schools. They had very good career services, but don't think their reputation and alumni didnt carry most of the water.
It didn't.
How would you compare UCB MFE vs USC MSF? It seems that berkeley's program is the most underrated in the country. Thanks again, you and illini have been my go-to searches when looking up MSF programs.
Apples and oranges. I mean I think Berkeley > USC from a brand perspective. If you can handle MFE work you could probably pitch yourself as a banker vs. quant. All up to how you sell it.
UCB MFE is not comparable with USC MF. The former one is the best program in Fianancial Engineering.
2015 USC Career Report
https://www.marshall.usc.edu/sites/default/files/PDF/MSF_Employment%20R…
Looks pretty good to me. Found this on their website pretty easily as well.
So it took them more than one year to compile this thing?
It takes all schools (law, business, etc.) a year or so to release career stats. Major ranking systems have algorithms that factor in time it takes graduates to get a job....
Because it wasn't on their website last week, as far as I can remember.
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