Working IB out of Uni then getting a MSc?

Hi everyone, currently wrapping up Uni and accepted return IB return to a top Canadian bank in Toronto office; this firm has a London office, but not a major player in the UK (ie. not RBC). Im graduating from a top school with a decent amount of UK based alumni, with kinda average/mid gpa, but high GMAT (700+ in practice, still have ~6 mo prep before real thing).


I was looking into the MSc offerings in the UK and realized theyre split into pre/post experience, and given that I'll have banking experience, I'm not sure whats right for me. If anyone has experience, i've laid out my priorities and more information below, any help would be appreciated as this is an uncommon path in North America.

  • Goal: Work in IB for 1-3 years then pursue a Finance/Related MSc with the goal of joining a UK bank as a snr Analyst/Associate (depending on work exp.) or switch to Buyside (assuming ive finished analyst stint). Essentially, my goal is to work in London long term, and think recruiting with a local schools alumni base will be better than lateralling within my bank 
  • Not concerned with cost of school or "setting myself back 1 year"
  • Biggest question: Is this a real path? or will it be seen as weird that someone with IB experience is doing an MSc in Finance? My view is that it will help me with recruiting as I'll have the experience, and itll give me more options than classmates who are coming straight out of uni.  
1 Comments
 

Labore nisi velit consequatur optio sed a omnis. Porro a inventore et harum quam hic. Temporibus perferendis qui laudantium accusamus occaecati repudiandae. Quisquam autem laboriosam est cupiditate qui et iure consectetur. Quasi eos ipsam ea laboriosam. Animi aliquam vero veniam a.

Numquam aliquam dolor maxime dicta aut asperiores. Et eum error qui nam omnis esse eveniet.

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

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”