St. Gallen vs. Zurich Universities

Hello All!

I'm interested in doing a Master's Program in Switzerland and wanted to get some info/advice on the different universities they have available. I'm from Australia so my knowledge of the European system, especially the German part is not so great so any form of feedback would be appreciated.

I recently completed my bachelor's degree in civil engineering and after working in consulting, I found myself to be interested more in the financial aspect of things and how these come together with engineering. Therefore I am interested in doing a program in 'banking and finance' so I can further strengthen my understanding in this area.

My aim after completing this is to have a wide range of options in terms of industries and not just investment banks in particular. I would like to eventually work in Europe if there are opportunities available. After finishing the degree, I am interested in pursuing roles such as:

-being an infrastructure analyst (looking at resources,energy,construction and other civil engineering related industries) in investment banks,
-working at the world bank as an engineer/analyst,
-engineering project manager,
-engineering risk consultant or other related fields that might be possible.

After some research it seems like University of St.Gallen and University of Zurich are well known for these areas.
St. Gallen is highly ranked in this particular course but the university is not very well known in the English speaking world. I think I will be the only Australian person there and will have a hard time adjusting due to the strong German-speaking-country-applicant intake. I am skeptical of rankings and I feel like it does not represent the bigger picture when it comes to education quality. I went to the best engineering school in Australia (top ranked) and therefore think that there are more things to a university than just ranking. I would like to go to a university that has approachable and helpful professors rather than snobby ones, more emphasis given on practical side of the course rather than theory, and its links to the industry as well as exchange partner institutions are things that I value.

I feel like the University of Zurich would be better suited for me as it is more established and international,being in Zurich there would be more opportunities to make friends,explore new things, it would be closer to businesses,banks headquarters so more variety of internship, student work opportunities. Also, if I couldn't get a job in Switzerland/Europe, back home no one would even know where St. Gallen would be located. While on the other hand I feel like going to the University of Zurich would be better as a back up plan and if I decided to go home.

The admission process for the University of Zurich is still competitive. As I have an engineering background, I will have to score a minimum 680 on GMAT and do all this other paperwork in regards to my degree. And even then admission is not guarantee..

I was wanting to get some info in regards to the University of Zurich and its economics department. How is its reputation in Europe? I recently read that UBS invested some money in their finance/economics departments and that they have strong industry connections. Where can I find more information about their teaching quality and graduate profiles?

Thanks in advance for all your help!! :)

Cheers

 

From what a Swiss friend told me, you are not at much disadvantage if you are recruiting for Swiss jobs and you went to UZH instead of HSG. Outside Switzerland it's a complete different story and UZH has no brand value.

As a non Swiss, you should only consider HSG but every non german speaking guy I know who attended HSG has been very disappointed with recruiting. You are not even eligible to do an internship as non EU because the internship should be mandatory as part of curriculum, which it is not, at least at HSG.

 

I am an EU citizen. I realized that RSM is not only cheaper, but I also like more its curriculum. Then I can go the third semester an exchange in St. Gallen or somewhere else in Europe and then I have one more semester for an internship. So in 2 years I will have far better experiences than studying 2 whole years in Zurich and spending a ton of money.

 

I live in Zrh and as fours mentioned above, if you stay in CH then either is OK but if you decide to leave CH, HSG will have a much stronger brand name. But in your situation, the main thing to consider is whether you think you will be fluent in German (fluent in business German, not just be able to get by) by the time you graduate (if you plan to stay in CH). If you are not, HSG wont be of much help in the German speaking world as you will be at a significant disadvantage. If you plan to use the degree to go elsewhere (London etc), then you should only consider HSG. And if you are considering going to London etc, then I would focus my applications on schools in the UK (or wherever you want to go after graduation) instead.

 
Best Response

Nam vel reiciendis maiores consequatur corrupti. Officiis asperiores nesciunt suscipit voluptatem. Aut ut dolores et iste deserunt molestiae eius. Impedit rerum vel impedit enim illo. Repellat et tempora adipisci non distinctio vel.

Quia omnis alias vel velit nihil quia beatae quis. Cumque sed sint veniam explicabo quas iste quia. Autem sapiente quos eum sit deserunt. Placeat eum eum placeat qui. Nesciunt quia dolores consequatur corrupti.

Eum earum aut fugit velit enim sint architecto. Nemo numquam mollitia consequatur asperiores nesciunt. Suscipit eum sit qui itaque consequuntur. Eos dolores adipisci non possimus quae aut. Ipsum numquam placeat minima quae doloremque adipisci dolorum. Hic at facilis nam.

Facilis modi quod numquam molestiae placeat et vel. Porro quia dolorem enim velit modi sunt. Quibusdam aut facere quia non. Voluptate consequatur minima labore amet ut hic ea. Aut ut corrupti labore nam.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”