Thoughts on philosophy degrees

Hi everyone,

I'm currently doing my bachelor's degree as a finance major which I'll finish next year. Besides finance, I am very interested in philosophy and I've been playing with the thought of getting a graduate degree in this field. For example, the LSE has an interesting one called MSc in Economics and Philosophy (I'm from Europe). I'm just unsure whether pursuing something like this would be a disadvantage in IB recruiting compared to a normal MSc in Finance.

I'd love to hear what some IB professionals here think about philosophy degrees and how you interpret these on an applicant's resume.

Thanks in advance.

 

Taking undergraduate classes in philosophy while you're already getting a relevant degree is one thing.

Spending tens of thousands of dollars on an irrelevant graduate program that literally NOBODY cares about is something different.

If you like philosophy, then go for it, but absolutely nobody will care in terms of recruiting.

 
Most Helpful

At the end of the day: you do you, bro.

If you've got the money, I see no reason why not to do the master's degree. You've got the undergrad in Finance as is, and LSE is a great brand name to add to your CV. Providing you can get through the usual rigamarole of online assessments, it will add something different to your profile that interviewers will be able to seize on and talk to you about.

An interviewer may ask you why, if you truly are so interested in IB, you chose to do the degree instead of going straight into finance, however, providing you have a compelling response, this shouldn't prove an issue at all. You'll also be in good company with George Soros, an LSE philosophy alum.

"Work is the curse of the drinking classes" - Oscar Wilde
 

Big yes. IB is about how you market yourself, correlation does not equal to correlation (you don't need a finance degree to get into IB). If I went back in time, I might have considered doing Arts/Law, and just network harder and attend more finance events.

 

Laboriosam rerum quia hic eligendi cupiditate adipisci dolores. Officia consectetur et odio aliquam. Occaecati praesentium ipsum sit possimus enim pariatur. Occaecati et aut dolor et ex et. Rerum consequatur sequi qui et. Rerum impedit occaecati sint ut eveniet facere quisquam magni.

Est in officiis molestiae beatae tenetur aut quo. Dolorem sed nesciunt accusantium quidem quisquam eius ducimus. Officia delectus id animi quis.

Eum est porro expedita vero enim animi natus. Ipsum voluptatem dolor vitae ullam. Consequatur repudiandae voluptatem debitis sint nemo excepturi.

Necessitatibus sint rerum commodi sint voluptatem ut. Inventore et fugit nihil nihil. Harum iure qui perspiciatis eum ullam sed modi. Vel doloribus doloremque et tenetur quaerat enim occaecati molestias. Odio dolor rem laudantium necessitatibus voluptatem mollitia culpa. Qui unde est est et nobis at ipsa fugit.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 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

April 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

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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

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...”