MS in Finance

[Vinayak]

Hello,

I got admitted to MSc Finance and Investments for Sep 2011. I am planning to apply to University of Amsterdam for MIF.

Could anyone give a comparison between the two?

I plan to move for a Phd from US from a top notch after completing Master. I am Bachelor of Commerce from India and MS finance (distance learning) from ICFAI.

Any views?

Thanks,
Vinayak Modi.

 

[Connor]

Hello,

I got admitted to MSc Finance and Investments for Sep 2011. I am planning to apply to University of Amsterdam for MIF.

Could anyone give a comparison between the two?

I plan to move for a Phd from US from a top notch after completing Master. I am Bachelor of Commerce from India and MS finance (distance learning) from ICFAI.

Any views?

Thanks,
Vinayak Modi.

Where is the MSc from?

 

[Vinayak]

Where is the MSc from?

I got admission from University of Edinburgh for MSc Finance and Investments.

I do have offers from Strathclyde again for MSc Finance and Investments and from Cranfield - MSc Finance and Management.

I am quite positive about MIF from University of Amsterdam, but yet to receive any official confirmation.

Lastly, reply awaited from Lancaster.

I aspire for a PhD post 2-3 years of MSc as I would be repaying the loans taken for MSc.

 

[Connor]

I got admission from University of Edinburgh for MSc Finance and Investments.

I do have offers from Strathclyde again for MSc Finance and Investments and from Cranfield - MSc Finance and Management.

I am quite positive about MIF from University of Amsterdam, but yet to receive any official confirmation.

Lastly, reply awaited from Lancaster.

I aspire for a PhD post 2-3 years of MSc as I would be repaying the loans taken for MSc.

I have the MSc Finance and Investment from Edinburgh so. They actually just changed the program structure for this year. My class had to do 10 modules (classes) but now I believe it is only 8, and some of the best professors I had left so I'm not sure who replaced them. Edinburgh is a great city and I have heard it called the 4th largest financial center in Europe, but their job placement wasn't amazing when I was there. The only people that got jobs in Edinburgh where EU citizens with previous relevant experience. Also, their elective selection was limited and the program is not very quantitative as they also offer a MSc in Financial Mathematics through their math department.

I'll look at the other programs later and let you know what I think...

 

[Vinayak]

I have the MSc Finance and Investment from Edinburgh so. They actually just changed the program structure for this year. My class had to do 10 modules (classes) but now I believe it is only 8, and some of the best professors I had left so I'm not sure who replaced them. Edinburgh is a great city and I have heard it called the 4th largest financial center in Europe, but their job placement wasn't amazing when I was there. The only people that got jobs in Edinburgh where EU citizens with previous relevant experience. Also, their elective selection was limited and the program is not very quantitative as they also offer a MSc in Financial Mathematics through their math department.

I'll look at the other programs later and let you know what I think...

That is a fine piece of information. Looking forward for views on others.

 

[Connor]

I think for PhD, reputation-wise they are all about the same. You should read this article regarding PhDs: http://www.quantnet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8206

For PhD stuff, you should look at the professors you will be interacting with and therefore who will be writing your letters of recommendation. Also, consider their research interests compared to your own.

Looking at Amsterdam, Strathclyde, and Cranfield; the modules at all three look pretty good. From a curriculum standpoint I think it depends on your interests.Cranfield is finance and management so it has courses like marketing and organizational behavior which give you a broader view of things; it also has a course on private equity. All three programs had computational courses covering Excel, Matlab, and Minitab.

If you decide not to do the PhD, then getting a job afterwards will be important. The UK has recently cut work visas given to students. Based on this quote from Amsterdam's website it sounds good:

For those of you planning to stay in the Netherlands after graduation, it is good to know that the Dutch government recently relaxed work permit regulations for graduates from Dutch universities (regardless of nationality). This means that MIF graduates can stay and work in The Netherlands for up to 5 years after graduation, without needing a work permit. There are a few conditions (minimum salary, kind of company), but these are easily met by our students/alumni.

Though arguably there are probably more job opportunities in the UK.

You will also want to consider the cities you may be living in.

 

[Vinayak]

True, one of reasons for applying to University of Amsterdam was work-permit relaxation plus it being no.1 in the host country.

I am planning for PhD only 2-3 years after the MSc and only if I could get into the best. I did go through the thread on PhD and feel it has relevance but holistically. If one looks only at ivy leagues institutions, PhD is a lifetime yielding experience, for say - Stanford, NYU, Princeton, MIT and others in the race.

I feel I should also wait forLancaster as I have ample time to confirm offers and LUMS has got strong reputation and network. Further, unlike others, its curriculum has got relevance for all three levels of CFA.

I feel looking at overall situation in UK, Strathclyde is a strong institution and the cheapest @ 11000 pounds.

I am keen on Quant subjects. The question looming large is if quality is the same based on economic climate Netherland VS UK? And if UK, who is first among equals?

Regards,
Vinayak.

 

[Vinayak]

Got offer from University of Amsterdam as well for their MIF program !!!

 

[Bijuooo]

Hi all!
Connor, if you are still here, please, describe perspectives for the University of Edinburgh alumni in Financial Mathematics. Does it have a tough programme? What are the professors like? etc. Thanks!