[multiplexing-gamer]

On Oxford's History careers website it says you can go into Investment banking with a degree in history. How true is this? Id have thout you'd need a degree in a quantitative subject?

[fail@maths]

From Oxford or Cambridge yes.

My housemate works in IB with an Archaeology degree (Cambridge).

Also someone on my linkedin works in MS IBD with a degree in Land Economy from Cambridge.

It's an easy ride for you Oxbridge people.

[hypercaine.]

Yes, I know a few people from Durham who have gotten in with a degree in History as well as people who have done languages.

[PrincePauper]

As long as its a respectable or okish degree, IB will take anyone. It creates different backgrounds, diversity and opinions which is what IBs want

[Herr]

I often have drinks with someone who has a BA History of Art from Cambridge, she's been working for Goldman Sachs for many years and is in the midst of being sent to NYC.

[DynamicSyngery]

Despite popular misconception, IBD is not really a skilled quantitative profession. The grunt work involves a fair amount of Excel but this could be taught to most A level students. If you can pass the online quantitative test for the application you will be fine at this. The real job is mostly about bringing in business, which hasn't got much to do with your degree at all.

[gudjbr]

(Original post by hypercaine.)
Yes, I know a few people from Durham who have gotten in with a degree in History as well as people who have done languages.

Then my future Financial Management MSc degree from Durham will probably be fine, I'm presuming?

[Hackett]

(Original post by gudjbr)
Then my future Financial Management MSc degree from Durham will probably be fine, I'm presuming?

You're going to need more than just a MSc degree

[gudjbr]

? You're joking right? I have several friends with IB jobs, some of them with a BSc only, some without any degree whatsoever. Very few with MScs. I also had a person tell me in the other thread that an MSc was a complete waste of time and money if I wanted to get into Investment banking, lol.

I'm just trying to find out whether or not Management is ok, or whether I'm better off with pure Finance.

[rei dos reis]

(Original post by gudjbr)
? You're joking right? I have several friends with IB jobs, some of them with a BSc only, some without any degree whatsoever. Very few with MScs. I also had a person tell me in the other thread that an MSc was a complete waste of time and money if I wanted to get into Investment banking, lol.

I'm just trying to find out whether or not Management is ok, or whether I'm better off with pure Finance.

he's probably talking about work experience, contacts etc.

[Hackett]

(Original post by gudjbr)
? You're joking right? I have several friends with IB jobs, some of them with a BSc only, some without any degree whatsoever. Very few with MScs. I also had a person tell me in the other thread that an MSc was a complete waste of time and money if I wanted to get into Investment banking, lol.

I'm just trying to find out whether or not Management is ok, or whether I'm better off with pure Finance.

So you think that you can walk straight in with a MSc? No work experience, no internships, no EC's etc, etc,?

[Aeschylus]

Yes. I know someone who works at BNP Paribas with a 2:1 in history from Queen Mary, University of London. He graduated within the last 2 years.

[gudjbr]

(Original post by Hackett)
So you think that you can walk straight in with a MSc? No work experience, no internships, no EC's etc, etc,?

Did I say that? You're the guy telling that poor dude he was done in that other thread. You seem very bitter and sad. No, I do have work experience and contacts. And I will have an MSc. Which will be enough. (But yes I would probably be able to get a job with a good MSc alone, I know people with very little work experience beforehand and without any degree whatsoever who have landed IB jobs.)

Anyone who can form a serious reply, please help me out! Thanks!

[Hackett]

(Original post by gudjbr)
Did I say that? You're the guy telling that poor dude he was done in that other thread. You seem very bitter and sad. No, I do have work experience and contacts. And I will have an MSc. Which will be enough. (But yes I would probably be able to get a job with a good MSc alone, I know people with very little work experience beforehand and without any degree whatsoever who have landed IB jobs.)

Anyone who can form a serious reply, please help me out! Thanks!

I can't really be bothered but you didn't say that in your original post, you just said " I presume a MSc from Durham will be fine" Fine for what? I'm guessing to get you in IB, but due to the fact that you said that you didn't have W/E Etc. (however I do now know) I simply said, no that alone will not get you in IB.

End of Convo

[gudjbr]

Neither OP nor anyone else in the thread for that matter have stated their work experience etc. I thought that was implied and irrelevant in this case. If you ask about a degree it's the degree you want to know about, not your work experience / what clothes you should wear / what music you should listen to.

[Herr]

(Original post by Hackett)
So you think that you can walk straight in with a MSc? No work experience, no internships, no EC's etc, etc,?

It really amazes me the amount of users on TSR who thinks a certain Masters level qualification would open a path in IB.

What many seem to forget is most Masters level qualification is purely a bunch of theoretical junk that more than likely the IB already knows about. Also they keep forgetting IBs have research departments that are probably 100x better funded than any universities in the world

[gudjbr]

OK, great. Except that is not the subject of this topic. I have made my decision to take a Master. So please, either answer my question or say something in regards to the topic at hand. Now you're just trolling. We have already heard that you don't think people should take Masters who want to have a career in Investment banking, it seems to be the only thing you post about.

What happened to everyone who actually made posts concerning the topic? Anyone capable of posting a serious reply, please help me out! Thanks!

[cl_steele]

(Original post by Aeschylus)
Yes. I know someone who works at BNP Paribas with a 2:1 in history from Queen Mary, University of London. He graduated within the last 2 years.

Regretting turning them down now

[SJHiggy]

So i guess if a history degree at Queen Mary is good enough to get into investment banking, a history degree at Kings College London (or a comparable university for History outside of oxbridge) could lead to a career in investment banking? I know there are the top 6 unis for IB but surely a KCL history degree (mostly always top 10 and one of their best degrees) counts for something?

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by SJHiggy)
So i guess if a history degree at Queen Mary is good enough to get into investment banking, a history degree at Kings College London (or a comparable university for History outside of oxbridge) could lead to a career in investment banking? I know there are the top 6 unis for IB but surely a KCL history degree (mostly always top 10 and one of their best degrees) counts for something?

It will definitely be tough - you just have to stand out with ECs and try really hard to get some work experience inc. internships. There are a tonne of graduates to choose from so if you're not standing out from your university (i.e. a target) you'll have to put more effort into standing out elsewhere (I'm not saying people from targets don't need to stand out in other areas too, just saying not as much).