CASS Business SCHOOL V KCL V Warwick V Manchester

Scroll to see replies

I study IFRM at Cass as a 3rd year, feel free to PM me about it, I would say in here but I am aware my university is reading this.

Unable to PM you..you're banned? :s-smilie:

Reply 21

TheJoshwha

People on this thread really don't like Cass. I'd be worth seeing if you could contact any companies that you might want to get into, and asking what they'd prefer. I know Cass' main ally is the amount of guest lectures they put on, that any of the cass UG can sign up for. Besides a strong alumni, guest lectures and professionally experienced lectures, they don't have as much rep as other unis. LSE relies on its reputation a bit, and often their lectures have little or no experience actually in the workplace they teach for. Cass for teaching, LSE for rep. But if you wanted a good chance of getting employed from cass, go for their placement year (if you apply there), they actually get you into some pretty nice places (although I'm sure LSE could do the same). On that note, I know quite a few people at Warwick that have been offered jobs during their study, provided they attain certain grades at the end of uni. You'll get a good job from Cass/Oxbridge/Warwick etc. regardless, then you work up the company (they aren't gonna start you in a managers position :') ). So pick based on course quality and experience rather than rep (providing they are all top uni's)

Reply 22

rickjames

I went to Cass, and firstly its mostly European, not Asian. Secondly its fantastic for gaining applied knowledge into banking, and from my course pretty much all of us went on to work for IBs or Hedge Funds.

I myself am working for an EMEA Hedge Funds desk, followed by a rotation in FI Credit. I care not for the ignorant fools undermining Cass here, as I've experienced the university and reaped its assets myself.

Out of all my friends in the group (5 of us, me being from cass, the others being from UCL/LSE), I was the sole person to go with a grad offer. I'm not saying Cass>the world, nor the world>Cass - but OP, there will be varying opinions that would confuse you sideways.

My opinion, choose Warwick, then Cass as insurance as Warwick has a name that Cass is only just building up to. However should you want a specialised backing into IBs and HFs, choose Cass. Your graduate role will come following you if you are just that damn good - thats the bottom line, regardless of where you go.

Reply 23

8inch

Original post by P.Bateman.

I am a second year student at Cass studying IFRM... And I must say that I am really happy with the course... The course content might be a bit specific but I personally prefer to study IB related courses rather than plain economics.

It does definitely NOT pigeonhole you to Risk Management... Most of the courses cover Financial/Portfolio/Investment Theory and basics of Economics as well as Econometrics and Management contents... You also have a lot of electives to choose from, so you can decide which direction you want to go into... The course is however quite quantitive and challenging (much of the IFRM UG content is normally covered in PG degrees) ... If you like maths and finance, IFRM is for you.
Most of the lecturers are really good, many worked in the industry before... So you really have a real world focus and I can assure you that the course will prepare you well for a career in IB.
Cass also provides you with a really good careers service and tutoring system.

Regarding its reputation.. well Cass is a tier 1 target school for Post Grad and ranked 2nd in the UK for Business Studies at UG level it is also gaining reputation for its bachelor courses... It is obviously not Oxford, but Cass is only 10 years old and it is in London, so you have the city, networking events, speakers from the industry, etc. just outside uni. That really is an advantage and a reason I turned down other offers.

Maybe one last argument to support Cass' position for a career in IB. I think if you work hard and have a good personality you can get the job you want. And Cass is becoming a tier 1 target school and UG level as well. At least that's what I have been told at the JP Morgan Assesment Centre when I specifically asked this question.
I had to compete against LSE, UCL, King's and more european top business school students. Turns out I got the internship and my LSE, UCL fellows didn't. However, you might still get the feeling that LSE students are preferred, whatever they study (and that might be the case, but why not study what you want to work with later). But it is changing, I can tell you that for sure.

I think you have the choice between some top business schools (maybe except for manchester, sry but the people I know there are not really happy with their studies). Remember that only King's and Cass give you access to London's opportunities and student life (thats quiet different in Warwick), and that the people in Warwick are quiet different from those in London as well.
And go on the websites and check the degree contents. Studying Economics and Finance is a completely different thing. You need to become clear about what you want to study before you choose the University.

I personally would rank them as follows if you want to go into IB: Cass > Warwick > King's > Manchester

Hope this helps and you make the right choice :smile:

Have u heard the ICMA? I am told the courses there are similar to those in cass.THX

Reply 24

erklam

I agree as a King's student, choose Warwick as firm and Cass as insurance.

Reply 25

theseeker

Original post by erklam

I agree as a King's student, choose Warwick as firm and Cass as insurance.

Kings don't help you get into IB/HF?

Reply 26

chicheto93

King's student as well here. Go with Cass. The Business Management course at king's is nothing compared with the courses at cass. We are not studying ANY math and little/no finance in the 1st year whereas at cass it is very different and it prepares you way better for AC's. I am not sorry for choosing King's but sometimes I wish I had gone with cass.

Reply 27

theseeker

Original post by chicheto93

Do they help you with an internship or?

Reply 28

chicheto93

Original post by theseeker

Do they help you with an internship or?

I don't know what you've been told but neither KCL nor Cass helps you with internships. I know this because my gf goes to Cass. You have to secure that by yourself.

Reply 29

theseeker

Original post by chicheto93

I don't know what you've been told but neither KCL nor Cass helps you with internships. I know this because my gf goes to Cass. You have to secure that by yourself.

Do warwick help you? :s-smilie:

Reply 30

Indus

Original post by theseeker

Do they help you with an internship or?

Nowhere will give you an interrnship. Yes, some universities have better 'links' with certain banks and hence these banks sponsor the societies there. This means that the banks will come to the university and give presentations/mock assessment centres etc which will help you to secure an internship with a bank. No university is going to have a list of places where they can give you an internship though. I go to one of the targets, and bar the university finance society, there is zero help with internships.

Reply 31

somaiyar

Original post by theseeker

Do warwick help you? :s-smilie:

Warwick careers service do very little, but Warwick Finance Society runs almost 50 events throughout the year on CV, CL, ACs and every single bank comes to campus

Reply 32

theseeker

Original post by somaiyar

Warwick careers service do very little, but Warwick Finance Society runs almost 50 events throughout the year on CV, CL, ACs and every single bank comes to campus

So if I joined the finance society..I would get help on the application of getting in and would have a high chance of getting into IB?

Reply 33

somaiyar

Original post by theseeker

So if I joined the finance society..I would get help on the application of getting in and would have a high chance of getting into IB?

Yep, you would be assigned a mentor who has been through the whole process

Reply 34

voyta

Hi I am a student from Prague finishing my bachelor's degree, I want to pursue management consulting (ideally at McKinsey haha) after getting my MSc.

I have three choices what to do
1) I was accepted to Cass Business School for a MSc Corporate Finance (1year long). The problem is that it costs £23 000 which I don't have and would have to borrow.

2) Second choice is to go to UCL. The program here is MSc Management (1year long) and it costs £14 000 which I don't have either but it is less than 23 haha

3) I was accepted to CEMS program that is known worldwide and was ranked as 4th in the world. But in this program there is a lot of schools such as London School of Economics, University of Sydney, University of Singapore... and many others which keep the reputation pretty high but I was accepted to CEMS in Prague and that is not that good. Also during this course you have to spend one semester abroad at one of the universities which participate in this program and I was given a university in a no name city somewhere in Belgium... unfortunately. They speak German, French and Dutch neither of languages I speak, but the course is in English. This program is 2years long and the remaining semesters are taught here in Prague. This costs €3 600

What would you do? Any thoughts?

Reply 35

intstud29

Original post by theseeker

Kings don't help you get into IB/HF?

As we agreed in that other thread. Warwick firm, KCL insurance. I gave you the link which specifically stated that KCL is well-regarded for this. City/CASS on the other hand is below KCL. Not far below, but still below.

So for undergrad: Firm Warwick, KCL as insurance.

CASS is only well-known for MSc Management which is ranked in FT rankings. But even there, there are unis that are above CASS, charging a lot lower tuition fee, such as RSM or Stockholm(SSE). So even at MSc level, CASS is still struggling to justify a fee close to £ 20,000.

Reply 36

CEKTOP

Original post by voyta

You're aware of the fact that the only way to get a junior position in a more or less decent consultancy firm is to have top academic achievements, right? These firms generally do not hire junior staff and the lines to get in are real long.

Reply 37

Tokyoround

Original post by adrianino

Hi everyone, how about Cass vs. UCL?
1. Cass Business School, City University London : MSc Investment Management
http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/courses/masters/courses/investment-management#courses-details=0
2. UCL : MSc Management
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/msi/study/msc-management/What/#consultancyproject

I had dual bachelor in finance and economics in Taiwan. Previously worked as a FX corporate dealer in a mega Japanese corporate bank for 1.5 years and now in one of Big Four as a tax specialist for 3 months. After post-graduate I want to work in finance-related industry (especially in banking) . Anyone here suggest me which to choose based on the connection to and reputation in the job market, or other things I need to consider? I want to find a job in the UK, maybe the location of Cass and UCL will help me fit in the Great London. The reputation in Asia should be taken into consideration since the difficulty of getting a work visa in the UK.

Regarding the course, I am interested in all of them, mainly because I haven't had a clear career goal :frown:

UCL's Management might be too general knowledge even with its specialised finance stream. Could anyone tell me is the career service in MSc Management highly linked to finance industry? How does the consultancy project differ from normal dissertation?Investment Mgt in Cass , on the other hand, might be too specialised if I plan to find a job in other industries?

However, what I concern most is that many job recruiters in Asia ( or maybe even in the UK) select the candidates by their diploma rankings. UCL is ranked worldwide 1st-tiered universities (4th in the QS 2012/13 World University Rankings) but doesn't have a b-school that I'm afraid the networking is weaker. Cass ranks 40th in FT 2013 global MBA ranking, but the overall ranking of City University London is not parallel to Cass. No sure whether the connection to job market of Cass outweighs the reputation of UCL when finding a job in the UK...I am totally torn, can anyone give me some advice?

You fit the profile of someone I know :holmes:

Anyway, answer is UCL.
Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 38

erklam

Original post by voyta

Original post by adrianino

To both of you, my advice is to go to UCL. It is a world-class university, currently amongst the very best in London, UK, Europe and the world. By attending UCL, you will be able to show off with its unbelievably high reputation for the rest of your life. Also, almost every top company will recruit from the UCL campus. Plus, as a UCL Alumnus, you have access the an alumni network that consists of probably some of the world's most influential people (I am just guessing, but I cannot be too far from the truth).

Cass is good but nowhere near UCL in terms of general recognition and overall reputation.

P.s. all of this is coming from a KCL student haha :biggrin: