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MA in Philosophy / Political Science / Humanities - Worth it?

Hi guys,

I'm currently going into my 3rd year of Politics and International Relations at LSE, and hoping to finish up with at least a high 2.1 (68ish+). Given the current state of the economy and also that I'd like to spend another year at university given that our time here has been cut so short, I'm looking into Masters degrees.

Like most LSE students I hope to go onto a career in consulting or banking (I have a few relevant internships already), so I'm wondering if doing a Masters is beneficial for getting a job in these industries, or just a very poor financial decision? Unfortunately I didn't take A level maths so can't do anything finance/economics related, so philosophy or politics would be my go to.

I'm currently looking at MA programs in the US e.g. Georgetown, MIT, Columbia, Yale, Stanford, as well as a few in the UK e.g. Imperial and Oxford.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, many thanks!
Original post by fuzi8n137
Hi guys,

I'm currently going into my 3rd year of Politics and International Relations at LSE, and hoping to finish up with at least a high 2.1 (68ish+). Given the current state of the economy and also that I'd like to spend another year at university given that our time here has been cut so short, I'm looking into Masters degrees.

Like most LSE students I hope to go onto a career in consulting or banking (I have a few relevant internships already), so I'm wondering if doing a Masters is beneficial for getting a job in these industries, or just a very poor financial decision? Unfortunately I didn't take A level maths so can't do anything finance/economics related, so philosophy or politics would be my go to.

I'm currently looking at MA programs in the US e.g. Georgetown, MIT, Columbia, Yale, Stanford, as well as a few in the UK e.g. Imperial and Oxford.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, many thanks!

Doing a Masters will certainly demonstrate a particular set of skills whatever career you go into.

Successful completion of a Masters shows potential employers that you can both think and work independantly, research, structure and write an extended project, engage with complex contemporary theory, express your ideas to others, and convey your research across multiple mediums and to varied audiences. You may also get a chance during your MA course to plan/organise a conference or research event, or become involved in editing student journals, which is great for demonstrating organisational and leadership skills, as well as peer-review skills.

That said, you do need to consider whether this is the best route into your desired career. As you've already identified, Masters study is costly and it also takes both dedication and commitment to your studies. Whilst it's extremely rewarding, it's definitely not something to undertake unless you are committed to the course.

I don't have much knowledge of the sectors you've mentioned by my partner works in banking and I'm aware that there are a number of graduate schemes within the sector (primarily with the major banks) that can act as fast-tracks into management and may well be worth you investigating. It may also be worth you talking to your universities careers service to see if they can put you in touch with any of their contacts or alumni working in the sectors you are interested in so that you can ask how they got into the industry and what experience they look for in a potential recruit.

Hope that helps!

Amy :smile:

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