Will a Masters at a target uni overwrite a 1st from a non-target??

I’m planning on studying economics at a non-target university. Not even an RG and it is not high ranked, around 30th. I’ve heard that it is maybe possible to get onto a masters programme after I finish my course. Would top finance firms consider me with this extra qualification? They definitely would NOT with just my undergrad as I imagine that I would be filtered out with ease as it won’t be from a target. So once again, is it possible? And will it help me?

I'm not sure these are really the right questions. But to answer them directly, yes it is possible to get a good finance role following an elite master's and a meh undergrad. An elite master's will also help you more than not having one .... obviously.

I’m planning on studying economics at a non-target university. Not even an RG and it is not high ranked, around 30th. I’ve heard that it is maybe possible to get onto a masters programme after I finish my course. Would top finance firms consider me with this extra qualification? They definitely would NOT with just my undergrad as I imagine that I would be filtered out with ease as it won’t be from a target. So once again, is it possible? And will it help me?

Is it feasible that a non RG student could get into a 1-10 institution for a PG qualification? Or is it just possible but unlikely? Do they only take from RGs regardless of grade? Want to know how stacked the odds are against me here

Postgrad admissions is much much less competitive than undergrad. Generally finances are a much bigger constraint to getting a good master's vs the quality of one's undergrad degree - the good MSc Economics/Finances are almost all well above £20k for tuition alone (even for domestic students).
But ultimately it depends on what subject you're looking to study - which you haven't stated. Assuming you're thinking about an economics/finance MSc, generally only the top five or so unis are considered elite, rather than the top 10 - the courses at places ranked 6-10 aren't particularly competitive but the placement records are much weaker.
Just asking questions about a postgrad is sorta missing the point tho, it really depends what sort of roles you're looking at, what your finances are like, what subject/uni one does their MSc at, and whether you have any good internship experience going into job applications during your MSc.

Hey @Jrofflo17,
I hope you're keeping well.
To answer generally, yes. That's what I plan on doing, and having talked to former alumni who went onto work at prestigious banks and getting quite considerable signing bonuses, many of them have done so as well.
It does surprise me having studied here at Kent that it's not really considered a uni on the likes of RG, because the School of Economics here is quite widely regarded as a very reputable and respectable one. We get speakers from all over the world, from companies and organisations based in London, to professors based in Berkeley, Tokyo, India, etc. Regardless, despite being a bit pessimistic at first when studying here, I've come to enjoy it based on the support I get.
Anyways, to the point at hand, Masters is already seen as a more prestigous and attractive degree, so of course finance firms would consider you more deeply. In fact, one reason as to why some of my PhD student lecturers are doing their PhD is because some organisations and positions only consider you once you have a higher qualification.
What I myself am doing though, which may also be an attractive path for you (or at least one to consider), is studying at your non-target uni, getting the relevant support and building up your confidence, and then going on to study a masters at a target uni, usually at London (since they tend to be more business/finance oriented). Me personally, I didn't take my alevels seriously enough to do as well as I wanted, but I have taken my bachelors a lot more seriously, and a lot of the time, masters applications are done on a semi-case-by-case basis. This is what many of my alumni friends have done and recommended I do as well. It just helps that bit more in trying to get accepted by finance firms.
Anyways, I hope this helps.
Warm regards,
David 🙂
University of Kent Student Rep

Thank you for the response. I resonate with this a lot and it’s very reassuring to hear that it is possible.

Thank you for the response. It’s hard to say yet, something finance-related but let’s say MSc Economics. I imagine this is incredibly competitive anyway, but fortunately finances shouldn’t be a limitation for me. I will aim for top 5 then. I want be qualified to go into high finance, and not be held back by where I studied. I just want no limitations on my name, so I will aim for a first class and aim for top 5 then. Thank you again

If you want to be qualified to go into high finance then why would you do a MSc Economics? It's only relevant for some of the more niche roles at finance firms (e.g. FICC and macro research/strategy) which sometimes also require a PhD and or the CFA. If you're looking to go into finance, it would make more sense to figure out what area of finance you actually want to go into, then pick the MSc accordingly, otherwise it's just a waste of money and time.
Beyond this, I don't think the concept of upgrading your undergrad background with a top MSc Economics works super well in practice. Most people who do MSc Finance-related courses haven't done a finance undergrad so the way they teach it is more building a good foundation and then moving onto the advanced stuff. It's very different with an MSc Economics. Here, a university's MSc Economics course generally carries on from their undergrad course after two weeks of maths/stats revision. Therefore, while you can upgrade the quality of your undergrad institution a fair bit in economics, it can be challenging to go from a average BSc Economics to a top MSc Economics as the top MSc Economics will assume you've covered most if not all of the content in a top BSc Economics course.
Moreover, I think you sorta missed the point on whether a top master's overrides a non-target undergrad. I think it can to an extent, if you also have strong internship experience (e.g. summer internships in IB/asset management) and strong a-levels (generally AAB minimum but usually a fair bit more than that). Then you'd have a decent (albeit still limited) chance of getting a good grad role after a good MSc - note that the chances of getting a good grad role in high finance are low for everyone, regardless of background, but your chances are a bit better from better institutions. But if you don't have a great CV but have a good master's, this will do little to make up for your lack of relevant internship experience and strong undergrad.

If you want to be qualified to go into high finance then why would you do a MSc Economics? It's only relevant for some of the more niche roles at finance firms (e.g. FICC and macro research/strategy) which sometimes also require a PhD and or the CFA. If you're looking to go into finance, it would make more sense to figure out what area of finance you actually want to go into, then pick the MSc accordingly, otherwise it's just a waste of money and time.
Beyond this, I don't think the concept of upgrading your undergrad background with a top MSc Economics works super well in practice. Most people who do MSc Finance-related courses haven't done a finance undergrad so the way they teach it is more building a good foundation and then moving onto the advanced stuff. It's very different with an MSc Economics. Here, a university's MSc Economics course generally carries on from their undergrad course after two weeks of maths/stats revision. Therefore, while you can upgrade the quality of your undergrad institution a fair bit in economics, it can be challenging to go from a average BSc Economics to a top MSc Economics as the top MSc Economics will assume you've covered most if not all of the content in a top BSc Economics course.
Moreover, I think you sorta missed the point on whether a top master's overrides a non-target undergrad. I think it can to an extent, if you also have strong internship experience (e.g. summer internships in IB/asset management) and strong a-levels (generally AAB minimum but usually a fair bit more than that). Then you'd have a decent (albeit still limited) chance of getting a good grad role after a good MSc - note that the chances of getting a good grad role in high finance are low for everyone, regardless of background, but your chances are a bit better from better institutions. But if you don't have a great CV but have a good master's, this will do little to make up for your lack of relevant internship experience and strong undergrad.

If you want to be qualified to go into high finance then why would you do a MSc Economics? It's only relevant for some of the more niche roles at finance firms (e.g. FICC and macro research/strategy) which sometimes also require a PhD and or the CFA. If you're looking to go into finance, it would make more sense to figure out what area of finance you actually want to go into, then pick the MSc accordingly, otherwise it's just a waste of money and time.
Beyond this, I don't think the concept of upgrading your undergrad background with a top MSc Economics works super well in practice. Most people who do MSc Finance-related courses haven't done a finance undergrad so the way they teach it is more building a good foundation and then moving onto the advanced stuff. It's very different with an MSc Economics. Here, a university's MSc Economics course generally carries on from their undergrad course after two weeks of maths/stats revision. Therefore, while you can upgrade the quality of your undergrad institution a fair bit in economics, it can be challenging to go from a average BSc Economics to a top MSc Economics as the top MSc Economics will assume you've covered most if not all of the content in a top BSc Economics course.
Moreover, I think you sorta missed the point on whether a top master's overrides a non-target undergrad. I think it can to an extent, if you also have strong internship experience (e.g. summer internships in IB/asset management) and strong a-levels (generally AAB minimum but usually a fair bit more than that). Then you'd have a decent (albeit still limited) chance of getting a good grad role after a good MSc - note that the chances of getting a good grad role in high finance are low for everyone, regardless of background, but your chances are a bit better from better institutions. But if you don't have a great CV but have a good master's, this will do little to make up for your lack of relevant internship experience and strong undergrad.