MSc Finance Degrees - Sales and Trading Target Universities
Hi there,
I am coming towards the end of a four-year bachelor's in a non-quant unrelated subject area and want to make a career change into finance, in particular sales and trading. I am aware of how competitive places can be at target unis for finance and, in particular, those courses that can lead to front office roles. For me, it’s not necessarily about getting the best sales and trading job at a top firm like Jane Street but more about getting into that line of work in the first place and working up to the bigger firms should that be my only path to success. I have also dedicated the 26/27 academic year as a gap year to fully put my head down, and if it takes longer than one gap year to achieve this career change, then I am more than happy to do that. The programmes I was thinking of aiming for are:
LSE - MSc Finance
Durham - MSc Finance and Investment
UCL - MSc Finance (providing I have adequate quant skills having done a non quant Bachelors).
I currently have or am working towards the following:
CFA Investment Foundations/CFA Program Level I (I aim to be working on CFA Program Level II in October when I come to apply for 2027 entry and then hopefully if I pass Level II complete Level III by MSc graduation.
A Level Maths (A*), A Level Further Maths (A) with the FS1 and D1 optional modules, I could potentially bring the FM to an A* resitting as a private candidate if it will make a difference.
GMAT score around the 700s im getting late 600s on my practice runs so 700 is definitely possible.
Harvard Business School Online (Leading with Finance)
80% Final Dissertation 10,000 words which is a mixture of television studies, media economics and business studies.
1st Class Honours in my Bachelors.
Maybe some finance related work experience however because of how competitive the industry is I am not sure how achievable this is.
I am willing to work hard to get into S&T, whatever it takes, and would really love some input on what my situation currently is, given my background, and whether the postgrad courses I have mentioned will realistically lead to front office roles. I also intend to join mathematics and finance/economics societies once at uni, wherever I go and work hard with networking wherever I go since I only have a year.
I am coming towards the end of a four-year bachelor's in a non-quant unrelated subject area and want to make a career change into finance, in particular sales and trading. I am aware of how competitive places can be at target unis for finance and, in particular, those courses that can lead to front office roles. For me, it’s not necessarily about getting the best sales and trading job at a top firm like Jane Street but more about getting into that line of work in the first place and working up to the bigger firms should that be my only path to success. I have also dedicated the 26/27 academic year as a gap year to fully put my head down, and if it takes longer than one gap year to achieve this career change, then I am more than happy to do that. The programmes I was thinking of aiming for are:
LSE - MSc Finance
Durham - MSc Finance and Investment
UCL - MSc Finance (providing I have adequate quant skills having done a non quant Bachelors).
I currently have or am working towards the following:
CFA Investment Foundations/CFA Program Level I (I aim to be working on CFA Program Level II in October when I come to apply for 2027 entry and then hopefully if I pass Level II complete Level III by MSc graduation.
A Level Maths (A*), A Level Further Maths (A) with the FS1 and D1 optional modules, I could potentially bring the FM to an A* resitting as a private candidate if it will make a difference.
GMAT score around the 700s im getting late 600s on my practice runs so 700 is definitely possible.
Harvard Business School Online (Leading with Finance)
80% Final Dissertation 10,000 words which is a mixture of television studies, media economics and business studies.
1st Class Honours in my Bachelors.
Maybe some finance related work experience however because of how competitive the industry is I am not sure how achievable this is.
I am willing to work hard to get into S&T, whatever it takes, and would really love some input on what my situation currently is, given my background, and whether the postgrad courses I have mentioned will realistically lead to front office roles. I also intend to join mathematics and finance/economics societies once at uni, wherever I go and work hard with networking wherever I go since I only have a year.
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