What are the job prospects for M.S. Finance and is it a good investment?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the job prospects and value of pursuing a Master of Science in Finance (M.S. Finance). Participants explore the relevance of the degree to various career paths, particularly in relation to the participant's background in economic development and interest in finance. The conversation touches on concerns about tuition costs and the potential return on investment after graduation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about the relevance of their background to finance, noting a lack of knowledge in the field and exploring interests in corporate valuation and quantitative aspects of finance.
  • Another participant suggests that an MBA in finance is accessible regardless of background, while also recommending consideration of investment banking, despite the original poster's disinterest in that area.
  • A participant clarifies that they are specifically interested in an M.S. rather than an MBA, emphasizing their disinterest in investment banking.
  • Links to graduate program information are shared, with one participant commenting on the high tuition costs associated with M.S. programs and questioning their overall value.
  • Concerns are raised about the necessity of evaluating the worth of the investment in education by researching recruitment practices and alumni outcomes from specific programs.
  • Another participant advises the original poster to seek job opportunities immediately, suggesting that they may have missed key recruiting timelines in finance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the value and accessibility of finance graduate programs, with some advocating for the potential benefits of an M.S. in Finance while others question the financial investment required. There is no consensus on whether pursuing the degree is a good investment or what specific career paths it may lead to.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of understanding the job market and recruitment practices related to specific finance programs, indicating that outcomes may vary significantly based on individual circumstances and program reputation.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering graduate studies in finance, particularly those with non-finance backgrounds, and those evaluating the return on investment of advanced degrees in the finance sector.

Shackleford
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What are the job prospects for the M.S. Finance? Is it a good investment? The only remotely-related course I've taken is intermediate macroeconomic theory. It's not really related at all. Basically, I'm looking at non-technical-to-slightly-more technical graduate programs that might yield a nice return after graduation. I'm a few years outside the undergrad curve, so that monetary concern is probably the most important one right now. No I-banking.

I've been working in economic development for the past three years. I graduate in May with a B.S. Math and Physics Minor. Economic development requires a lot of networking, salesmanship, and so forth. That's not really what I enjoy. I'm not sure what all finance and its subsets entail. Frankly, I know nothing of finance, but I'm just poking around seeing if anything piques my interest. From my cursory look into the various aspects of finance, corporate valuation, determining how to value companies, assets, and such for the purposes of acquisitions or capital investment/management kind of seems interesting. If I had to guess, I'd say that might be more research-oriented and slightly quantitative in the professional world as opposed to garnering investors and so forth which would require the networking skills.
 
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loooooooooooooool yeah dude, a mba in finance is doable with any background, you might want to consider ibanking though, as most mba's are like 50 grand a year . . .
 
Highway said:
loooooooooooooool yeah dude, a mba in finance is doable with any background, you might want to consider ibanking though, as most mba's are like 50 grand a year . . .

I didn't say MBA. I said M.S. From what I've heard about the nature of I-banking, I'm not really interested.
 
http://www.princeton.edu/bcf/graduate/ might interest you? The tuition fees, as with most MS programs, are ridiculous though and I don't know whether it will ever be worth anyone's dime.
 
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Mépris said:
http://www.princeton.edu/bcf/graduate/ might interest you? The tuition fees, as with most MS programs, are ridiculous though and I don't know whether it will ever be worth anyone's dime.

Yeah, you're right. The tuition is far too much for me. According to my university, they have a decent program. It says the total cost is $26K.

In order to better service the educational needs of the Houston community, the Bauer College of Business has assembled a nationally renowned faculty in finance. The current members of the faculty have over forty years of full-time experience as faculty at the top 10 finance departments. Indeed, recent rankings place the UH finance faculty sixteenth in the nation and second in the State of Texas.

http://www.bauer.uh.edu/graduate-studies/ms-finance/index.php
 
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Figure out whether even that would be worth the investment - i.e, find out who recruits from Bauer, contact alumni, etc - I doubt you're doing this for the fun of it (alone). It would very much suck if after the program, your situation is not very different to the one you're currently in.
 
you should try to line up a job now. like this month. you've already missed most finance recruiting but might still be able to swing something. ask the finance kids at your school for advice
 

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