Msc Financial Services

Gael23

Does anyone kno anything about this course? The modules look really interesting but in less certain about the career prospects afterwards

freeze4real

It's a great course. A broad range of students from several discipline takes it.

Those who've are being deployed in top firms. A guy who did the course is a trader.

I'll be doing the computational finance and we share some modules together.

Gael23

Its not something I had previously considered and will be a slight change form my intended direction but it looks good.
Do you know a few companies that employ graduates?

freeze4real

ryanf1 wrote: »

Its not something I had previously considered and will be a slight change form my intended direction but it looks good.
Do you know a few companies that employ graduates?

The Msc Financial services covers a broad range of topics that most of the students to take it come from diverse disciplines e.g taxation, accounting, music, history.

From my research lots of employers regard this Msc really well.

If you're looking to go to accounting I'm sure the big 4 is on your radar. If so I know ey has/had a position of financial services graduate. I applied to it earlier and was offered a job but turned it down lol.

Again your job prospects would depend on what areas you want to get to but without a doubt this msc will take you there.

1huge1 is doing this programme, if he see's this thread he should be able to shed some light on this.

Gael23

freeze4real wrote: »

The Msc Financial services covers a broad range of topics that most of the students to take it come from diverse disciplines e.g taxation, accounting, music, history.

From my research lots of employers regard this Msc really well.

If you're looking to go to accounting I'm sure the big 4 is on your radar. If so I know ey has/had a position of financial services graduate. I applied to it earlier and was offered a job but turned it down lol.

Again your job prospects would depend on what areas you want to get to but without a doubt this msc will take you there.

1huge1 is doing this programme, if he see's this thread he should be able to shed some light on this.

This only came to my attention in the past few days so I am still researching it.
Of course the Big4 Accounting firms are in my radar but from what I kniow this would open doors to a hell of alot more than Accounting Firms. I would possibly consider Investment Banking Companies such as Citi etc.
Only thing is I will have a ";" undergraduate degree and while I can get the Masters with this, im not sure what employers will think but the advice I have been given so far is that the masters will override that

1huge1

ryanf1 wrote: »

This only came to my attention in the past few days so I am still researching it.
Of course the Big4 Accounting firms are in my radar but from what I kniow this would open doors to a hell of alot more than Accounting Firms. I would possibly consider Investment Banking Companies such as Citi etc.
Only thing is I will have a ";" undergraduate degree and while I can get the Masters with this, im not sure what employers will think but the advice I have been given so far is that the masters will override that

Hey, ya I'm in this course at the moment, very good job prospects form it, those who are doing the course and have been applying have done quite well.

If you are looking for a job at the big 4 in terms of accounting though, I'd highly recommend the Masters of Taxation, I'm friends with a lot of people in that course (as well as having chosen ''Principles of International taxation'' as an elective this semester) and the vast majority of them have already secured jobs for when the finish, mostly with the big 4 as well as BDO and Grant Thornton.

Any specific questions let me know, but again to answer your main question in the OP, the course is very good for job prospects.

Gael23

What sort of jobs are people going into? I had previously been working towards Accounting/tax so this is slightly different.
How are you finding the electives? Some of them look very maths based which I would struggle with.

1huge1

Well if you are set on working in the accountancy/tax field, then the Master of Taxation might be more what you should be looking at (http://www.ul.ie/graduateschool/node/233?gclid=CJKh9IGctr0CFetf2wodKI0AUw).

In terms of employment from the course, most of us are looking for roles within the banking industry, but there is also a few interested in working in the insurance industry, a few of the more mathematically orientated students are looking at roles with companies like First derivatives etc. But you can really go into a lot of different areas, having a Masters degree opens a lot of doors.

This is taken from http://www.ul.ie/graduateschool/course/financial-services-msc
Areas where graduates can expect to find employment include: Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, Private Banking, Fund Management, Debt and Equity Capital Markets, Treasury and Foreign Exchange, Investment Consulting, Risk Management, Compliance, Quantitative Financial Analysis, Sales, Trading and Research. The Dissertation element of the programme allows students to specialise in their particular area of interest. - See more at: http://www.ul.ie/graduateschool/course/financial-services-msc#sthash.N4hpacqD.dpuf

Its not overly mathematical to be honest, sure you have to have a relatively good level of maths, but the Msc in Computational Finance would have a lot more maths involved, you can choose electives in the second semester and if you don't like maths, you can choose the ones that don't have much maths in them. There is a good choice of electives.

For example, I picked Taxation and Insurance, two areas I had never had any previous experience with, I don't particularly want to work in these areas but I thought it was good to broaden my background a bit and I am really glad I chose them.

Gael23

I have some concerns that put me off the Taxation one even though I have some friends that did it last year.
I'm liking this because it does broaden your horizons and I think it opens up career options that might actually suit me better. I would probably aim to take that tax elective also but not sure about the other 2. Also the International Study Trip sounds interesting. I just hope not having a 2:1 won't stand in my way.

freeze4real

ryanf1 wrote: »

I have some concerns that put me off the Taxation one even though I have some friends that did it last year.
I'm liking this because it does broaden your horizons and I think it opens up career options that might actually suit me better. I would probably aim to take that tax elective also but not sure about the other 2. Also the International Study Trip sounds interesting. I just hope not having a 2:1 won't stand in my way.

I'm not sure the international study trip will happen this semester. With a 2.2 you'll get a place. I know quite a few people who had 2.2 from ul and got in.

One is working with BNY Mellon now.

You have a good hoice of modues that re not mathsy.I'll be dooing the computational finance and I've been told that its mathsy for quants like.

1huge1

Well if you do have a 2.2, apply early (like now), it would also help if you did your undergraduate here.

There are only so many places in the course (c.a. 20) so to guarantee yourself a place, apply as soon as possible. September is only 5 months away and I would imagine a lot of people have already applied.