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Masters in Finance vs. MBA ... which is better?

creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
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edited May 2022 in Tug Tavern
The MS in Finance (a future son-in-law is doing his right now) has become the biz degree du Jour (with permission from our one and only @Doog_de_Jour ) for people who want to get all jacked up in the high stakes world of Finance.

They're usually a little shorter - like 1.5 years including your internship semester vs. 2 full years - and thus I would guess cheaper. As we continue down the path of specialization, is the MS in Finance, and its siblings in other business concentrations, going to displace the MBA?

Which is the better investment? Would it be redundant to get both at different stages of your career? Is that a thing?

https://www.efinancialcareers.com/news/2019/02/an-mba-or-a-master’s-in-finance-a-detailed-look-at-the-numbers-you-need-to-know

Comments

  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
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    Swaye said:

    Orkin has requested neither of me.

    That's because Johnny Hopkins vouched for you.
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
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    @godawgst ? anyone else in Fin Tech? Is this the degree you get for that kind of jerb?
  • Pitchfork51Pitchfork51 Member Posts: 26,538
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    I have absolutely no interest in anything finance related tbh
  • FireCohenFireCohen Member Posts: 21,823
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    What is his goal?? Quantitative finance or investment banking or consulting. I would say mba has better exit options assuming it is not a shit school
  • TequillaTequilla Member Posts: 19,800
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    I have some thoughts on this that I’ll try to get out today but the question of goal/interests I think is very applicable
  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 100,717
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    Swaye's Wigwam
    I'm a master of the universe
  • 1to392831weretaken1to392831weretaken Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 7,280
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    Swaye's Wigwam

    I'm a master of the universe

    You haaaaave the poweeeeeeeeer!
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
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    FireCohen said:

    What is his goal?? Quantitative finance or investment banking or consulting. I would say mba has better exit options assuming it is not a shit school

    He likes the data science side, so I think he wants to be Fin Tech like @godawgst .

    He was an undergrad with my youngest. Fairly selective undergrad - eastern equivalent of a Whitman or a Reed - and was all everything there. Literally the best hoopster they've ever had. He's a Lithuanian kid who came over and hosted with a family whose father won a Division 1 national championship. Because of @RaceBannon 's immigration policy, it's been very difficult for him to be able to stay past his student visa. He was working for a mid-tier I-bank in Manhattan who was not able to get him the extended visa because those were being reserved for STEM, and he was an Econ major.

    Long story short, he was planning on getting his MBA at a Wharton or some such place and then when the sponsorship extended visa fell through - because of @RaceBannon and his minions in the INS - he needed to find a quick plan b, and he didn't have the funding or ability to apply to an elite place. He also needed to make it STEM-qualified so that when he's done he gets an extra 3 years.

    So he went for the MS in Finance solely to extend his visa while he figures out his next move. Eventually the next move is marrying into my family, which will solve his problems, but until then he needed to buy time and needed money. So U of Rochester, which is a great school and a bottom 30-ish MBA, basically covered him 95% for cost, so he's there doing that.

    His plan is to come out and work again in the city, only this time his MS in Finance qualifies as STEM and he'll have 3 years to either get married or make his next move. I told him to hitch up with the consulting side of one of the Big 4 so that if all else fails, he can x-fer to one of the European offices ... London, etc.

  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
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    Tequilla said:

    I have some thoughts on this that I’ll try to get out today but the question of goal/interests I think is very applicable

    Thanks ... see my response to @FireCohen for moar backround.

    @Tequilla
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
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    I'm a master of the universe

    Race, we are serious people in the Finance world. Men of discerning opinion and in control of our feelings. You need to take the full measure of your Tomfoolery and reassess whether you really want to be one of us.

    I'm creating a little cult here Race. It's not open to the riff raff you like to drink with in the Tug. The Oregon bros have been blocked by algorithm ... now THAT's power.

    I won't have it.
  • RaceBannonRaceBannon Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 100,717
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Awesomes 5 Up Votes
    Swaye's Wigwam

    I'm a master of the universe

    Race, we are serious people in the Finance world. Men of discerning opinion and in control of our feelings. You need to take the full measure of your Tomfoolery and reassess whether you really want to be one of us.

    I'm creating a little cult here Race. It's not open to the riff raff you like to drink with in the Tug. The Oregon bros have been blocked by algorithm ... now THAT's power.

    I won't have it.
    I'll burn this place to the ground
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
    First Anniversary 5 Up Votes 5 Awesomes Photogenic

    I'm a master of the universe

    Race, we are serious people in the Finance world. Men of discerning opinion and in control of our feelings. You need to take the full measure of your Tomfoolery and reassess whether you really want to be one of us.

    I'm creating a little cult here Race. It's not open to the riff raff you like to drink with in the Tug. The Oregon bros have been blocked by algorithm ... now THAT's power.

    I won't have it.
    I'll burn this place to the ground
    Don't forget ...


  • FireCohenFireCohen Member Posts: 21,823
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    FireCohen said:

    What is his goal?? Quantitative finance or investment banking or consulting. I would say mba has better exit options assuming it is not a shit school

    He likes the data science side, so I think he wants to be Fin Tech like @godawgst .

    He was an undergrad with my youngest. Fairly selective undergrad - eastern equivalent of a Whitman or a Reed - and was all everything there. Literally the best hoopster they've ever had. He's a Lithuanian kid who came over and hosted with a family whose father won a Division 1 national championship. Because of @RaceBannon 's immigration policy, it's been very difficult for him to be able to stay past his student visa. He was working for a mid-tier I-bank in Manhattan who was not able to get him the extended visa because those were being reserved for STEM, and he was an Econ major.

    Long story short, he was planning on getting his MBA at a Wharton or some such place and then when the sponsorship extended visa fell through - because of @RaceBannon and his minions in the INS - he needed to find a quick plan b, and he didn't have the funding or ability to apply to an elite place. He also needed to make it STEM-qualified so that when he's done he gets an extra 3 years.

    So he went for the MS in Finance solely to extend his visa while he figures out his next move. Eventually the next move is marrying into my family, which will solve his problems, but until then he needed to buy time and needed money. So U of Rochester, which is a great school and a bottom 30-ish MBA, basically covered him 95% for cost, so he's there doing that.

    His plan is to come out and work again in the city, only this time his MS in Finance qualifies as STEM and he'll have 3 years to either get married or make his next move. I told him to hitch up with the consulting side of one of the Big 4 so that if all else fails, he can x-fer to one of the European offices ... London, etc.

    At one point U of Rochester was a decent school. Not sure about their job placement these days. Might be decent spring board a for a PHD program. UW had like 3 or 4 professors with a PHD from there. Definitely recommend staying on the more quantitative side of the finance.
  • TequillaTequilla Member Posts: 19,800
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    My best advice really comes down to what the interests are and going forward.

    Generally speaking, my view on a MBA and Finance is that having a well rounded view of business is required if your goal is to work in a corporate environment or going to be working in an area that requires business valuation where understanding how the business comes together, direction of the business, etc comes together. Any idiot can take Revenues and multiply it by a multiple to get value.

    If the goal is going down the path of banking, investment banking, etc then there’s a path that may not require an MBA and guide additional professional designations. This isn’t necessarily the path I took and is hard for me to speak to. I view these areas as being a little more specific to being skilled at certain areas. Investment Banking is an area where you may need real business knowledge to be successful in.

    A growing area that I see is being more tied into data science and there’s a pretty big link within financials. I don’t think you need a MBA per se to be successful here however business knowledge may help in workflow and problem solving.

    My general advice is to get a foundation to be as flexible to as much that interests someone as possible. School to me sets the foundation for the first 5 years or so for a career. After that the jobs you take are in theory tied to setting you up for the next stage.
  • pawzpawz Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 18,681
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    Tequilla said:

    My best advice really comes down to what the interests are and going forward.

    Generally speaking, my view on a MBA and Finance is that having a well rounded view of business is required if your goal is to work in a corporate environment or going to be working in an area that requires business valuation where understanding how the business comes together, direction of the business, etc comes together. Any idiot can take Revenues and multiply it by a multiple to get value.

    If the goal is going down the path of banking, investment banking, etc then there’s a path that may not require an MBA and guide additional professional designations. This isn’t necessarily the path I took and is hard for me to speak to. I view these areas as being a little more specific to being skilled at certain areas. Investment Banking is an area where you may need real business knowledge to be successful in.

    A growing area that I see is being more tied into data science and there’s a pretty big link within financials. I don’t think you need a MBA per se to be successful here however business knowledge may help in workflow and problem solving.

    My general advice is to get a foundation to be as flexible to as much that interests someone as possible. School to me sets the foundation for the first 5 years or so for a career. After that the jobs you take are in theory tied to setting you up for the next stage.

    This is exactly the conversation I'm having with myself right now as I plot my next move. Gold.

  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
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    Tequilla said:

    My best advice really comes down to what the interests are and going forward.

    Generally speaking, my view on a MBA and Finance is that having a well rounded view of business is required if your goal is to work in a corporate environment or going to be working in an area that requires business valuation where understanding how the business comes together, direction of the business, etc comes together. Any idiot can take Revenues and multiply it by a multiple to get value.

    If the goal is going down the path of banking, investment banking, etc then there’s a path that may not require an MBA and guide additional professional designations. This isn’t necessarily the path I took and is hard for me to speak to. I view these areas as being a little more specific to being skilled at certain areas. Investment Banking is an area where you may need real business knowledge to be successful in.

    A growing area that I see is being more tied into data science and there’s a pretty big link within financials. I don’t think you need a MBA per se to be successful here however business knowledge may help in workflow and problem solving.

    My general advice is to get a foundation to be as flexible to as much that interests someone as possible. School to me sets the foundation for the first 5 years or so for a career. After that the jobs you take are in theory tied to setting you up for the next stage.

    Totally agree with this. It's sage advice. I've always taken the maximum optionality route within a range of things I can stand doing. I think your point about data and that track is also spot on ... that's less about chasing a prestigious MBA, which is a ticket to the club, and more akin to comp. sci. ... where are you going to learn it? And you don't need to be anywhere near the M7 for that. It's more of a functional skill and one that, as you say, is in massive demand. The boyfriend is focusing on that area in his MS Finance curriculum.
  • FireCohenFireCohen Member Posts: 21,823
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    You don't even need a masters as long as you're smart enough and willing to work hard.

    Helps if you have a visa issue
  • creepycougcreepycoug Member Posts: 22,706
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    You don't even need a masters as long as you're smart enough and willing to work hard.

    Very often true. There are some positions, however, that will likely stay beyond your reach w/o one.
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