INSEAD "Master in Finance" program

Question

Hello all,

Long time reader yet first post.
I have been applying for MBA programs this year and I was recently admitted to LBS.
After carefully assessing my financial situation and long term goals, I decided to apply INSEAD as well. I kind of like that its a shorter program and its as strong as LBS in finance. 
But when I visited the INSEAD campus last week, one of the current students told me that INSEAD is launching a master in finance program this year. He also told me that it will definitely help me better position myself in investment banking and it is even shorter than the mba program.
Anyone else heard about this program?

laman · Answer

Honestly I can't comment on Insead MSc programme, but if you're inrerested in finance particularly why didn't you apply to LBS MiF program? It is well known in the world, it lasts 10 months and costs 34000gbp which is much cheaper in comparison to MBA...

buscon · Answer

First: INSEAD Master in Finance Program is 20 months and not less.

Second: INSEAD is FAR from being a Finance business school. As posted below, LBS is miles better. And even better is NYU Stern. NYU Stern has some brilliant programs which are "Master of Science" programs and not "Master in Finance". And they are of shorter duration as well. NYU Stern is Ranked : 1 in Finance worldwide (check specialty FT rankings)

Top Ten in Finance

1. New York University: Stern

2. Columbia Business School

3. University of Rochester: Simon

4. University of Pennsylvania: Wharton

5. University of Chicago: Booth

6. London Business School

7. University of Iowa: Tippie

8. University of Toronto: Rotman

9. Carnegie Mellon: Tepper

10. Rice University: Jones

laman · Answer

Would argue about MIT... Average experience of MIT MiF students is around 2 years vs 6 years for LBS's. Also, LBS MiF is basicly a finance focused, shortened version of MBA as you're taking the same courses together with MBA students. It dictates "quality" of classmates to be equal to MBA students and significantly extends your network. All those are not available in MIT. Didn't check anything about other schools, my choice was mainly between MIT and LBS...

buscon · Answer

First: INSEAD Master in Finance Program is 20 months and not less.

Second: INSEAD is FAR from being a Finance business school. As posted below, LBS is miles better. And even better is NYU Stern. NYU Stern has some brilliant programs which are "Master of Science" programs and not "Master in Finance". And they are of shorter duration as well. NYU Stern is Ranked : 1 in Finance worldwide (check specialty FT rankings)

Top Ten in Finance

1. New York University: Stern

2. Columbia Business School

3. University of Rochester: Simon

4. University of Pennsylvania: Wharton

5. University of Chicago: Booth

6. London Business School

7. University of Iowa: Tippie

8. University of Toronto: Rotman

9. Carnegie Mellon: Tepper

10. Rice University: Jones

laman · Answer

Profiles of their students are driven by executive format of the program (re MSc Global Finance). Another potential drawback - underrepresented corp.fin and fin.analysis in the portfolio which limit people into the class to certain sphere professionals...

momothebored · Answer

I saw this and needed to make a comment.

The INSEAD MFin is possibly the toughest program known to man.
Besides being graded on a z-score, the class is composed of IBs, FMs, PE guys, Management consultants, CFOs and the like you will be taking exams against. 
Many of them already have CFAs, masters degrees and industry qualifications. 
The pace and depth is ridiculous, there are casualties that can't make the gpa despite having years of industry experience.

I would be very careful making statements about LBS being "miles better" unless you've been through both. 
 
Am well accustomed to standards at top tier US schools, this is tougher than anything i experienced in the US by far.

- 1st hand experience

MBAbot · Answer

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MiMEssay · Answer

Hi kcs101 , INSEAD has an executive MSc in Finance program, I would suggest you to wait until the school's official announcement before taking a step ahead. INSEAD had recently launched the MiM program last year, and in all probability the MSc Finance is another addition to its Early Career Degree portfolio to capture fresh graduates 0-2.5 years of work experience. If you are on the upper end with respect to the work ex, they might redirect you to the MBA program itself. Secondly, here both LBS and INSEAD brands are good but it really depends upon what your goals are at the end of the day and how intensive you want your curriculum to be. Every applicant struggles with the dilemma of MiM/ Specialized masters now or MBA. Ofcourse, when you are investing in an advanced degree, it is very natural (and recommended) to weigh in all the alternatives. Before I compare the degrees, let me tell you that both MFin and MBA are “worth it” - You cannot go wrong with either degree provided you make a pick after thoroughly analyzing your career goals. You can say that while an MBA grad views a business problem from a strategic level, a specialized master's person might view it from an operational perspective. The right degree for you will depend upon 3 factors: How Intensive you want your finance course to be At which stage you want to enter the job market How much are you willing to invest Here’s a quick analysis of each of these factors: Intensity of the course MSc in finance is a program with a more intensive take on finance where the core as well as electives will be focussed on the micro and macro aspects of the financial industry. A lot of MSc marketing programs will go deep into the trending industry concepts like big data analytics in Finance as well as application of marketing in major sectors ( Retail, healthcare,etc.) If you are super-sure of working only in a core financial area for the long term, MFin can be the ideal degree for you. Potential job profiles include Financial Analyst, Risk Analyst, Capital Investment Specialist,etc. (You can check out this page for more insights about the class profile, jobs and salary stats ) An MBA on the other hand, is a generalized Business degree - It will have core courses that are focussed towards all aspects of business administration, with a choice of electives that will allow you to specialize in finance. So the intensity of focus on finance is comparatively lesser here, and it will allow you to have a wider range of options in terms of job profiles. Potential job profiles include Finance consultant, revenue strategist, Investment Banker, etc. 2. At which stage you want to enter the job market If you want to enter the job market at an entry/analyst level position within a couple of years of graduation, then MFin is the best fit. On the other hand, if you are willing to wait 4-5 years to build your work ex, MBA is the way to go. This is a personal decision that depends upon your long term goals and where you see yourself in the next 5-10 years. 3. How much are you willing to invest MBA, as you must know, is a comparatively costlier degree- The tuition fees can range anywhere between $150,000 to $170,000 (for the 2 year program)depending upon the country and college. MFin tuition fees typically range between $53,000 to $65,000 and are comparatively shorter in duration ( can be completed in 1 to 1.5 years) Again a personal decision on how much are you willing to invest and how you plan to finance the degree. I would advise you to think these points through to personalize your decision. You can check out this post highlighting the differences between both the degrees: https://www.mim-essay.com/mba-vs-mim?gmat-club

INSEAD "Master in Finance" program

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