Masters Oxbridge vs HSG vs ETH vs Sciences Po
[#permalink]
30 Oct 2023, 15:23
Hello everyone,
I have the following problem: I'm soon facing the choice of pursuing my Master's degree and need to make a decision.
Here are the options:
- Master's in Economics at Oxbridge/LSE
- Quantitative Economics/Finance (Miqef) at HSG
- Quantitative Finance at ETH/Uni Zurich
- International Economic Policy at Sciences Po (a bit different from the above options, but I also find the program very interesting)
A little about me:
- I completed my Bachelor's in Economics at a good/state university in a European country, with a good university and high school GPA, and a good GRE score.
- I speak German.
- I've done a few internships in (management/economic) consulting, although not with major companies.
- I had an internship at the EIB Bank in development financing.
- I have experience working in a developing country.
- I'm hoping to do another internship, with a bank, ideally in Trading/Sales/Economic Research.
My goal(s): I would like to work in the financial sector in a role that allows me to explore my interest in macroeconomics and overall economic trends. I see potential job opportunities in areas like Macro Research & Strategy at a bank, Commodities Trading, Sovereigns Coverage, etc. In terms of location, I am flexible, I would be open to working in DACH, but London is obv is also tempting.
However, I would also like to keep the possibility of a PhD open (in Europe is fine, does not have to be the US/UK).
From conversations with alumni, I'm relatively confident that I can get into the mentioned programs (except possibly ETH, but there's a chance there too). The question is, which of the above programs is the best choice.
I have the feeling that UK Masters in Economics make the most sense primarily for an academic career in the UK/US, and might not necessarily pay off for other jobs. The cost would be around 40-60k, which is a very significant amount for me. Does anyone have experience with these programs? Does an Economics Master's in the UK really offer such great job prospects? It seems to me that most graduates primarily go into economic consulting, which wouldn't be worth such a significant investment for me...
Does anyone have experience with the Miqef Master at HSG? Is it recommendable? Is the Quantitative Finance Master at ETH/UZ better regarded by banks/companies? Or is it relatively irrelevant to employers? I know that in the German speaking area, the choice of university is traditionally way less important than e.g. in the UK.
Finally, is the Master's program at Sciences Po a good choice for a Bachelor's graduate in Economics, or is it more of a political science program with an economics touch? Can you find a good job in France if you don't speak fluent French? How good is this programme for a career in e.g. sovereign ratings research?
Thank you in advance for your opinions and advice!