LBS MIF vs UT Rotman MBA

Hi viviatan

First of all congratulations on being admitted to such great schools !

Of course that LBS is ranked number 1 on FT it is best UK school and FT and Economist are UK newspaper/magazine
They are both traditionally biased toward UK and EU schools versus North American, US or Canadian.

In general, today Business schools and recruiters view masters in finance (MIF) degree holders slightly differently than those with a MBA.
While some outsiders think of the MIF as a viable alternative to the MBA, graduates of each program typically go on to have quite different career profiles.

Upon graduation, recruiters seek MIF graduates for finance roles within a corporate finance function or in an investment bank, whereas MBA's are hired into general management or executive positions.
For instance, most administrators and faculty at US business schools see these degrees as distinct. There is some slight overlap in hiring, but it is rather rare.

In comparison, traditional MIF programs concentrate on the theory and practice of finance, and graduates might find themselves working in financial consulting or investment banking, also the domain of MBAs. However, the coursework of MBA and MIF students is quite different.

MBAs try to develop their soft skills, such as communication, while at school. They also focus on leadership and creating a vision for departments and companies. While they are expected to learn the basics of finance, they do not normally experience as quant-heavy a curriculum as those in MIF programs, that is more suitable for your job aspirations. As a result, companies usually hire MBA and MIF grads for different positions.

However, I can see that Rotman MBA has few interesting majors for you, such as : Risk Management and Financial Engineering, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Funds Management, Real Estate and Investment Banking, which is a game changer.
There is also a a 4-month internship, that is going to be useful for your future employment.


London is de facto world’s financial district and you would benefit from that a lot in terms of networking and jobs prospective. I went through integrated core modules and electives at LBS and that is not significantly different compared to Rotman MBA options with Finance specialization majors.

Bottom line, yes LBS is slightly more recognized internationally, however you need to decide what is most important to you at the moment and where you would like to work and live in future ?

If Canadian citizenship is important to you ( as it should be) you should go with Rotman MBA path, since Rotman is the best it can be in Canada and Toronto is awesome, also financial capital of Canada.

If you want to work abroad and want different cultural/life experience, studying at London at LBS will be great starting point.

If you want to work in US afterwards I think both will suit you well.

For working in Asia and EU, LBS is in advantage as more recognizable and respected, that doesn't mean it is better in terms of experience you will have there living/studying, just better branded school.

Hope this will help you to decide, but dont worry you will be just fine whatever you choose, since both are great schools !
Good luck !