Should I get an M.S. Finance degree?

Question

I graduated in 2011 with a degree in Marketing. I had 2 related internships back in '07. I was supposed to graduate in 09, but I had to leave school for family reasons, shy of 3 classes. I ended up getting a job a little over 5 months after I left college working for a major bank where I'm still employed. I finished my degree and relocated to a different city. I want to go back to school. Ideally I'd like to stay in the financial services industry, not necessarily in the consumer or personal finance side. I really love marketing and enjoyed my marketing classes, but I'm not sure that it's a good fit for me as a career, as I am having difficulty making a switch into that field. I've looked into some of the career fields with finance and it is appealing, although not as much as marketing. I am strongly considering a local program where I will be able to work and attend school, which is great because my employer has tuition reimbursement. But I am really torn if I should study finance or marketing, as I am really interested in both. Also I do not want an MBA at the moment as I already have an undergrad business degree and just want to take the classes that are necessary.

MSFHQ · Answer

I'd suggest you look at MMS degrees. A Masters in Management is a nice middle ground between an MSF and an MBA. Perfect for those with a year or so work experience and allows you to get a good education of business in its entirety. Dukes program is well know, as is Wake Forest. Arizona State University has a program also. I am not completely up to speed on the degree, but I am sure a variety of schools offer the degree.

teesmartgirl · Answer

ok, I will look into that

aerien · Answer

If you want an MSF, I would suggest looking at programs that are 1.5-2 years long so that it includes a summer internship. That way you could intern in the field and use that as leverage in your job search.

One year MSF programs, while definitely skewing towards the younger age groups, are mostly comprised of undergrad finance majors with all finance internships. These people really want an in-depth background in finance to substantiate their already growing careers in finance.

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Should I get an M.S. Finance degree?

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