5 Best Finance MBAs London

London’s economy is built upon finance. In fact, the city is considered the world’s leading financial centeer. It’s the largest financial exporter in the world, and the city is home to exchanges, banks, brokers, investment managers, pension funds, hedge funds, insurance companies and more crucial financial positions. It’s also an important center of international finance, being home to the Bank of England—the second oldest central bank in the world. And in 2009, London handled 36.7 percent of global currency transactions.

So, there’s no doubt that London is a great place to live, work and gain an education if the finance industry is your preference. But how do you join the 315,200 people who work in London’s financial services sector? First, it’s about finding the right school for your education.

London has a variety of schools that offer an exceptional Finance MBA program. We’ve outlined the top five below along with why we think each program stands out in the crowd.

Ashridge Business School

The Global Executive MBA program at Ashridge offers six unique specialization opportunities including a specialization in finance. The specialization requires students to complete three courses on topics such as Global Strategic Valuation, Business Analysis, and Valuation and Mergers and Acquisitions. The curriculum prepares students for a career in finance by helping them understand financial statements, asset allocation strategies and more.

In addition to the specialization, Ashridge Finance MBAs also have an opportunity to participate in a variety of practical experiences. Simulations allow MBAs to put their classroom learning into action through complex, computer-based simulations that take place over several days and cover a variety of topics including finance.

London Business School

The London Business School is also an exceptional school for a Finance MBA program. At LBS, 27 percent of the incoming class (pre-MBA) has a history in Finance/Accounting and, post-MBA, 27 percent of graduates went into finance. As for during the MBA program, the school offers 14 elective courses focused on finance. The courses include everything from Behavioral Finance to Derivatives, Hedge Funds and Real Estate Finance.

And Finance MBAs at LBS receive an excellent education. The Financial Times ranked the School’s Master in Finance among the best in the world for multiple years. Beyond that, LBS has connections with 11 corporate partners in the finance sector with over 4,000 alumni working in the industry.

Saïd Business School – University of Oxford

The Finance MBA program at Saïd is award winning. In fact, there’s a reason why 29 percent of the graduating class in 2015 entered the financial services industry. Part of that is due to the Oxford Saïd Finance Lab, which takes place soon after the launch of the program. The Lab is a joint venture between the Private Equity Institute, the finance faculty and the Careers Centre. The goal of the lab is to offer students the opportunity to understand key concepts, instruments and models required for finance.

Beyond the lab, Finance MBAs also have the chance to study finance through case studies, lectures, practitioner teaching and special events. That’s why Financial Times ranked the school’s Masters in Finance as eleventh in the world. Part of that education includes a half-dozen finance challenges where students complete in teams or alone to apply their financial knowledge and to interact with influential professionals.

Judge Business School – University of Cambridge

The one-year MBA program at the Judge Business School allows students to personalize their experience with a concentration in finance. This concentration is useful for anything interested in working in finance whether at a bank, in an investment fund or as an entrepreneur. Finance MBAs will cover such topics as passive asset management, alternative lending and innovation in financial markets. To close out the concentration, students participate in a Concentration Capstone Project, which is a team project that provides hands-on learning.

Outside of the classroom, students can also participate in the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance. This Centre is a research institute dedicated to finance, which provides multiple opportunities for Finance MBAs including the Global Internship Programme. The internship allows students to be part of a close-knit and dynamic team and to engage in work on everything from data collection to researching fintech and more.

Cass Business School – City University London

At Cass, the Finance MBA is one of five elective module options. The finance module includes eight courses on topics such as Forecasting, Global Real Estate Markets, Private Equity and Topics in Derivatives. Each course helps students understand a variety of financial issues and to gain the tools they need to succeed in the industry. And, it’s clear that it has been a success. 26 percent of students enter the full-time MBA at Cass with a background in finance, and 19 percent leave the program for a career in financial services, second only to consulting.

Finance MBAs at Cass also take part in the Business Mastery Project. This project offers students a chance to draw on what they learn to address a real-world business problem within a chosen industry or research area. It’s a chance for MBAs to gain practical experience and past projects have included topics such as “The effects on the UK financial system following the failure of a major global hedge fund.”

regions: London

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