I just finished my undergrad in December (major in Finance and Economics). Sat for CFA L1 on Sunday. Now I was thinking of not going for any Masters/MBA since I am hoping that I can complete the CFA program. Any suggestions?
Search MBA vs. CFA using the search function. This has already been debated thousands of times over.
thanks…i will do that
Kh, you’re only 23 go for both while you still can 
Hey kh.asif, I know this topic has been posted a number of times but heres my 2 cent on the topic. Most people on here would tell you to get one or the other but I think in todays job market diversified credentials is always a positive aspect which should always distinguish yourself from other applicants to the same job. I start my MBA/M.S. International Business dual degree this fall and sat for my CFA Level 1 on Saturday. I’m only 24, very motivated and passionate about CFA material and the business environment. So if you are passionate about the material and motivated, don’t let anyone tell you either/or is better than both.
thanks for taking time to reply to something already discussed b4. I am surely going to complete my CFA. In between if its possible then I would put in a Masters or MBA
I have been thinking about the same thing kh.asif. Wanna talk? drop me email at scfa09 at gmail dot com
Kh.asif i just recently graduated from undergrad with finance/econ as well and i’m going for a masters in mathematics this coming fall…i think an MBA/masters in finance is worth it especially if its from a top ten school for alumni networking
sumz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have been thinking about the same thing kh.asif. > Wanna talk? drop me email at scfa09 at gmail dot > com yea…i will be sending you an email… Chung I would like to talk to you as well… mail me at perpetual_symphony at yahoo dot com (its a temporary email)
The value of an MBA is extremely dependent on the quality and reputation of the school, as compared to the value of the CFA, which is fairly consistent. I would say you’re going to get little value from an MBA at 23 and while some top programs are taking younger people the avg work experience is somewhere in the 4-5 years range. They will really only accept an exceptional case right out of school.
dont waste money on an MBA. You can’t put “John Smith, MBA”, but you can put “John Smith, CFA”
lol…nice one
For MBA, the school REALLY matters, so you better make sure the school you’re going is one of the top ones.
ok KH, instead of a MBA, have you ever thought of getting other credential? CFA, pair with CPA, and CFP, would be much better than a CFA with MBA IMO. another thing with MBA is it’s costly around $120K for top 15 program.
Yea for an MBA, stay in the top 15~20 B-School range or don’t even bother going, unless you’re getting a free ride or something. Not worth the 100k cash outlay and 2 years out of the work force.
I definitely agree with all the posts about the quality of the school. Just to give you an idea, we went through the hiring process last year. My director weeded out 10 applications from over 500. Top ten either had a CFA, CFA + no name MBA or MBA from a prestigious school. No one in the top ten had just an MBA from a no name school. We ended up choosing someone with just their CFA because of their work experience.
spunboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I definitely agree with all the posts about the > quality of the school. Just to give you an idea, > we went through the hiring process last year. My > director weeded out 10 applications from over 500. > Top ten either had a CFA, CFA + no name MBA or > MBA from a prestigious school. No one in the top > ten had just an MBA from a no name school. We > ended up choosing someone with just their CFA > because of their work experience. Spunboy- you mind me asking what kind of company you work for?
you guys talk about MBA as if the only MBA worth something is one that is top 10 ie the good old boy network. I do not deny that a top ranked school is worth many times more than one that is not ranked but to only limit the value of the MBA to top 10 and none other is narrow minded. There are many schools in the top lists on Businessweek and US News that consistently contribute large amounts of research and insight on business practices. To say that these same universities MBA programs are inferior is hogwash.
patel, you are wrong just that simple, look at the job postings for IBs, nearly all of the require a top 20 b-school, and delineate that very clearly. You clearly went to a sub par MBA school so I am sorry for you, fact of the matter is go to a top 20, or don’t bother.
cpatel84 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > you guys talk about MBA as if the only MBA worth > something is one that is top 10 ie the good old > boy network. I do not deny that a top ranked > school is worth many times more than one that is > not ranked but to only limit the value of the MBA > to top 10 and none other is narrow minded. > > There are many schools in the top lists on > Businessweek and US News that consistently > contribute large amounts of research and insight > on business practices. To say that these same > universities MBA programs are inferior is hogwash. For this topic, I think people are referring to a “narrow” sector of the business world as implied by a CFA designation. For me, I’m referring to the buy side fixed income market. I really have not seen a whole lot of weight placed on MBAs from non prestigious schools when compared to having a CFA. In my department, if we were looking at two equally experienced applicants, one with just their CFA designation and the other with just their “non prestigious” MBA, we would call the applicant with their CFA. It all comes down to what we perceive. For the people going through the CFA program, we all know how brain damaging it is and the dedication it takes. I couldn’t say the same for some of the MBA programs out there. jedipokertrix, I work at one of the national banks in the US.