Doesn’t this kind of partnership decrease the value of the program? Why spend 1.5 years and paying 30-50k to study for this particular MSc Finance when you can spend 4k to finish the CFA program at your own time?
There is MSc which partners with FRM. I question why spend 1.5 years and paying 40k to study for this particular MSc when you can write the FRM for less than 2k at one go?
i would say that the point of the program isnt to get you the CFA…the point of the program is to get the masters degree, but it closely covers the topics of the CFA as well…i wouldnt think of it as a prep course…i would think of it as higher education that has an added benefit of preparing you for most if not all of the CFA topics
Actually I am a candidate in one of the MSc. Prior to that, I have already passed CFA LIII through self-study.
People were asking me why am I taking this program when I have passed CFA LIII. Reasons are because my country only has this and another financial engineering (my goal is to become an analyst and I have no Maths background) and I want a MSc degree.
Just feel stupid as this kind of partnership seems to make the program worthless
When you look at any kind of finance education, you need to consider all of the benefits in assessing whether the program is worth your time. You might think about it like this:
Value of Program = (Value of Learning) + (Value of Credential) + (Value of Recruiting Opportunities) + (Value of Industry Contacts Made)
Regardless of whether you do a Harvard fulltime MBA, or the CFA program, or a Universtiy of Phoenix online Masters in Finance, you’re going to learn approximately the same stuff. The difference in the value of the various programs is in the other components.
With the Harvard degree, the Value of the Credential, the Value of the Recruiting Opportunities, and the Value of Industry Contacts Made, are all substantial. All-in, a Harvard Fulltime MBA is probably worth a couple million dollars.
With the CFA, you get the learning and a prestigious credential, but no special recruiting opportunities, and you don’t make an industry contacts.
With the Universtiy of Phoenix online degree, you get the learning, but the credential is nearly worthless, the recruiting opportunities are probably worth nothing, and you don’t make any industry contacts.
If you’re working on a MSc Finance from a school where prestigious financial institutions recruit many students for desirable positions, and where you are building a network of lasting relationships with other students that will go on to build successful careers in finance, then the MSc Finance is probably well worth what you are paying for it.
Wendy is a wise lady
one of the best answers ive ever read on this forum…and sums up/in a substantial way answers the question of “CFA or MBA?” cost benefit pros vs cons analysis…brilliant +10 and i recommend an admin front paging this.
Yes, great post Wendy, really puts things in perspective.
great post Wendy. I agree that you are a very smart lady
Thank you Wendy for taking time to write the above details. Puts a lot of things in to perspective and i too have been contemplating on lines of this…for quite some time. Thank you !
University of Pheonix does not give the same education. Im sorry to say their material is not a s high quality as ranked schools. Their teachers are not even phd grads.
Wendy, what do you do for work?