For associate programmes banks require an MBA. I phoned around to ask if a MSc in Finance with work experience will allow me to apply for a Associate role. Many said no they only accept MBA's. A few say they accept other graduate degrees on their websites but again said only MBA unless the other degrees were PhD's which were not specified. Is this the the case, so how can someone without trading experience move into a trading programme. I thought a MSc might make such a move easier. But none of them seem to accept it.Anyone here applied for an associate role with a MSc in Finance or MFE and not an MBA.

Do you apply in USA with qualification of their educational system?

QuoteOriginally posted by: trader14For associate programmes banks require an MBA. I phoned around to ask if a MSc in Finance with work experience will allow me to apply for a Associate role. Many said no they only accept MBA's. A few say they accept other graduate degrees on their websites but again said only MBA unless the other degrees were PhD's which were not specified. Is this the the case, so how can someone without trading experience move into a trading programme. I thought a MSc might make such a move easier. But none of them seem to accept it.Anyone here applied for an associate role with a MSc in Finance or MFE and not an MBA.I think the preferance of banks is to have MBAs and PhDs in their Associate programs. With MFE, you will still be hired for an analyst program. But, the associate prg. for an MBA will be lot different than the analyst program. In some banks like citibank, for analyst program (where Msc/MFE) are hired, you are taught some good level of mathematics so as to be able to help the trading desk. After 2 years of the program, my guess is that you are hired as an Associate.

One place that may not discriminate against M.S. in MathFin is UBS. Tim Weithers runs education and teaches in the U.Chicago MathFin program and has had a number of M.S. even in math and other fields at least when at NationsBank/CRT Associates program when he ran it.

I am an M.S. with no trading experience and I got an associate trading position. It can be done. You just need to be good and survive 20 interviews.

Barclays Capital has a special program for people with technical degrees (Quantitative Associates), seehttp://www.barcap.com/campusrecruitment/quanti ... tes.html-V

Do you think the MSc in Finance at LSE will meet the requirements for that programme. As I think CSFB and ML also have a similar programme.I am thinking of starting the MSc in a months time, but not worthwhile if will not add much value and will make me start at the analyst role. Instead of the MSc I am then just better off doing other courses to fill in the gaps in my knowledge and then doing an MBA in order to go to the associate level.