Marking the anniversary of 20 successful years of MSc Finance, over 160 alumni, students and faculty on the programme congregated at a special event at the London Stock Exchange.

Over the last 20 years, the finance industry has faced a period of uncertainty and disruption, driven in part by the revolution of technology. Despite the ever-changing industry, our MSc Finance has continued to equip students with the skills that will be relevant to the industry today and into the future.

MSc Finance is ranked 12th in the world by the FT and has the highest application rate on a postgraduate programme at Imperial College London. This year we are very proud that MSc Finance has achieved gender parity with 50% female students for the first time in 20 years.

The London Stock Exchange was abuzz with excited chatter as alumni reminisced with their former classmates and caught-up with the faculty members who guided them through their degrees. Students had the opportunity to network with, and get advice from alumni, as they embark on their career in finance.

Networking was put on hold for the main event of the night, Professor David Miles in conversation with the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney. Professor Francisco Veloso, Dean of Imperial College Business School, opened the talk with a warm welcome.

This was followed by a speech from Dr Lara Cathcart, Academic Director of MSc Finance and MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering. Lara has been with the programme since day one and was an integral figure in the launch of the MSc Finance 20 years ago. She reflected on the early days of the programme:

I cannot believe it has been 20 years since we launched this MSc Finance. I can still remember the conversation we were having at the time. Would there be enough demand for such a degree in finance? How many students would we be able to attract? Needless to say, whatever doubts we had about the viability of such a Master’s, they were dismissed very early on.

Lara attributed the success of the programme to the experience and foresight of previous Academic Directors, the great finance programme team, world-class faculty and the students and alumni, who she said are our greatest ambassadors.

We spoke to alumni, Advisory Board members and students about their experience on MSc Finance and the anniversary event.

The Executive Committee

The club maintains a small, focused executive committee which is made up of:

• Ivan Kovynyov, President and Founder (Weekend MBA)
• Umberto Kone, Vice President, (MSc Management)
• Daniel Chew, CFO (Weekend MBA)
• Julia Yu, Marketing Director (Weekend MBA)
• Sthephany van Oordt, Director of Programmes & Services (Weekend MBA)
• Jerry Chen, Director of Corporate Partnerships (MSc Investment & Wealth Management)
• Izak Nel, Master’s Programmes Ambassador (MSc Business Analytics)

From left to right: Umberto Kone, Izak Nel, Ivan Kovynyov and Daniel Chew

We speak to some of the members of the executive committee on why they joined the club and what they are hoping to achieve in its first year.

Umberto Kone, Vice President, (MSc Management)

Why did you join the Imperial College Business School LGBTQ+ Careers Club?

When I was deciding to join Imperial, I was wondering whether Imperial College Business School had an LGBTQ+ club and had a student look into it for me. Then I found out in May that Ivan was setting up the LGBTQ+ Business Club. Now that the whole September cohort has arrived, it is really exciting.

What are the benefits and challenges of starting a new society?

The benefit is that you can structure it the way that you want. I feel a lot of pressure because the first event will set the precedent of how the society will be. The downside is that all the eyes are going to be on you and there is pressure. I founded the LGBTQ+ club at my last university, so I done this before and I like the challenge. This time I have the Imperial platform and brand – companies are really attracted to working with us. I think we can do something really big and nice for the LGBTQ+ society.

What are you hoping to achieve as Vice President?

Since I’m doing my MSc Management, I have more exposure to the Master’s students and I’m trying to get more MSc students involved. That’s something that I’m aiming to achieve. I also want to set the level for the next years to come so that more students are eager to join in the future.

Jerry Chen, Director of Corporate Partnerships (MSc International Health Management)

Why did you join the Imperial College Business School LGBTQ+ Careers Club?

I have always been very involved with LGBTQ+ initiatives in both academic and professional settings – I chaired the Boston College LGBTQ Leadership Council and was involved with the LGBTQ Affinity Network while working at Goldman Sachs. I believe people, regardless of their sexual orientation, deserve to feel comfortable and confident being who they are whether in school or at work.

What are you hoping to achieve in your role as Director of Corporate Partnerships?

I hope to promote awareness around workplace inclusivity. As well as promoting opportunities of corporate-level recruiting initiatives to identifying members.

Izak Nel, Master’s Programmes Ambassador (MSc Business Analytics)

Why did you join the Imperial College Business School LGBTQ+ Careers Club?

I want to be actively involved in creating a space where LGBTQ+ and allied students can connect with diverse and inclusive prospective employers. Inclusivity is non-negotiable and while many companies are already embracing diversity, we need to ensure that this is the standard across all industries, and in all companies. I want to make sure no LGBTQ+ student feels unsupported in building their career!

What are you hoping to achieve as Master’s Programmes Ambassador?

The club originated within the MBA cohorts, so we wanted to have a dedicated ambassador to the MSc programmes. As more Master’s students are first-time job seekers, we want to give them, as well as returning job-seekers access to employers where their careers will excel and their diversity will be celebrated.

A common question we get asked is – what is the quantitative experience statement? All MSc applicants are required to complete this section of the application form and it helps us to assess your academic background.

We understand that this may seem daunting if your first degree was in a non-quantitative subject and if you have studied a quantitative subject at degree level, then you might also be confused about which topics to include. The quantitative experience statement is essentially a list of the five most quantitative modules you have studied. If you have not studied five quantitative modules at degree level you can include older achievements e.g. A-level Maths, IB Maths. 

Familiarity with basic mathematics will help you whilst on the programme and with your future career

All of our MSc programmes contain quantitative elements so all candidates are expected to be familiar with a basic level of mathematical knowledge. For the less quantitative MSc Programmes such as MSc Strategic Marketing, MSc International Health Management, and MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance, it is totally fine if you haven’t studied maths beyond compulsory classes in high school.

Sometimes really strong candidates can be intimidated by the quantitative experience statement, don’t be put off by this – we ask about your quantitative abilities to encourage you to consider the programme content and your future career path. Regardless of the role, there is no harm in being confident with numbers so that you can better understand data in your job.

Most of our Management MSc programmes are open to graduates from all academic backgrounds and a considerable proportion of our current classes have studied an arts or humanities degree.

If you haven’t studied maths for a long time, doing a GMAT or GRE test will give you a chance to brush up on your quantitative skills and can add weight to your application. The confidence from a good score in the quantitative section of the test will place you in a good position for the online self-studying modules over the summer and may even encourage you to consider programme pathways and careers that you had not previously.

Check the quantitative experience requirements before applying

For our more quantitative programmes (MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management, MSc Business Analytics, MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering and MSc Economics & Strategy for Business) this a key section of the application form that does influence the selection process so please check the entry requirements for your programme before you apply.

Jerry Voong, Admissions Officer for MSc Economics and Strategy for Business has some advice for prospective applicants.

“If it isn’t clear on your transcript that you have studied macro AND microeconomics then the quantitative experience statement is a great place to show us. Expand on the “introduction to economics” module on your transcript and outline what you studied.”

The finance suite of programmes are much more rigorous and students are expected to join the programme with an advanced level of mathematical skills. Ensuring that you have chosen the programme that best suits your previous studies can be key to a successful application. Sarah Eggleton, the Admissions Officer for the Finance Masters' programmes comments on this saying “it’s always really disappointing when you see a really great candidate without the quantitative grounding to allow them to succeed on a Finance Masters''”. This means that we won’t be able to make an offer even if the student would otherwise be a really good fit for the Business School.

Applicants for MSc Business Analytics must have a quantitative background to ensure that they have the best chance of success to be proficient in R, Python and SQL by the end of the programme. Most of the modules in the programme use at least one of these languages. Whilst prior experience in coding is not required, all students must be willing to learn programming from the start of the programme. Many admitted students will have already taken free online classes out of general interest if they did not study coding as part of their degree or through their job.

Applying for the finance suite of programmes? Take our online maths test!

We advise all prospective students for MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management and MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering programmes to take our online maths test. This gives candidates a chance to test their quantitative ability and determine if they are suitable to apply for one of these programmes. This maths test is the minimum level that is required to succeed. Almost 50% of the current Risk Management & Financial Engineering students have a background in mathematics, with the remainder having studied subjects such as engineering, economics and finance.

After initial assessment of your application, you may be invited to complete a video interview via the online interview platform, Kira Academic.

While this is a really useful tool for us to get to know you a bit better, it can also be a valuable experience for you, as an increasing number of employers are using video interviews in their recruitment processes. However, for those who haven’t yet completed an online interview, we know it can be a bit daunting, so we have provided a bit more information and some tips which we hope will put you at ease about the process.

Which MSc programmes use video interviews?

The following MSc programmes are now using the Kira interview platform:

• MSc Business Analytics
• MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time)
• MSc Economics & Strategy for Business
• MSc Finance
• MSc Financial Technology
• MSc Investment & Wealth Management
• MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management
• MSc International Management
• MSc Management
• MSc Strategic Marketing
• MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time)

Why an online interview?

The interview is a supplement to your application and adds an extra dimension to the selection process. It’s the perfect opportunity for us to hear directly from you, and a chance for you to show your passion for the programme you’ve applied to. We want to hear about your motivation, career aspirations, wider interests and why this programme is the right fit for you.

As mentioned above, this kind of platform is often used by employers as part of their recruitment process. This means it’s also a chance for you to practice using the type of online platform you may use in your future career.

When will I be asked to complete a video interview?

If you are successful in the first stage of our selection process, we will then contact you by email to invite you to complete an interview for the programme. Processing times can vary slightly depending on which programme you’re applying to, but you should expect to receive an interview invite around 3-5 weeks after submitting your application. Remember to check your junk mail to avoid missing the email! When you receive the invite, you will be given two weeks to log on and complete the interview. 

What will I be asked in the interview?

The interview is designed to show us you can think on the spot, as you would need to in a face-to-face interview, so unfortunately we can’t provide specific examples of questions. Having said that, you can expect to be asked some general questions which will give us a chance to hear more about your background, strengths, and passion for your programme. There will also be some programme-specific questions, and for certain programmes these questions may require you to demonstrate your quantitative skills or business acumen. These are not designed to catch you out, so there is no need to try to revise everything you’ve learnt!

For more information on the Kira System, you may wish to explore the ‘Applicant Help Center’ part of their website where you can explore helpful articles and the answers to commonly asked questions.

AI/Chat GPT Guidance

The purpose of the interview is to get to know more about you. We want to see how you approach problems, your motivations and wider interests.

 If we identify malpractice or answers provided are not genuine then this may factor negatively into the admissions committee decision.

Interview Dos and Don’ts

Do pick somewhere quiet

It may sound obvious, but the first thing is to make sure you choose a quiet, private place to do the interview. This should be a place where you won’t get distracted or interrupted, and where you can concentrate fully on the interview. Try to minimise the amount of background noise – if there are other people talking in the room, it can be hard for us to hear your answers, so do pick a spot which isn’t too noisy.

Do prepare, but don’t over prepare

As with any interview, preparation is important in allowing you to perform at your best. We therefore recommend spending some time before the interview thinking about the questions we may ask you and how you would respond.

In the interview itself, you’ll get thirty seconds preparation time for each spoken question, followed by one minute to give your answer. You’ll have five minutes to answer a written question. The interview will start with a practice session, which aims to get you used to the timing.

You should use your preparation time to plan the key points of your answer, but don’t try to script your answer word for word as you’ll run out of time. The interview is also an opportunity for you to convey your personality to us, and natural answers – rather than overly scripted responses – are the best way to do this.

Do answer the right question

When giving your spoken answers, you should be concise and make sure you stick to the question being asked. When you know a lot about a subject, it can be easy to answer a slightly different question rather than the one being assessed – if you are asked about a time when you’ve had to keep a team motivated, don’t just tell us why teamwork is important. There’s nothing worse than getting to the end of your time and realising you haven’t started to answer the actual question yet!

Remember you can always look at the bottom of the screen when the interview is recording if you want to remind yourself of the question.

Do use examples

Be as specific as you can be in your answers and use real-life examples where possible. When you’re asked a question, try to link it to your own experiences, rather than just talking generally; we want to hear about what you have done.

Do be yourself

This is really important. The reason we want to interview you is because we want to find out more about you as a person. Try and be natural, don’t just say what you think we want to hear, and be honest in your answers. We want you to be a good fit for your chosen programme, but we also want your programme to be a good fit for you.

We’re looking for well-rounded students on our programmes, so don’t be afraid to inject a bit of your personality into your interview – you’ll be asked about your hobbies and interests, so take the opportunity to tell us about what you enjoy doing in your spare time.

Finally, don’t panic

Even if you feel you haven’t answered one question as well as you wanted to, don’t panic. We will assess your interview as a whole and will take each of your answers into consideration, so don’t worry too much if one question doesn’t quite go to plan. Just try to move on and refocus your energy for the next question.  Remember that the interview is only one component of your overall application and will be reviewed alongside your written form.

Good luck with your interview!

Now that you’ve submitted your MBA application you can start preparing for the next stage. If you’re invited to meet us for an interview it’s important that you are ready to tell us about yourself and how the MBA fits with your personal and professional ambitions.

The interview is a chance for you to add an extra dimension to your written application and allows us to hear directly from you about your motivations and goals. We also want to learn more about your career aspirations, wider interests and how the MBA fits with these. What is it about the MBA programme that fits with your professional ambitions? Are there particular modules or Professors that specialise in areas you’re interested in?

We've put together an in-depth guide on how to succeed in your MBA interview.

Before your interview

You only get one chance to make a great impression, so be prepared!

• Ask yourself the tough questions first. Applying for an MBA is an introspective process so we expect you to have really thought about your motivation for an MBA and studying at Imperial – and what you have to offer the programme. The questions that we ask shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if you’ve taken the time to reflect on your experience and goals.
• Re-read your application. We will ask you about things you covered in your application, so don’t worry if you feel like you’re covering some of the same ground. We like to hear about your experience and objectives directly from you. Make sure you’ve re-read your application, as we might discuss specific points from it.
• Practice ‘out loud’. You may be a seasoned interviewee. But if not, or you are modest when talking about your strengths, it can be very helpful to practice this out loud with a friend or colleague. However, whilst practice is important, don’t try to script your answers as we want you to convey your personality to us and natural answers are the best way to do this.
• Make space for your interview. On the day of the interview, make sure you have a quiet, appropriate space for your interview – and if you’re using your phone, place it on a proper stand and keep it still. Walking home, or sitting in the back of a cab or in a noisy café isn’t professional – and disrupts your opportunity to build rapport with your interviewer.

During your interview

We hold interviews because we want to find out more about the real you, so be yourself and be specific!

• Tell your story. We want to hear about you. Who are you and how do you fit with the MBA? This is the key question you need to focus on in your MBA interview. We know the Business School in detail, but we want to get to know you. Use the interview to showcase your personality and display an honest perception of yourself so that we can see what you would bring to the Imperial community. We want you to be a good fit for the MBA programme, but we also want the MBA programme to be a good fit for you.
• Keep it professional. We are not trying to catch you out or put you through an unpleasant grilling. We want to bring out the best in you. But this friendly approach should not be mistaken for encouragement to lower your guard or be casual. Treat it professionally. Although ‘one size doesn’t fit all’, and the interview will not be probing for a specific description match as a job interview would, there is no reason to treat it in a less professional manner.
• Listening skills are important too! Make sure you listen to and answer the question you’ve been asked – you may have some examples or achievements that you’d like to talk about, but make sure that they address the actual question you’ve been asked.
• And finally… Dress appropriately for an interview and be polite and courteous – with absolutely no swearing. These should be obvious points, but we’re mentioning them for a reason!

Finishing up…

Don’t forget that the interview is a two-way process: it’s a great opportunity for you to get our ‘take’ on studying an Imperial MBA. Here are a few of our suggested dos and don’ts:

• Do prepare a couple of questions in advance – an intelligent question or two at the end of the interview can add to the overall impression you make.
• Don’t ask basic questions that you can easily find the answers to on our website – we won’t mind answering them, but it’s a shame to waste the opportunity to ask something more meaningful.
• Do feel free to ask something specific to your interviewer – we all have different backgrounds and experiences, so it’s absolutely fine to ask for our personal point of view on the programme or Imperial in general.
• Don’t ask for feedback on your interview or how likely it is that you’ll get in to the programme – it will make your interviewer feel really awkward, and that’s not the way you want them to remember you! All decisions are made at our Admissions Committee meetings, based on a review of your full application and in the context of that admissions round as a whole.

After your interview

We know that the time between the end of the interview and receiving a decision on your application can be stressful, but try not to worry!

• Sometimes it can be tempting to play the interview back in your mind – particularly if you wish you’d given a stronger answer or better example – but we understand that interviewees can feel quite pressured and nerves are normal. The interview is one of several components that feeds into the overall decision, so a minor slip-up won’t ruin your chances.
• We work very hard to stick to the decision deadlines that we publish on our website, but when we say “week commencing…”, it may very well be that you hear from us at the end of the week. Not having heard from us until the Friday shouldn’t be seen as a bad sign.
• We’re looking for fit with our programme objectives and School values – and you should be too! If you are unsuccessful, don’t take it personally – it just means that we don’t think that the programme-candidate fit is right, and that goes both ways. Imperial may not be the best place for you to do your MBA – but there will be a School that’s a good fit for you.

Best of luck with your interview – the Admissions Committee look forward to getting to know you better!