Arinze Nwanna

Read Arinze's story

Why did you decide to study MSc Financial Technology at Imperial College Business School? 

Although a relatively new field, FinTech is dynamic and quickly developing. Having seen the current financial trajectory commercially with the uprising of many FinTech start-ups, and the consolidation of mature companies, I knew that coming from a non-finance background, to effectively establish a long-lasting career in finance I would need a strong foundation not only in finance but in order to remain relevant in the coming times, also in technology. In this way, MSc Financial Technology having many applied modules, like Business Valuation, Markets & Securities, Corporate Finance, Machine Learning, Artificial intelligence, is a well-rounded mix of subjects not only permits a strong foundation in the fundamentals but gives a great scope on advanced futuristic concepts in the field of finance and technology. 

Imperial is renowned for their expertise, especially in the technology field, the credibility of the institution and the community of great minds gave me the confidence that I would leave the university far better than I came. 

Did you receive a scholarship? 

I received the Imperial Excellence Scholarship It significantly reduced my financial burden and gave me greater ease in raising the remaining funds for the programme. 

For future scholarship applicants, I believe it is important to demonstrate your individualism, and understand that there is no perfect applicant thus authenticity is important. Secondly, convey your attitude and passion towards the course and be able to effectively outline through your experience why you are a great candidate. Lastly, have faith; it’s important to believe you can be the next scholar, a seed of faith goes a long way. 

"I secured the offer prior to the Master’s, but my company really appreciated I was going to do MSc Financial Technology."

Which has been your favourite module so far and why? 

Accounting & Corporate Finance, has been have my favourite moduleso far because coming from a non-finance background coupled with my internship at J.P Morgan, it was really great for me to be able to fill the theoretical gap of knowledge and get a deeper understanding of concepts I applied while on the job. 

How would you describe your cohort at Imperial? 

Highly productive and intelligent people with great diversity, there are people from all over the world. 

What clubs, societies or other activities have you been involved in at Imperial? 

I am a Student Ambassador, apart from the great merch, it’s a great opportunity to meet other ambassadors from the other programmers. It’s also powerful to be able to represent Imperial on their website and socials as well as attend events and share your views with prospective students and guest companies. 

What are your future career goals? 

Short term, I plan to spend several years working at J.P Morgan while getting into property and hopefully move into private equity while also working on my start-up. Longer-term, I want to start an investment company tailored to real estate and consultancy. 

Have you received any job offers since commencing your programme? 

Yes, as a J.P Morgan Investment Banking TMT Analyst. 

How did the services from Careers help you secure employment/in your professional development? 

I secured the offer prior to the Master’s, but my company really appreciated I was going to do MSc Financial Technology. In fact, the FinTech team in J.P Morgan reached out to me when they saw that I was going to do the Master’s to offer more information on the team in the case I later want to join. 

What advice would you give to someone who’s considering applying for this programme?  

I attended an online webinar for the programme, and also spoke to some alumni via Linkedin to really get some perspective on the programme structure and the individuals personal experience. I found this really helpful because it really gave me confidence about the quality of the course and some tips of what to do when I started. 

Speak to as many people as you can, to really get a solid perspective of the programme. Really do your research to the prospects of the programme, and look into the modules and whether you really have an affinity to them. Ask a lot of questions. Consider whether the programme is necessary for your career route; write down the pros and cons of the programme for you and make you decision, then apply as early as possible.