“Investment banking” – The word holds so much weight, and due to good reasons too. For the people who work in this area, the field provides impeccable pay structure, incomparable growth, learning opportunities, and innumerable benefits. There are many aspirants for limited job opportunities. Hence it is only natural that aspirants want to pursue the right kind of education to land the best opportunities.
Today’s article will outline the best courses that give you the best education to pursue investment banking. Even though investment bankers come from all backgrounds, finance education is a commonality. Thus we will cover the finance courses that help aspirants break into investment banking with ease.
Best Investment Banking Courses in the World
First of all, we will list out the best institutes in the world to have financial education, as financial education is the core requirement for an investment banking career.
Masters in Finance Post-Experience Program
According to the financial times, the world’s best Masters in Finance post-experience programs are provided by the following universities:
| School Name | Country |
| London Business School | UK |
| University of Cambridge: Judge | UK |
| Singapore Management University: Lee Kong Chian | Singapore |
| Amsterdam Business School | Netherlands |
| University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign | USA |
Masters in Finance Pre-Experience Programs
The following universities provide the world’s best Master in Finance pre-experience programs:
| School Name | Country |
| HEC Paris | France |
| ESPC Europe | France/ UK/ Denmark/ Spain/ Italy |
| Edhec Business School | France |
| Skema Business School | France/ Brazil/ China/ USA |
| Essec Business School | France |
| MIT Sloan | USA |
Finance Focused MBA
The following universities provide the world’s best finance-focused MBA programs:
| School Name | Country |
| Stanford Graduate School of Business | USA |
| University of Pennsylvania: Wharton | USA |
| University of Chicago: Booth | USA |
| Harvard Business School | USA |
| New York University: Stern | USA |
| Insead | France / Singapore |
These are the best courses for investment banking in the world. However, it is widely known that hiring managers prefer employees having degrees and qualifications in their own country. This is because the home country qualification makes them more used to the country’s economic and financial environment. Therefore, we will outline the best investment courses in major countries across the world.
Also Read: How to Become an Investment Banker?
Country-wise Best Investment Banking Courses
The United States of America
The USA has an edge when it comes to education. World-class universities and institutions are located in different parts of the USA. Furthermore, the number of courses each university offers is overwhelming. There are courses to suit everyone’s needs. Here we are going to list out the top five universities that ace in financial education:
| Top 5 Universities for Finance Education in The USA |
| University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) |
| University of Chicago (Booth) |
| New York University (Stern) |
| Columbia University |
| Stanford University |
The United Kingdom
The UK also has a host of very good universities that provide exceptional financial education to emerging investment bankers. This may be due to the fact that London is the financial capital of the world. Following are the universities that offer the best financial education in the UK:
| Top 5 Universities for Finance Education in The United Kingdom |
| London School of Economics and Political Science |
| University of Oxford |
| University of Cambridge |
| London Business School |
| The Imperial College Business School |
| University of Manchester |
Australia
Following are the universities in Australia which offer the best finance education:
| Top 5 Universities for Finance Education in Australia |
| The Australian National University |
| Melbourne Business School |
| The University of Sydney |
| The University of Queensland |
| The University of Western Australia |
Asia
Asia is the biggest emerging market in the world. With high growth economies such as India and China, many aspirants want to take advantage of the bullish trend and want to work in Asia. Due to this, there has been a growth in very good universities that provide quality finance education in Asia. Following is the list of a few of the best universities:
| Top 5 Universities for Finance Education in Asia | Country |
| The University of Hong Kong | China |
| The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | China |
| National University of Singapore Business School | Singapore |
| Singapore Management University: Lee Kong Chian | Singapore |
| Indian School of Business | India |
Multiple studies have concluded that it is best to stay and study near the financial capitals of the world to thrive in the field of investment banking. So, for example, if an aspirant is located in the USA, it is best to take financial education from New York University. This will increase his chances of becoming an investment banker on wall street.
Also Read: Investment Banking Careers
Furthermore, these institutes provide various types of courses to suit your requirement as per your qualifications, number of years of work experience, and area of interest. For example, Imperial College, London has an MSc. in Finance for people with less than three years of work experience and an MBA in finance for people with more than three years of work experience. Choose a course that best suits your requirements.
Global Certifications for Investment Banking
There are so many certifications floating around that sometimes aspirants can get confused and overwhelmed. Here we are going to list out the certifications that are most relevant for an investment banking career.
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Certification
This certificate course provided by the CFA Institute, USA, is the gold standard for anyone looking for a career in investment banking. The course itself covers ten subjects and provides in-depth knowledge in each. Knowledge of subjects such as fundamental analysis, corporate finance, and investment analysis can come in very handy to an investment banking professional.
Furthermore, this certification is very elite. To become a CFA charter holder, one needs to clear three levels of examination, and the pass rate is less than 20% for the full certification program. Every investment banking aspirant should consider getting a CFA certification.
Financial Risk Manager (FRM) Certification
FRM is another very useful certification for investment bankers. People with FRM certification can work as risk officers, analysts, etc., in investment banks. The scope of this certification is narrow compared to CFA, but there are only two exams, and the pass rate is good at 50%. It is a good certification for aspirants looking for careers in risk management within an investment bank.
Financial Modeling Certifications
Now, this is the area where the options are ample, and there is no standard certification. Many institutes provide financial modeling certification. For example, CFI Institute provides financial modeling and valuation analyst program (FMVA) on a global level. EY provides a similar certification on an online platform. In India, NSE India provides a financial modeling course. There are many options in all the countries. An aspirant must look into course content and employer reviews to find the correct financial modeling certification for themselves.
CPA/ ACCA/ CA etc.
These are certifications that certify you as a public accountant in different countries. For example, CPA is a mandatory designation to become a public accountant in Canada, and CA is its counterpart to become a public accountant in India. Though these certifications are a gold standard in the accounting world, they may not be best for a career in investment banking. However, these certifications will help your resume outshine those of other candidates and gives you an edge.
On the final note, there are hordes of courses and resources available for someone who wants to become an investment banker. An aspirant should find the right course suitable for them based on course content, course structure, opportunities available after completion, the time taken for completion, and course fees. A correct course can act as a launchpad for your investment banking career.
