<p>Hey all here:</p>
<p>Currently, I am in the process of deciding which universities to attend to continue my graduate study.
Given the fact that I am a Canadian, my preference is given to many Canadian Universities. I got accepted to
1. Western Ontario, Master of Financial Economics.
2. Queen's university, Master of Finance
3. Imperial College London, Master of Investment and Wealth management.</p>
<p>I run into some significant trouble in deciding which Universities to attend. But first, I would like how these three Universities are perceived in the U.S. in general?</p>
<p>Any input is deeply appreciated!</p>
<p>Imperial College is ranked 32 in the world for finance in the QS World Rankings. Western is in the 100-150 range. Queen’s isn’t ranked. </p>
<p>I’m not in finance, but I do have a postgrad degree from U of T in science and I worked in the States. I ran into people in scientific research in Boston who had never heard of U of T. But - they were impressed with the British. Canada is not perceived as exotic enough in the States to garner attention. It’s like saying you’re from Minnesota. But, a degree from the U.K. will be exotic enough to make people notice. </p>
<p>It depends on whether you are interested in personal or corporate financial management. With a large number of baby boomers retiring, and many with substantial (financial) assets, skills in personal finance from Imperial would be handy; besides, after working for an investment company for a few years, you may be able to branch off on your own.
With increased globalization, finance plays a greater role. Perhaps a Masters in Financial Economics may be useful in getting a job since it entails a 4 month summer internship or summer project. Investigate if there is a high demand for people with such skills, whether it will lead you to some certification. See if you can contact a few alumni, and get their inputs in making your decision. </p>
<p>Many thanks for the replies. I am very grateful to be blessed with choices. </p>
<p>It is hard to assess, at least for now, which degree would offers more opportunities. Because in essence, both universities teach more or less the same material. Personal finance is indeed a place that many companies start investing, so there could be some opportunities there, assuming the normal course of progress. Corporate finance is always a hot place for the graduates and Western does enjoy a great reputation in Canada (many of my former employers graduated from there). I will attempt to contact alumni and see if they could offer me some suggestions.</p>
<p>I have to admit that most of my professors, if not all, were very impressed with the name of ICL while they tended to greet me gently when I mentioned the name of Western. UoT, sadly, does not seem to garner a Wow reaction from my professors either. I got somewhat an uneven response, however, from my former employers. </p>