<p>Hello everyone, for some reason I decided to delay my graduation till December rather than finishing next month, since I wanted to take a break from my studies. I'm currently enrolled at the American University in Dubai, with a 3.5 GPA out of 4 in finance. I've unfortunately just learned that most schools start their masters program in the fall semester, which I will be unable to commit to this year. I'm expected to graduate in December, and I'm looking for a good to top university from the US/UK which is offering a masters in finance (any specific field would do). I need the university to offer classes starting from Spring, because I can't see myself waiting 8 months to further my studies.</p>
<p>Why? If it’s the best thing for your academic career, that might be the thing to do. There may be some MS in finance programs that allow you to begin in the spring - being a professional degree that is often designed for working professionals - but if the best programs that have characteristics in which you are interested don’t begin until the fall, why not wait?</p>
<p>It’s far better to wait a couple of months than it is to spend tens or hundreds of thousands at a less reputable program, or a program that’s a worse fit for you.</p>
<p>I realize that my decision might not seem sensible, but the fact is I’m looking for a good university with a good reputation to help get my degree. My grades are good, but my university isn’t that strong in an international sense, and thus I’m not looking to get into any Ivy League or extremely demanding universities, since I know my applications would be a waste of time and money. I believe I can find a really good university suitable to my needs, in which I can also start in January. I’ve found a few in the UK such as Middlesex and Oxford Brookes, but honestly I want something stronger but I’m having a tough time navigating through hundreds of university websites.</p>
<p>Sorry if I made myself unclear, I’m not getting any scholarship or grant of any kind. Just applying and paying full tuition fees as a nonresident.</p>
<p>You may find that getting a job in Finance will do you more good than going for a lower tier program. Depends what your priorities are, of course, but getting some relevant work experience- even 6-8 months will keep advance your education. I suspect, however, that there is more to the story and that this suggestion won’t fix whatever it is that needs fixing!</p>
<p>I know I seem hellbent on starting right away collegemom, but it’s for the good. I know if I start working an internship here somewhere, I might get offered a good position and salary, while also slacking off the idea of studying abroad, which will eventually lead back to me staying here. I want to get the masters degree out of my way first before I settle down and look to get married. Thank you for the suggestions, but unfortunately I haven’t found any programs starting in Spring from any of your links. Any other suggestions guys?</p>
<p>If it only has to be abroad, not Europe, there are a ton of choices: for universities that are south of the equator a start in late January/early February is normal!. </p>
<p>Best bet for you is probably University of Melbourne: </p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestion, I honestly didn’t even think of Australia, the university looks good so far but is a bit on the expensive side, I’m guessing due to the fact that it’s a 2 year program.</p>
<p>The point of getting an MS is to get a good job in your field with a good salary. If you can get that without spending the time and money required to get an MS, then there’s less point in getting one. My mantra to my students is that if you get complacent and never go back for your graduate degree, it’s probably because you didn’t and don’t need one to do what you want to do. A master’s isn’t something to get “out of the way”; it’s a means towards a goal. I’m not trying to be funny; just being real.</p>
<p>The other thing is that many finance programs prefer someone with a bit of work experience in the field.</p>
<p>In any case, one good program with spring admissions is USC (MS in mathematical finance). Georgia Tech admits for quantitative and computational finance in the spring. University of Nevada at Reno has an MS in finance with a spring start. So does Bentley University.</p>
<p>The way I found these is by Googling “masters finance spring admissions”. I know that it seems overwhelming to wade through a whole bunch of programs checking the program websites to see if they have a spring start, but there’s basically no real way around that.</p>
<p>Lots of schools take masters students in the Spring, you just have to look at the programs and ask the admissions office. I know that my university, Illinois Tech, takes Master of Finance students both in Fall and Spring.</p>
<p>Thank you for the suggestion guys, Illinois Tech seems like a very good choice despite being a bit on the expensive side.</p>
<p>As for juillet, I appreciate your concern, but this is something I WANT to do. This is an opportunity that won’t probably repeat itself, I’ve always regretted not studying my bachelor’s degree in a top school in the US/UK, so no, I will not miss this opportunity just because I found a job with a good salary.</p>