Prior to enrolling at Northeastern, I had spent the first 5 years of my career primarily in operations focused roles. As I was looking to transition to a more client facing role, I knew that a graduate degree would help ease that transition and give me the credentials I needed to make a beneficial career pivot.
When researching graduate programs, I was looking for an investment and finance focused degree that would really give me the necessary knowledge to continue to grow my career in the institutional investment management industry. After receiving my undergraduate degree in business and gaining exposure to marketing and accounting, I knew I wanted a more narrowly scoped program focused on finance and investing. This led me to D'Amore-McKim and the MS in Finance program. First, I chose the D'Amore-McKim School of Business based on the reputation of Northeastern University. D'Amore-McKim has a great reputation within Boston and I really appreciated the balance of academic and real-world experience that made up the faculty. Secondly, in the MS in Finance program, I was compelled by their ability to incorporate current and past professionals into the classroom as a form of experience-driven learning. The business school also helped me to create a valuable network of contacts within the industry.
Reflecting back on my time in MS in Finance the program, I really appreciated the flexibility it offered that allowed me to juggle a full-time job with night classes. I also appreciated the balance of real-world experience and academic credentials through guest speakers and professors who had spent time in the investment management industry. I think the program also does a great job offering courses that span the finance spectrum, from corporate finance to portfolio management, which really allowed for a diverse group of students to come together. As a working professional, the program was a wonderful experience to supplement what I had already learned through my years within the industry.
I think the program also does a great job offering courses that span the finance spectrum, from corporate finance to portfolio management, which really allowed for a diverse group of students to come together.
James Begen, MS in Finance'15
Today, I am currently working at Income Research and Management (IR+M) as a Client Portfolio Analyst on the Client Service Team. The MSF program was instrumental in allowing me to make the jump from operations to the client side of the business. What I was able to learn in the MSF program allowed me to truly understand my firm's product offering while also having a balanced understanding of where we fit in our client's overall investment portfolios. In addition, having a graduate level degree and/or industry accreditation is an important aspect to building a career in the Investment Management industry. Each and every day I continue to rely on the many topics that I covered in my time on campus at Northeastern, whether it be understanding the structure of MBS and CMBS securities from Fixed Income Securities and Risk or having an understanding for the many aspects of managing portfolios from Portfolio Management. I have found that developing this strong foundation of knowledge has continued to serve me well throughout my career.
As my career progresses, I feel prepared for what the future holds. However, I also certainly appreciate the need to continue to educate myself given the shifting landscape of various industries and trend. I have learned that no matter what your real-world experience has been, there are things that can't always be learned in a day-to-day job. I am thankful for the formal education the MSF program gave me, and I believe it has provided me a great roadmap and many resources to continue to learn and adapt on my own beyond the classroom.
