I would say my first impression of Oxford is wow it's so historic it's a
beautiful city walking around it it's very surreal you get to be part of these
old colleges that are so serene on the inside and have so much history to it
I think the MFE is a very rigorous course that really combines the best of
both finance and economics. We look at the theoretical underpinnings behind the
economic models or the financial models that we use and that practitioners use on a daily basis
When you get here you get here basically about four weeks
before Oxford starts for most students where we have a three to four week
introductory program only for the MFE
My first impressions of Oxford could be summarized with the phrase I didn't know
all this Harry Potter stuff was real.
I came here and was immediately blown away by the architecture, the traditions, the
college dinners, the rowing it's all so unique and has been here for centuries
and it's incredible to just be part of this institution
So this course is for people who are interested in learning more about economics and finance at quite a
deep level finance in particular corporate finance and asset pricing,
that's my bit, the price of stocks and bonds, and probably people who are
interested in having a career in a top-tier finance firm after they graduate
It really prepares us because it allows us to be discerning users of
these models we're not just applying them memorizing them and just applying
them blindly but we understand what we're doing and we understand how to
modify those models and modify the assumptions behind them so it's a very
rigorous and theoretical course that is absolutely useful in the practical world too
So I think Saïd business school is special because it really tries to
position itself as sort of the ethical business school that's the impression
that I've had while I've been here so it guides you in learning the impact of a
corporation and the way to use it to improve the world and society. The MFE as
a program is very academically rigorous and you'll end up knowing all of the
theories of financial economics so having that combination of academics and sort of
ethical guidance I think is very unique in sending people off into their careers
If you look at the MFE compared to a traditional masters of finance you may find that
the economics part is emphasized a little more. We are actually taught macroeconomics,
microeconomics, we taught a fair deal of econometrics that you may not usually
just learn from a typical masters of finance so I think rather than being a
type of practical training to take your first job in finance it's more about how
you think it's about learning to think structured about markets, the economy
that's really the core focus of the degree to me.
I wanted something on my CV that would add a little bit more credibility and I really think MFE
was the right program for that; I also wanted to take advantage of the network
in the university and I think it's very useful for that you meet really
incredible people there's loads of events that you can go to
you're in the same building as the MBAs and generally the pull of Oxford
in interviews I mean that really gives you an advantage when you're looking for a job
As an MFA student you get automatic lifetime membership of the
Oxford Union and the Oxford Union is one of the oldest speaking and debating
societies in the world. We get a lot of politicians, celebrities and just famous
people that come and it's a really unique experience. I had the opportunity
to also be sponsorship officer and I was able to speak in one of those historic
debates and that is a very unique once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget
So if you're looking for a course that is going to challenge you
that will expand your worldview, get you to interact with amazing people and help
you make that next step in your career then apply to the MFE