by Miles Davies, Senior Programme Manager, MFA
Having already looked at an overview of the MFA programme and the careers support you can expect to receive, there are also a lot of highlights aside from these. From stand-out modules to the diverse class you’ll be joining, here’s a little taster of what you can expect.
Faculty and course highlights
Professor Alex Edmans’ Corporate Finance course was certainly a highlight of the autumn 2017 term. With a blended approach featuring a parade of guest speakers from the industry, this course covered theoretical knowledge while firmly planting it in a practical setting. Students were able to ask Alex questions about his own personal and professional life in short ‘breather’ sessions where he expanded on the course material. He even invited students to popular and challenging fitness activities outside of the classroom. This course expands well beyond the normal constraints of a lecture theatre, and gives students a well-rounded experience difficult to find anywhere else.
Diversity within the class
The MFA 2018 class includes students from 35 nationalities, accounting for 95% international students (outside the UK). 29% of the current class is female, which we would like to grow. Students study, learn and bond within small diverse study groups, made up of people from different backgrounds and undergraduate study disciplines. MFA students actively participate to build and thrive in high-performing teams. What better way to prepare yourself for having a profound impact on the way the world does business than working to solve complex problems with people from all over the globe?
You won’t only find diversity in the nationalities of your fellow students on the MFA but also in their backgrounds and previous accomplishments. Examples of which can be seen in our current MFA class:
- One of our current students co-founded and managed a start-up incubator at Warsaw School of Economics in cooperation with corporate and non-profit partners including Microsoft, Deloitte and MIT Enterprise Forum Poland.
- Another student volunteered for a Down syndrome not-for-profit organisation helping them set up general management practices and also participated in a start-up to provide pure water to people without access to it.
- Prior to starting at LBS, another MFA 2018 student founded an NGO that teaches entrepreneurship, financial literacy and life skills to marginalised teenagers in Brazilian slums.
- Another student worked as a financial consultant for Challenges Worldwide in Kampala Uganda. The student lived with a host family whilst completing an internship working alongside directors to restructure the financial department of an SME with high turnover.
- One student worked for the United Nations Capital Development Fund as a United Nations Volunteer in Myanmar where they helped nurture a micro-finance system to help tackle severe poverty.
My advice to anyone joining the MFA programme would is to be prepared for a rollercoaster of a year, where your successes may include getting your dream job, learning something new from a professor at the cutting-edge of their field, or building a life-long friendship with someone you never would have had the chance to otherwise.
To learn more about the MFA programme, check out the full programme brochure.
Ready to apply? Start your MFA application.