By Kirsten Wells (Senior Global Recruitment Manager, MBA and Masters in Finance)
Are you considering a Masters in Finance (MiF) programme to help accelerate your career in finance? Are you still wondering about applying for this year’s intake, but think it’s too late?
There is still time!
Of course, there will be some things to consider when applying in the later rounds, such as making sure you have enough time to be considered in the process and understanding there will be a slightly faster turnaround to secure a visa (if required). It’s also good advice to have discussed the opportunity with your place of employment – if you’re a Full-time candidate, you will need to make sure you consider your notice period, and if you’re a Part-time candidate, your employer will need to understand your commitment to studying part-time!
Beyond that, here is some of our advice to get your application prepared for the later rounds!
- Get in contact with us and start the conversation about applying!
If you are considering applying to the MiF, I recommend sending your CV over to us! We offer a free informal review of your CV or LinkedIn profile, which you can submit here. If we think your profile is suited to the programme, we’ll be able to arrange a call to discuss your motivations for applying.
Ensure that your CV or LinkedIn profile is up to date with your latest employment and are submitted to us translated into English. CVs should be one-page, and predominantly achievement-based (rather than listing your responsibilities).
You can find our CV advice on the How to Apply pages. - Refine your essays
It is okay if you have come to the decision to apply for the MiF later in the rounds – perhaps there was an exciting opportunity at work, or you needed some more time to prepare your application. The Admissions Committee will understand that candidates will have different circumstances! This is where the essays can be useful in clearing articulating your motivations for joining the programme.
Three useful questions to ask yourself are – Why the MiF? Why LBS? and Why now?
Beyond answering the questions, use the essays to tell your story – in terms of your career so far, your motivations for the MiF and also what your contributions to LBS will be. Consider your career goals and aspirations and how realistic they are. Are there classes as part of the MIF that align to your goals and aspirations? How will you contribute to the LBS community – for example, what clubs will you plan to join?
With your essays, use your authentic voice and remember to proof read!
3. Do your research
Regardless of when you decide to apply for the MiF, there is still time to research the programme.
We have lots of events coming up, both online and in person. They’re a great chance to meet with members of our Recruitment and Admissions team, alumni and current students.
Speaking of current students, every year, we recruit Student Ambassadors for our MiF programme. We have Ambassadors on both our Full-time and Part-time programmes and you can contact them directly to get insights into all things MiF!
Finally, you can watch a recording of our webinar How to Submit a Strong Application here.
Current MIFPT2025 student, Tarek Andari, gave his advice on applying in a later round below:
Tarek Andari – MiFPT2025
“Advice and reflections from my own final round application experiences. Firstly, a generic piece of advice would be to solely focus on enjoying the journey from the minute you learn about the MiF programme at LBS, irrespective of the round you are in.
My journey started by networking with alumni that undertook similar experiences and a coffee chat in the city with a member of the recruitment team. I immediately noticed the cultural and professional diversity of each of my newly formed relationships and would advise you to think about this as the School is keen to hear about the diversity you will bring to class and campus. The discussions offered valuable insights into the structure of the programme, navigating full-time work with part-time studies and the vast global network of thought leaders within the LBS community. “Coffee Chat” is a term you will quickly get accustomed to when joining the School, so why not start now and see for yourself how diverse and receptive the LBS community (incl. Student Ambassadors and Alumni) truly is. There are opportunities to also attend a live class and network with current students, which I would highly recommend.
These steps massively helped in enhancing my admissions essays and ensured a smooth transition into the programme. Lastly, if you’re passionate about finance, then this is the programme for you.”
So, if this piece has encouraged you to consider applying to the MIF for our August 2025 intake, there are still a few weeks before the final deadline for the Full-time programme and still a couple of rounds to go for the Part-time programme.
You can find our deadline calendar for the Full-time programme here and for the Part-time programme here.
If you had any questions, please reach out to our team at mif@london.edu.