MSc Admissions Blog

Following our information session on our MSc Shipping, Trade and Finance and MSc Energy, Trade and Finance courses, we have received requests for the presentation slides to be put online. Please find the presentation below, giving an overview of both courses as well as a look at the facilities on offer at Cass Business School.

Trade Finance Info Session Slides 11 02 14

Let us know if you have any queries about this course, or any of our other courses. Have a great weekend!

We had another busy session at Cass Business School last night, as Professor Andrew Clare (Professor of Asset Management and Associate Dean for Cass MSc programme) gave a very interesting and insightful talk – ‘Cutting off the tail: is it possible to design investment strategies that limit tail risk?’. This Masterclass was a chance for prospective students to enjoy the kind of interactive learning experience that is typical of our Specialist Masters courses. The questions put forward were thought-provoking, and the discussion following the talk carried on into the refreshment and networking session that was held afterwards.

Thank you to everyone who came along – it was great to meet you, and we hope that you found the talk inspiring. If you were not able to make it, we have posted the video and slides here.

Please click here for the video (YouTube)

Please click here for the presentation slides

We have a number of other Masterclasses coming up in the UK and globally, including two more at Cass Business School. For more information and to sign up please see our website. We hope to meet you soon!

When meeting prospective applicants, the admissions team is often asked for tips on how to submit a successful application. The answer, of course, is that there are many factors that will be considered and there is no magic formula. However, there are simple ways in which you can improve your application. One of these is to ensure that you fill in the application form correctly. In this post, we offer guidance on how to fill out the application form, taking you through step by step.

Click here for Tips for Filling in MSc Application Form.

We hope that you find this useful, and please let us know if you have any queries not answered in the instructions!

Thank you to everyone who came along to our Information Sessions on 5 and 6 February. We had a great turnout, despite the travel disruptions in London. We enjoyed meeting you and answering your questions and we hope that you found the sessions useful.

If you were not able to make it to the session, or even if you did and would like a refresher, we have uploaded the presentations here for you to watch.

Finance Slides 05 02 14 (PowerPoint) Finance Slides 05 02 14 (pdf)

ACT IRM Slides 06 02 14 (PowerPoint) ACT IRM Slides 06 02 14 (pdf)

QF FM MTF Slides 06 02 14 (PowerPoint) QF FM MTF Slides 06 02 14 (pdf)

Our next information session is for the Shipping and Energy Masters courses on 11 February at 18:30. Please sign up via the link if you are interested in joining us to hear about MSc Shipping, Trade and Finance, and MSc Energy, Trade and Finance.

We also have an online session on 11 February at 14:30 (GMT), for which you can register here.

Please let us know if you have any problems opening the slides and, as always, please contact us if you have any queries about our courses or application process.

We hope to see you soon!

Thanks to everyone who has submitted an application over the past few weeks. We hope you have found the previous posts useful when preparing your documents.

We have some exciting events coming up at Cass Business School. Here are some of the ways to meet us and find out more.

Information Sessions

We hold a number of Information Sessions over the course of the year, and the next sessions will be taking place over the next few weeks.

Finance Masters Information Session – Wednesday 5 February, 18.30

Actuarial and Insurance Masters Information Session – Thursday 6 February, 18.30

Quantitative Finance Masters Information Session – Thursday 6 February, 18.30

Shipping and Energy Masters Information Session – Tuesday 11 February, 18.30

Management Courses Information Session – Wednesday 12 March, 18.30

Real Estate Masters Information Session – Thursday 13 March, 18.30

These sessions include a presentation by an academic, followed by a question and answer session and refreshments. The presentation will cover course content, careers, student life at Cass and the application process. You can meet members of the Admissions Team and academics, as well as getting the chance to meet fellow prospective students. All sessions take place at our Moorgate campus – 106 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8TZ.

To sign up for any of these Information Sessions, please visit our website or click on the links above. We are constantly adding new events, so please keep checking back for more events in the future.

Masterclasses

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a student at Cass Business School? Now’s your chance! We are holding a series of Masterclasses, several of which are being held at Cass Business School. We will also be visiting other cities in the UK, Europe and further afield.

These Masterclasses involve an interactive lecture on a topical subject given by one of our top academics, and are a great way of experiencing a typical class at Cass Business School. Please see our website for further information and to sign up.

Online Information Sessions

If you are unable to meet us in person, you may be interested in one of our online information sessions. The next one will be taking place on 11 Feburary, 14.30 (GMT).

We hope that you can make it to one of our sessions, and we look forward to meeting you soon!

Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the seasonal break and are ready for the exciting year ahead. Thank you to everyone who submitted an application over the Christmas period – we are busy processing your applications now.

For those who have not yet submitted an application, this post aims to provide some advice on writing your personal statement and CV.

Along with the application form and other supporting documents, the personal statement and CV play an important part in the decision-making process. A coherent statement of purpose and well-constructed CV not only make the review process a lot easier for the panel, they can enhance your application by clearly demonstrating your interests and achievements. Below we give a few suggestions for when it comes to preparing these documents. Please remember that they form part of your full application file, and a successful application will also require a solid academic background that meets our requirements.

Personal Statement

• Be concise

We are often asked how long the personal statement should be. Ideally it should be around 500-600 words. It is better to be concise so the admissions panel can easily pick out the key points.

• Look to the future

The admissions panel use the personal statement to determine whether the course you have applied for is right for you. You should therefore address why you want to take the course, and what your future career aspirations are. If you can, demonstrate how particular modules will help you in the field you wish to enter after graduating.

• Do your research

Find out about the School and the course before writing your personal statement. Is there anything that particularly catches your eye or interests you? Mentioning something that is specific to Cass Business School or the course, and explaining how it will benefit you, will show the admissions panel that you have taken the time to read and learn about the School or course.

• Tailor your statement

We expect that you are submitting applications to other Business Schools. However, do not make the mistake of sending the same statement to every School. It is often obvious when an applicant has not tailored their statement for their application to Cass Business School. Following from the above point, ensure that you are writing your statement specifically for the course that you wish to apply for at Cass.

• Sell yourself!

The personal statement is the only document where you can really sell yourself to the admissions panel. Other supporting documents such as the degree transcript are the hard evidence of your achievements, but they cannot convey a passion for a subject. Use this opportunity to tell us about yourself – what makes you stand out? How do you think the course will help you in your future career? If there are any discrepancies in your academic background you can provide an explanation here. Above all, your career ambitions should comprise the greatest part of your statement.

CV

The Curriculum Vitae (or resumé) serves as a snap-shot of your profile. In one place it shows your academic, professional and extra-curricular background. It is therefore important to ensure that it is well-formatted and easy to understand.

Whilst in some countries there is a set format for a CV, in the UK there is some degree of flexibility in how to lay it out and what information to include. As a rule, CVs should be no longer than two sides of A4. It is better to be concise and write bullet points rather than large paragraphs of text. The tips below are merely suggestions and are intended as guidance for the School application process only. The CV you submit for job applications may need to contain different information.

• Personal details

The CV should include at least your full name and an email address. Please ensure the email address is typed correctly. It is often better to put a personal email address here, in case your academic email account expires.

• Academic background

You should provide at least your higher education here. Ensure you put the start and end dates of the degree, and if you have done any exchange programmes be sure to input these along with the dates. If you have completed  your degree, ideally you should state your final grade, and specify the grading scheme (such as out of GPA 4). You do not need to list modules or grades achieved as these will be listed on your transcript. If there is anything unusual about your degree (for example, if you transferred university half-way through your degree) make sure it is clearly stated. You should also use the Personal Statement to clarify any situations like this. Including this information will make it much easier for the Admissions Team to understand your academic background, and will reduce the chances of a delay in the progress of your application.

Details of secondary education, including the results of ‘A’ Levels (or their international equivalent) can be useful if they are in subjects relevant to your chosen Masters degree.

• Professional background

Please include details of any relevant work experience or internships. These should include the name of the employer, your job title, the country in which you were working, and the dates of employment. If you were working part-time, please mention this.

• Other qualifications and skills

If you hold any other relevant qualifications, such as ACCA, GMAT or an English proficiency score, please include these along with the date taken. It is likely that you will also need to upload the documents with your online application. If you are a candidate for a professional exam, provide your intended test date. You may also wish to briefly add details of your interests and key skills.

Before submitting your application, check your personal statement and CV for spelling mistakes or inconsistencies, and make sure there are no gaps in the information. If you already have a CV that you intend to upload, ensure that it is up-to-date.

We hope that this guidance is useful, and look forward to receiving your applications. As always, if you have any queries please let us know!

As the Christmas holidays are fast approaching, this period could be an ideal time to start thinking about your potential application to a Masters programme at Cass. Applicants who have clearly done their research before submitting their application often stand out. There are several things you can do to ensure that you make the most of your preparation time:

1)   Pick the right course

This may seem obvious, but choosing the correct course will be the foundation block of your whole application. If your interests and future career ambitions do not fit in with your chosen Masters course, your application may not seem convincing, or you might find yourself on a course that does not fulfil your needs.

Before you make any hasty decisions, do some research on the area you wish to work in after you graduate. What topics are particularly relevant to the industry? Ensure that you have read the information about all our courses. Compare the modules and typical graduate destinations to be sure that you are choosing the best path. Finally, be sure that it is a course that you will enjoy!

Why not watch some of our videos highlighting different courses and student experiences?

2)   Prepare your documents

Along with your application form, your supporting documents are a key component of your application. It will save some stress later if you start gathering your documents now. You will need to submit a CV, personal statement, degree transcript (interim transcript plus list of final year modules if you have not yet graduated), two references and, if applicable or available, proof of your proficiency in English, GMAT and any professional qualifications. Please see here for more information on supporting documents.

Use this time to get your CV up-to-date, and start drafting your personal statement. If you need to ask your institution to provide an interim transcript, ensure you give them enough notice in case they are busy. If you have already taken the IELTS, TOEFL or GMAT, find your score reports, as you will be required to upload these as supporting documents.

3)   Start thinking about IELTS/TOEFL and GMAT

If you need to provide evidence of your proficiency in English but have not yet taken the IELTS/TOEFL test, now is a good opportunity to start preparing for the test. Do not leave this to the last minute, as it is not unusual for test dates in some countries to become completely booked up during the summer, and you would not want to be in a situation where you have to defer your offer due to not meeting our requirements in time. Please visit the IELTS and TOEFL websites for further information and tips on preparing for the tests.

If you wish to take the GMAT before submitting your application, there are many resources available on the internet to help you prepare. Please visit the GMAT website.

These are just a few tips to start you on your exciting journey towards your Masters degree. Whilst we do not have an application deadline date, some courses start to fill up and close around May. We therefore suggest applying early, as this will give you more time to fulfil any offer conditions. We are currently accepting applications for September 2014 intake.

As always, if you have any queries about our courses or the application process, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone. Our contact details can be found here. We look forward to hearing from you!