Meeta Chhabaria has always been fascinated by finance. After earning her bachelor’s degree in business in India, she sought a master’s degree as her next step—one that would prepare her to move into fintech and use new technologies for the financial industry.
When she saw that Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business offered an experiential program to build the knowledge she needed to navigate the technology-driven financial world, she was sold.
The MS in Finance (Quantitative Finance) offers the opportunity to apply for graduate fellowships directly related to your major area of study, providing an excellent opportunity to learn while building your work experience and professional relationships. Not only will you be able to apply what you learn in class to a major company or startup project, but you’ll also get a feel for the company’s culture and participate in the organization’s larger mission.
Chabaria liked how the program prepared her for success. “The opportunity to apply what I learned in the classroom to real-world situations was inspiring,” she says.
She immediately moved to 360 Huntington Fund, which offers students the opportunity to join Northeastern’s gifted real mutual fund management team. Chabaria started as an analyst at the fund. Her experience allowed her to interact with students and expert faculty members who excel in selecting stocks to buy, sell or hold.
Meeta Chhabaria will soon start a full-time job at investment bank Houlihan Lokey as a financial analyst. Source: Northeastern University
Finally, her team won first place at the GAME Forum International Finance Conference. She was selected from thousands of applicants to lead the Northeast team in the CFA Institute’s Investment Research Challenge.
Chabaria credits the MS in Quantitative Finance curriculum for pushing her to become a communicator with better business and accounting skills. Today, she is the Chief Marketing Officer for 360 Huntington Fund and a research assistant in the Northeast. Soon, she will be starting a full-time job as a financial analyst at investment bank Houlihan Lokey.
“I felt that my background in mass communications and finance would provide many opportunities for the fund to market itself, so I applied and was selected for the leadership position,” she says. “Holding a leadership position was a good talking point for hiring in job interviews, as many interviewers found the role and the money to be unique and impressive.”
Part Patel from India has also completed the 360 Huntington Fund. “It helped me develop my skills,” he said. After joining as an analyst, he started to practice how to perform fundamental and technical research work on a particular stock. Classroom lessons in financial concepts and developing technical skills didn’t take long before Patel was promoted to a leadership role.
“I advised a team of 14 analysts by sharing my thoughts and reviewing their assessments,” the graduate said. “Overall, the 360 Huntington Fund has helped me grow as a person.”
Throughout his MS in Quantitative Finance, Patel has delved into market trends, analysis and investment areas through various other projects. Proficient in Python and certified in Bloomberg Market Concepts as part of Portfolio Management department. These skills helped him realize his goal of working as a financial analyst after graduation.
After graduating, Parth Patel acquired skills that helped him achieve his goal of working as a financial analyst. Source: Northeastern University
Additional support is provided by the Graduate Career Center, which pairs students with a dedicated advisor. Students can review their job search strategy and resume and attend classes on effective networking.
The MS in Finance (Quantitative Finance) is F-1 Visa Compliant and STEM Designated. This means that international students can apply for a STEM extension to Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows them to work for up to 36 months within 12 months of graduation.
Wherever D’Amore-McKim graduates, they arrive ready to add value. Postgraduate fellowships and the 360 Huntington Fund are just a few of D’Amore-McKim’s unique experience-enhanced learning opportunities. “Join finance clubs, attend career center networking events, use LinkedIn and build your connections,” says Patel. “If you are an international student, the Global Services Office is a great resource for understanding the different aspects of working after graduation. All these steps together will help you land your dream job.
To join Chabarian and Patel, click here to learn more about the D’Amore-McKim MS in Finance (Quantitative Finance).
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