Will your associates degree at community college really help you after many years? Perhaps, when you are pursing a Finance MBA? Read on to find out how your basics as a community college transfer student will help you in the future...
From staid to almost sexy, the world of finance has quickly evolved to become a profession at the center of headlines. The financial landscape alone has shifted from regional to intercontinental, adding a new layer of complexity to work that was once characterized by very little change.
The global marketplace continues to become more accessible to businesses of all sizes, and this creates additional implications for doing business across multiple economies. This increased interconnectedness is ratcheting up the expectations placed on financiers, who are tasked with making wise financial decisions for their companies and clients.
Because of the ongoing changes occurring in finance, many professionals are seeking out new methods of bolstering their expertise and continuing their education to keep up with the rapid evolution. Many college graduates are now looking as Masters in Finance programs to add new specialties and maintain an education relevant to 21st century finance. Business-track programs like those offered at Purdue's Krannert School of Management have implemented a number of strategies to help finance professionals build upon their existing education in innovative ways, and without putting their professional work on hold.
Employing critical thinking on a global scale
Similar to the basics you receive at community college, the foundational focal point of advanced degrees in finance is developing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills vital to a finance leader. With big decisions constantly arising - and complicated variables affecting the short and long-term success of these decisions - finance professionals need to be well-versed in how to approach these matters.
This is especially true given today's trend of markets and economies coming together in a global marketplace. In working with other finance experts from international locations, having a comprehensive understanding of the nuanced variables – an always critical skill – is becoming commonplace. As such, preparation for the contemporary world of finance reflects these changes.
Programs like those offered by the Krannert School employ team-based learning to encourage collaboration and communication between students, and the classes often feature a range of international students from South America, Asia and other locales to bolster each student's familiarity with the global market.
Earning a degree while continuing to work
Many schools offering a Masters in Finance have developed an educational schedule that allows professionals to earn an advanced degree without quitting their day job to do so. This has multiple benefits to those in finance, the most significant being that professionals don't have to step away from a good job just to go back to school, reducing some obstacles of pursuing advanced education.
But this also provides a dual education of sorts, because real-world experience is an asset that can't be learned in a classroom. By combining a quality education with real-world experience -- and doing each simultaneously -- financiers can earn their degree without missing a beat in their careers. In the end, the ability to work while going to school will provide a buffet of applicable experience that could serve as a launching pad to bigger and better things.
With business transactions now able to easily involve clients and partners from any location in the world, the business of finance has become far less simple than its reputation might suggest. But this is a good thing for professionals craving challenge and excitement. With so many shifting variables on a global scale, what works today might not work tomorrow. And as this change continues, the professionals who are best prepared to adapt will be the ones who survive and thrive.
