How much could this investment banking degree enhance your chances?

Investment banks’ graduate recruiters will tell you that they recruit from any degree discipline, but the reality is that a large proportion of places will go to students with mathematical or economics degrees who can deal with the numerical elements of the application and interview process.

The value of taking degrees dedicated to the financial sector has been extensively debated, but much of this is focused on the, often very expensive, MSc courses that proliferate at universities around the UK.

Now, there’s a new, BSc in banking and finance being launched by business school BPP dedicated, primarily to corporate finance and M&A. It’s described as a “great grounding for the world of mergers & acquisitions” by Better Capital founder and private equity grandee Jon Moulton.

On the one hand, the course taps into the new-found appetite for universities to equip graduates with skills for the workplace, particularly in business. However, investment banks like graduates to be well-rounded and there’s always the danger that firms could still look for students who showed an interest in banking in their extra-curricular activities, rather than degree subject.

The course costs £5k a year, and runs over three years and you can either sign up for the London City campus, or take the degree from BPP’s Leeds centre.