How about enrolling in an investment banking university?

The concept of an investment banking university is relatively new and as of yet the number of such universities cannot compare with the numbers of traditional law, medical and other professional higher education schools.

Considering the draw of high salaries and a dynamic working environment and the challenges posed by the increasingly complex world of high finance plus the high levels of computer literacy now demanded, it seems likely that additional universities are going to introduce investment banking courses or add this option as a finance course specialty.

The investment banking university options currently available divide between degree level courses lasting up to three years and shorter training courses organized by investment houses for their trainees.

The concept of the investment banking university is particularly popular in the UK. For example, one of these universities concentrates on teaching applied finance theory and also incorporates industry specific training. The program is designed to development management skills on a practical level and students are offered the opportunity of an internship in a leading investment bank during the summer months.

The emergence of a capitalist economy in the former Soviet countries after years of state management has clearly generated a demand for investment bankers, and consequently it is not surprising that universities in Moscow and Kiev now offer investment banking courses.

In addition to explaining the internal structure of a typical investment bank these courses include subjects such as how to market the bank’s services and how to effectively perform business evaluation and financial modeling.

Although the investment banks are not able to offer degrees on a university level and their investment banking university programs last a matter of months rather than up to three years, they have evidently realized the value of advancing the education of their trainees in this manner.

One of the best known investment houses in New York advertises its investment banking university as providing an opportunity for trainees to meet with senior executives and to gain an appreciation of the global reach of the bank and its ethical standards.

The course is taught both by bank staff and experts brought in from outside. Subjects covered including accounting, corporate finance, credit analysis and financial modeling. The trainees are also offered specific training to enable them to acquire the technical skills required by the division of bank where they are supposed to start their employment.