About Swiss Finance Institute

Why did you choose Swiss Finance Institute?

As I entered my senior year at Duke, I was very interested in interviewing for jobs in the finance industry, but as a history and religion major, I really had no background in finance or business. I was searching for a program that would give me the knowledge and skills that I needed to really stand out in the recruiting process. I applied to SFA because I thought the curriculum was just what I needed to prepare myself for my upcoming job search. The program surpassed all of my expectations. SFA offers a unique combination of academic and cultural experiences that I know I couldn’t have found anywhere else. The curriculum was intense, and a lot of time was devoted to mastering the material both inside and outside the classroom, but we also had time for fun weekend trips to places like France and Italy. I also found the mentorship aspects of the program to be extremely helpful. Faculty took the time to give me detailed critiques of my performance so that I was really able to learn from my mistakes and my weaknesses, and turn them into strengths. The job search and career guidance that I received from highly experienced industry professionals was invaluable, and it was nice to get advice from people who had previously been in my shoes.

As a liberal arts major, did you have any particular difficulty with the intense finance and business curriculum?

I was worried about this before going into the program, but I quickly realized that we were all in the same boat. Several of my classmates had strong backgrounds in finance and business, but SFA’s program is unlike anything that you get in a regular university course. The material that we covered was new to everyone, not just the liberal arts students. The reason for this is that SFA teaches you the knowledge and skills that you will actually need and use in the industry – the curriculum isn’t limited to theoretical concepts. By the time we left, we were all equipped with the tools that we needed to be successful analysts or associates. I will admit that the learning curve is pretty steep, but faculty and my classmates were there to help me along the way. If you complete the assigned readings prior to arrival and approach the curriculum with dedication and determination, you will find that the program is both manageable and extremely worthwhile, regardless of your academic background.

- Erin McMahon