Do you have an innate love for numbers? Do you dream of working with leading investment banks and financial institutions? If so, then finance is the career for you. Over the years, finance has become one of the leading sectors to provide employment globally and is still on the rise. You might be wondering what the field has in store for you and how you can make a strong career in it? Like many others, if you are concerned about choosing an undergraduate programme and are now looking for the best institution to study it, then you have come to the right place. This blog will help you understand various aspects of choosing the best college for finance in India.

Finance simply can be defined as the management of money. It is a diverse discipline that not only deals with how money is managed but also encompasses the process of budgeting, lending, saving, investing and forecasting. It can be broadly put into three categories—personal finance, corporate finance and public finance. The more recent subcategories of finance that are gaining popularity include social finance and behavioural finance. Being an interdisciplinary field, Finance requires a fair understanding of other subjects associated with it such as Economics, Accounting, Management.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the number of financial analyst jobs will grow by more than 12% through 2024, which is more than any other category in the domain of business anywhere in the world. With businesses becoming more branched, and increasing participation of individuals in stock markets and other investment channels, the need for personal financial advisors is on the rise and as per the estimate, the jobs in the domain are expected to grow by 30% over the same period. There are a number of reasons for one to choose a career in finance and a few of them include:

Economics and finance are highly interrelated but not identical disciplines, influencing each other to a large extent. While economics involves the study of local and global markets, human behaviour, goods and services, finance on the other hand studies financial systems that include banks, loans and investments. Economics tend to function on a larger level focusing on a country, region or market. Finance is more focused on individual, company or industry. In general, economics presents a larger picture and is more theoretical in comparison to finance, which is more specific and practical. But over the years, the distinction has been blurred and both these disciplines overlap significantly.

While you might already be searching for the best college for finance in India, you should be aware that, be it seeking admission into prestigious universities abroad or making a debut in the finance industry, it is highly dependent on the quality of education you receive at your undergraduate level. Over the years, the jobs in the industry have grown at an unprecedented rate and the number of individuals pursuing higher education from universities abroad is also on the rise, but the competition for the same has never been fiercer. Recruiters and admission committees, in addition to evaluating your work experience, gauge your aptitude on various fronts and to be able to stand up to that, you need to have a strong academic foundation that only an international curriculum has been able to guarantee so far.

An undergraduate degree is ideally a three-year programme that covers the basic as well as the advanced concepts on the subject and thus preparing students for jobs ranging from entry-level to a managerial position. Generally, finance is taught as a course module in business degrees such as B.Com, which is not adequate to gain comprehensive knowledge of the subject. Premier institutions like London School of Economics (LSE) offer specialization degrees in Finance at an undergraduate level which not only focus on helping you have a strong foundation of the subject, but also provide you with all the necessary skills to make a strong career right after completing the degree.

University of London offers undergraduate programmes in Finance through its affiliated teaching centres across the globe. Indian School of Business and Finance is one such institution that is ranked among the top 5 teaching institutions of London School of Economics, which means all the programmes taught at ISBF are directly from the LSE’s curriculum Students in India study the same curriculum as their counterparts who study at LSE in London. Not only do they receive an international degree at a fraction of the cost of studying abroad but also get complete guidance on career &upskilling along with various other unique opportunities like:

Economics (LSE), Indian School of Business and Finance follows the convention of treating all its offered programmes as a science, thereby ensuring that students pursuing those programmes receive a blend of strong academic foundation and practical knowledge. The programmes are crafted by the experts at LSE, keeping in mind the current market requirements which makes students from all these programmes an ideal prospect for both universities and recruiters. The education under the aegis of LSE, which is among the top 10 global universities in these domains makes ISBF the best institute for finance in India. In comparison, the best institution in India in the same domain is ranked 150-200 (QS 2020). In addition to that, both the programmes in finance offered at ISBF offer a blend of two much sought-after subjects that not only helps you have a strong hold on the subject but also open a myriad of career opportunities to choose from. Here are the two programmes offered in finance at ISBF.

The programme is developed by the best minds at LSE in London blending two highly interrelated disciplines. The programme curriculum starts by building a strong base in mathematics, statistics, economics and finance. Using this, you will go on to specialised courses in both disciplines, such as micro and macroeconomics, monetary economics, international economics, corporate finance, asset pricing and financial markets, and quantitative finance, besides pursuing higher-level courses in mathematics and applied statistics or econometrics.

This programme can be compared with commonly offered B.Com (Hons) but the scientific approach and academic directions from LSE make it much more rigorous and detailed. This programme is yet another unique amalgam of two highly sought-after programmes. Courses in management accounting, financial reporting, international business and auditing will give you a strong understanding of how a firm’s finances work, while those about banking, corporate finance, valuation, mergers and acquisitions and pricing of financial assets such as stocks, bonds and derivatives will expose you in-depth to the financial markets.