Hey guys,I am a Psychology finalist at the University of East Anglia expecting a high 2:1 or a First. I appreciate that this is not what people consider one of the old elite universities but consistently ranks in the top 20 in the UK and i am eager to get in to management consulting.I am looking for advice as to whether or not i should pursue a MSc in Management to increase my prospects. I could afford going to a school such as MBS or UCL and could perhaps stretch to a better school (Imperial, LBS, LSE, Warwick) should i get a place.Any thoughts?Thanks

A year of real working experience will count for more than a year spent on a MSc unless its very specific (eg Finance). Focus on getting onto a decent grad scheme. Everything will fall into place after that.

So if i am unsuccessful in gaining a graduate placement with a management consultancy firm you would therefore recommend a business related gradate programme over further study?

YES.

Mars is right. Academia is a business these days. Many post-grad courses and MBAs and so on aren't worth what they cost. Nothing really beats real experience although I accept that sometimes you need the qualifications as a door-opener.Look at the crazy USA as an example. Who in their right mind would pay £80K a year for a three year business studies course? They could buy a house outright for that and have real financial security instead of a high-pressure job that they need to cling onto in order to pay off their student loan.

Hi Guys,I think we need to take a stock check here for a minute... we are thinking of experienced hires (where what you have done plays an important part) compared to what CJ needs which is Graduate schemes where the Uni you went to and grades does play an important part.CJ, worthwhile listening to Mars as he knows his stuff hiring wise. From my point of view:There are tens of thousands applying for MC grad schemes nowadays. Unfortunately a 2:1 from East Anglia won't stand out... suggest you ensure you get a First if you can. Plus the CV will need to have lots of the usual extra curricular activities. I was one of the grad scheme CV reviewers at my MC and believe you me, competition is tough. Straight A grads with a min of 2:1 plus a bucket load of extra curricular. These came over on email and I had to make snap decisions on which I thought should get a place in the assessment centres. It then goes forward to one other practise rep and so on. Hence you need to stand out. I would suggest:1) Apply for a very good 1 year Masters. I know a couple of people that went to ok Uni's, but then ensured they got a top 10 / top 5 Uni Masters related to what they wanted to work in, this then helped them immensely when it came to getting in on Grad schemes. It does not mean you will get the job, but it does open the door that little bit more for you2) Apply for the grad schemes anyway, see where or how far you get. You never know. You can then apply again after the Masters. Mars can confim if this is okRemember - If you are going to do a Masters, make sure you choose a very good one. Choose the best Uni you can get into, degree from UEA and a Masters from Johnny Polytech unfortunately will make your journey that much harder

Hey guys,Thanks for your responses everyone.What you have said Anon kind of matches my thoughts. I am only one or two marks off a first so fel i could pull that back and i have applied for some grad schemes and internships at some mid-level firms.I am confident in my abilities and feel my chances of success would be greatly increased should i get through the door/get an interview, and i dont tend to have issues with the online assessments, but at the moment i am lacking the brand name or stand out feature to do so.A second question - Do you think the subject of the masters is important. One of the issues i am facing is that the fees for an MSc in management differ greatly and with fees of around £25k places like LSE, Imperial and Warwick are slightly out of my budget. Do you think undertaking a different course such a business/social psychology course (LSE, Cambridge, UCL etc.) make a difference? or should i focus on management (Cranfield, MBS, UCL, CASS etc.)?Just as an indication these are the modules of the UCL Business Psychology course:1. Consulting Psychology2. Talent Management 3. Statistics 4. Business Psychology Seminars (Guest Speakers)5. Influence & Negotiation6. Organisational Psychology 7. Research Dissertation8.Optional modules including project management, entrepreneurship etc.Thanks

ceejay a Masters in 'Business Psychology' will not help at all. It's a seductive idea - and one which probably feels like it will be core to the whole business of 'consulting'. In reality all it would do it make your interviewer question whether you really understand the nature of consulting at all. Or secretly harbour designs on a role in HR. Both could be equally damning. Anon MC is right - a degree from UEA and a mid tier Masters, while giving you a shot, isnt going to make it easy. If your degree at UEA is an MSc then there will be a strong quantitative component to it - this is important, and you will find this will give you a more level playing field with Russell Group applicants from liberal arts degrees.If you really do want to go the MSc route first, then it will need to be a good one - Imperial etc, but rather than in the UK I suggest spend your money at an international school, perhaps in the US if not Europe where your money will go further, you'll get international exposure, could start learning a language, and will probably get better tuition.

Thanks Mars,I understand that business psychology is more interesting than useful, i was more thinking about whether it is the case with masters that the institution is more important than the course? I used business psychology as an example of a potentially related field that doesn't have the extreme fees that a lot of MSc management courses have.My degree is BSc and has a large statistical component, the core module each year being stats and research/analysis e.g. multiple regressions etc. Its quite depressing really that UEA now outranks most Russell Group uni's in everything except having a history. Alas.I did consider European business schools but i don't have much information other than the FT Rankings as to which are viewed in high regard. The target universities in the UK are quite well known but i don't now how an EU school such as Rotterdam School of Management compares?Thanks again for all your help.

Dont be despondent about UEA not having the Russell Group cache - fact of the matter is MCs want the best people not just the ones who came from certain universities. The core of your degree is highly relevant to consulting, especially in the new paradigm of analytics at the core of everything. Get your applications out in good time - outside of strategy firms you have every chance of making it.