Before coming to Lancaster University Management School, I was studying Management of Organisations at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. During my studies, I completed a four-month internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Having completed my internship, I felt the urge to deepen my knowledge of accounting and finance in order to enhance my career prospects.

One of the main reasons why I chose to study the MSc Financial Analysis at Lancaster was its partnership status with the CFA Institute. Only 14 universities in the UK have this status. Recognition as a CFA Programme Partner meant that the University curriculum was closely tied to professional practice. In June 2012, I passed the CFA Level I exam, and I am already registered for the Level II exam. High-quality standards of teaching in Lancaster and the integrated CFA training module helped me to find the Level I exam extremely easy.

The most interesting thing about the MSc Financial Analysis is its unique mix of accounting, finance and investment modules. A wide scope of financial topics is included in the curriculum. The choice of elective modules is extremely broad. You can even change the title of your degree, as I did. Initially, I was accepted to the MSc Accounting and Financial Management programme.

My course at Lancaster was very intense and diverse. It was stressful, but also a lot of fun and very rewarding. Choosing LUMS is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Lancaster is an outstanding environment to be in whilst studying for your degree. All the teaching staff and faculty members were very open and supportive. I am extremely pleased to be a graduate of the “Business School of the Year, 2012”.

I can now say with certainty that the choice of MSc Financial Analysis from Lancaster University Management School was the right one for me. Shortly after graduating from LUMS, I secured a graduate position with Deloitte, UK as a Chartered Accountant (ACA) trainee in their audit department.