The impact of an MSc Scholarship from WBS

Our MSc alum share their reflections and experiences of securing a Masters scholarship from WBS and how it benefitted their respective career path and learning experience.

Judith Toluwanimi Oladapo, Tu Pack

MSc Accounting & Finance (2019 – 2020)

"Being a scholarship recipient from WBS continues to open doors for me."

Why did you decide to study at WBS?

My decision to apply to Warwick Business School was fuelled by my desire to pursue my Masters programme in a world-renowned institution that cares about its students and employs a practical mode of teaching. I wanted to develop my knowledge and skills in the finance world, with specific interests in the capital market, and the MSc Accounting and Finance course at WBS showed high potential for that.

On reading my admission offer letter from WBS and seeing the scholarship award, my mind was instantly made up about where I was going to study.

How did you feel once you received the scholarship?

The scholarship was a huge gift for me. I honestly had no idea about the possibility of obtaining a scholarship when I applied. So, imagine my joy when I saw that my offer letter contained the award for the maximum scholarship offering. Receiving the scholarship validated all the hard work I had committed myself to from the first day of my undergraduate degree.

Not only that, but it meant that I didn’t have to give up a great opportunity to study at WBS due to financial circumstances, and it greatly reduced the tuition burden on my family.

What is your current role and did the scholarship benefit your career?

I’m currently working as the Procurement and Sustainability Officer of Tu Pack. Tu Pack is a growing fulfilment and logistics company that places strong values on sustainability and doing business the ethical way.

My ability to succeed in my role is largely credited to the invaluable skills and knowledge I gained in my time at WBS. The emphasis placed on presentations and seminar classes has helped me to pitch my ideas confidently and clearly to the management staff and my colleagues. My data analytics skills are also at a very impressive level thanks to my lectures using Stata, and the positive challenges I faced during my dissertation.

To this day, being a scholarship recipient from WBS continues to open doors for me. I was head-hunted for my current job, and the recruiter placed emphasis on my performance at the School. These events serve as reminders to me about who I am, and the fact that there is no limit to what I can achieve if I put my mind to it.

Dinesh Patel, Analyst, Barclays

MSc Finance & Economics (2018 -2019)

"The scholarship enhanced my motivation to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds gain the same kind of opportunities that I did."

Why did you decide to study at WBS?

I decided to study at WBS because of its reputation as one of the best universities in the world.

Before accepting my offer, I researched some of the recent alumni of the MSc Finance & Economics programme on LinkedIn to see what kind of roles they went on to do. It was clear that many of the alumni were working at bulge bracket investment banks, hedge funds, and highly-regarded boutiques, which was well aligned with my ambitions.

How did you feel once you received the scholarship?

I received the full 50% scholarship from WBS. Due to financial constraints, I wouldn’t have made it to WBS without it. The scholarship also enhanced my motivation to want to help other people from more disadvantaged backgrounds gain similar opportunities.

This is something that remains very close to my heart. In my current role, I have continued to push this agenda, engaging in their mentoring schemes. I’ve also completed the preparatory steps to be a governor at the school that I went to as a child.

What is your current role and how did WBS help you reach your position?

I currently work for Barclays within model risk. I feel privileged to have a role that doesn’t feel like a job.

One of the reasons why I wanted to do a Masters degree in the first place was my passion for understanding how models work at a fundamental mathematical level. This is something that was really pushed by my lecturers at WBS. There was a big emphasis on the lectures and exams not just being a memory test.

I was forced to develop a mindset of learning how a theory works and not just memorising how to apply it. At the time it was challenging and I probably didn’t appreciate how valuable that mindset would be – but it has set me apart in my role at Barclays. I get to do this every day when I’m analysing the prediction models used within the bank.

The content I studied at WBS is really well aligned with the work that is done at Barclays and in the industry as a whole. Most of my lecturers had worked in the industry in some capacity before and so they were able to explain how the things they are teaching are applied in practice. 

It has been really easy for me to settle into this role because I already had an understanding of how a bank operates. When I interact with people across the bank, I have an understanding of what they do and, to an extent, what their objectives are in their role.

A word of warning - it will be challenging to balance work, secure a graduate role, and enjoy the many social activities. But if you are willing to apply yourself for a year, WBS will equip you with all of the tools you need to be successful.

Are you ready to equip yourself with the knowledge, experience and confidence to achieve your goals and improve the world for the better? Warwick Business School offers up to 50% scholarships to the Change Makers of the future. MSc Scholarships | Postgraduate Courses | Warwick Business School (wbs.ac.uk)