With more people being drawn to the buzzing Chinese economy, we interview SAIF’s international affairs officer, Gloria Wang to find out how SAIF can help those eager to get into finance in China.
We find out more details about how to impress the admissions committee at SAIF’s elite programmes, available funding opportunities, and life in Shanghai. We also ask whether studying in China is a good move for non-Chinese people who want to work in China.
Who is an ideal SAIF MBA candidate?
An ideal MBA candidate for SAIF ought to meet criteria like having a good academic performance in their undergraduate program, a GMAT score from 680 and upwards, three or more years of work experience in the finance industry, leadership experience, strong communication skills, an open mind with a willingness to learn, and be very enterprising.
Who is an ideal SAIF MFin Candidate?
To maintain the elite nature of the class the overall requirements for our Master of Finance candidates are high. The program is quite intensive and highly quantitative so the local students have come from the top 5% of universities best known for their science programs. Our overseas students are also from the top of their class.
We accept students from related undergraduate majors such as finance, economics, mathematics, computing, and engineering. We require that they have excellent academic performance in their quantitative courses.
For the GMAT, we want students with a score from 680 with over 70% in the quantitative section. In terms of internship experience, we prefer that they’ve had exposure to working in a multinational company. We also prefer candidates who have leadership experience whether this comes from being involved in student societies or community engagement.
Please tell us about some of the funding opportunities and scholarships available to students
The university is keen to encourage more overseas applicants and to promote diversity on campus, so we offer a wide range of scholarships.
We have the Global Impact scholarship which is a tuition waiver for students from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and other countries. We also have the Laureate award which covers the tuition fees for one MBA student and one Master of Finance student. The Premium award covers the tuition fees for two MBA students and four Masters of Finance students.
SAIF also provides continuing scholarships for the second academic year for MBA students with outstanding academic performance, contributions to the class, and the wider SAIF community during their first academic year. Students can get up to RMB 10,000 (US$1,580) for academic performance and for student service.
We also reward students with a high GMAT score with a scholarship of RMB 10,000, and the award is also open to part-time MBA candidates. The high score is decided each year but this scholarship is not granted with other types of scholarships.
There are further scholarships offered by the Chinese government and by Shanghai Jiao Tong University for international students who want to pursue their studies here. More details can be found on our scholarships website.
How can an applicant impress you in their application?
To begin with, a professional-looking CV is critical since we always start by looking at the applicant’s CV. This helps us to get a general idea of him or her and where their interests lie. Relevant internships and work experience or professional credentials like the CFA are definitely eye-catching, especially for our MBA candidates since ours is a finance-focused MBA program.
Apart from the good grades and high GMAT score, we are also impressed by details that reveal their true attitude and character. For example, we will look to see if documents are well organized, essays logically written, as well as the business etiquette shown at the interview.
Is studying at SAIF a good idea for international students who want to work in China?
Yes, first of all, we have a group of world-class faculty who were not only internationally renowned experts in modern finance, but also deeply dedicated to the study of Chinese
financial markets, therefore, our finance programs not only adopts international curricula but also incorporates a strong China focus.
Secondly, our Career Development Center provides one-to-one career counselling and a customized career service for every student. We have finance-focused campus recruitment and our connections with major finance institutions in Shanghai help all students including international students to land a good job.
Of course, some knowledge of Mandarin will definitely help a lot in job hunting in China so SAIF offers free Mandarin lessons to all international students including exchange students!
What are some of the best things about living in Shanghai?
Apart from the many job and business opportunities and growing economy, Shanghai is a great city to live and is expats’ favorite city in mainland China. Like any metropolis in the world, Shanghai has a convenient transport network and readily available taxis, world class facilities, a dazzling nightlife, and so many events going on that it will be hard for you to get bored.
Most importantly, it is a tolerant and welcoming city where tradition is treasured, diversity respected and innovation is encouraged. There is so much more, and you have to come
in person to find out!
What are some of the job roles that SAIF MFin and MBA graduates are working in?
Generally speaking, a large majority of MBA graduates go into the finance industry, and a small percentage go into finance positions in corporate firms. Most of our graduates go to local securities, venture capital and private equity firms which are apparently becoming the second largest employer in China.
Some other popular positions include investment analysis, investment banking, investment portfolio, financial research, and strategic development.
For MFin graduates, the vast majority go to positions in investment analysis and research, investment banking, investment and financing, and of course some of them become
management trainees in financial institutions.
Read more stories about students, alumni and programmes at Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance here
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