MSc Business & Finance at WBS

MSc Business & Finance student, Komal Makwana, walks us through the highlights, enriching moments, and why she chose Warwick Business School.

Before joining Warwick Business School, I worked as a Financial Analyst back in India. I was comfortable navigating spreadsheets, reading financial reports, and crunching numbers but I often found myself wondering about the bigger picture, what's the story behind the numbers? What strategic decisions shape these financials?

That curiosity sparked a desire to go deeper, beyond just the figures, and to explore the relationship between finance and business strategies. That’s exactly what led me to the MSc Business & Finance programme at WBS.

Why Warwick Business School?

I wanted a course that would let me merge my interest in business strategy with my foundation in finance. WBS stood out because of its reputation for academic excellence, practical approach, and its global perspective on business. The course offered the best of both worlds, analytical rigour in financial modelling, paired with strategic thinking across real-world business scenarios.

Coming to Warwick was a deliberate choice. I wasn’t just looking for a Master’s degree, I was looking for an immersive and engaging experience that would help me evolve professionally and personally.

Throughout the year, the course delivered exactly that. I developed technical skills that I’d always wanted to master, such as building Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) models, working with Bloomberg terminals, and analysing financial statements using Capital IQ, FactSet and other industry relevant databases. These tools not only sharpened my analytical skills but also boosted my confidence in making data-driven decisions.

I was also given the chance to explore topics beyond traditional finance. One of the standout moments for me was taking the Business Alternatives module, in which I chose to focus on Sustainability. It opened my eyes to the world of sustainable finance, an area I hadn’t deeply explored before. The more I learned, the more it resonated with my values, and eventually, I realised I wanted to pivot my career towards sustainable investment banking.

What makes the MSc Business & Finance programme truly special is its ability to integrate technical depth with strategic breadth. It didn’t feel like I had to choose between understanding financial statements or business direction, I was encouraged to think about both, and how one influences the other.

Choosing the right MSc

That duality has been one of the most enriching parts of my time here. For example, the module Strategic Management Accounting, it not only helped us understand how to prepare the accounting statements but also made us think beyond numbers, about the business strategy and how these numbers are interpreted in real terms.

Beyond the technical learning, I grew in ways I hadn’t expected. Working in diverse teams, presenting real-world business cases, and managing tight deadlines taught me adaptability and resilience. The collaborative environment at WBS, where ideas are valued and diversity is celebrated made it easier to challenge myself and keep growing.

There were plenty of lighter moments too, networking events, study groups that turned into lasting friendships, and late-night coffee-fuelled assignment sessions that somehow ended up being fun.

For anyone who wants a solid foundation in finance but also wants to understand how businesses operate and evolve, I would recommend the course without a doubt . Whether you’re coming from a finance background like I did or you're looking to build one, this programme gives you the space to explore your interests and shape your path.

Learning at WBS

Stay curious. Ask questions, even the ones that seem basic. Some of the most valuable conversations I had came from simply wanting to understand something better. Try new things, whether it's a sustainability module or a fintech competition, you never know what might inspire your next big career move.

And most importantly, enjoy the journey. The course will challenge you, but it’ll also open doors you hadn’t imagined.