Welcome to March's Undergraduate Newsletter

We hope you're looking forward to Spring and to starting your course later this year. In the meantime, we thought we'd send you an update of what is happening at Cass, plus your next steps in the UCAS process. Also in your March newsletter, find stories from current students and an alumni, providing you with some food for thought when accepting your university offers. Could you be the next Cass student spending a study year abroad or being one of our student ambassadors?


Our next Visit Days are on Wednesday 7 March and Wednesday 4 April. Be sure to come and see for yourself what life is like at Cass.

Cass – your route to career success

Cass has an exceptional graduate recruitment record and completing your degree here will place you in a 25,000 strong business network of alumni from all over the world. Cass alumnus Miles Nolan explains here how his Cass degree has helped to shape his career:

I have always had a strong interest in the Stock Market, and it was with this in mind that I chose to follow my passion and move from Leeds to London to expand my knowledge.

When choosing a university I was keen to target one with a good history and solid academic results, and I opted for a very specific Investment-related degree at Cass (known as City University Business School until 2002).

Since graduating in 1998 I started my career at the Investors Chronicle, the UK’s leading personal finance magazine. Owned by the Financial Times, the role was extremely rewarding, with my capacity as ‘Smaller Companies Editor’ allowing me great access to senior company management. I travelled to a number of countries including China, Libya, the US and much of Europe.

After a good seven-year stint I left to join a private client stockbroker as a buy-side analyst, which allowed me to build my contact base as I explored investment opportunities on behalf of clients. It was effectively a process of putting into practice what I had been theorising over as a journalist.

My career then progressed and I spent time as a fund manager, principally covering VCT stocks and smaller companies. From here I went on to work in corporate finance for a Qatari bank (though based in London) and also had a stint as a corporate broker, helping small companies raise much needed equity capital.

Having spent six years away from journalism, I returned to my passion in 2010 as Editor of Growth Company Investor. The role involves acting as a ‘brand ambassador’ for the monthly title, while also managing and leading the content for the magazine. It is a leading voice on growth companies, listed on the London Stock Market and every month we provide informative and insightful share recommendations. Columns include ‘Pick of AIM’ and Directors Dealings, as well as a number of informative news pieces. Growth Company Investor is currently undertaking a major re-design, which will also lead to the launch of a new app.

I look back at my time spent at Cass fondly. It allowed me to forge new life-long friendships, and has helped me develop a successful career.

My Life at Cass

Written by Umeeta, Year 1, BSc (Hons) Actuarial Science.

As an international student, deciding to come to England for undergraduate studies was a pivotal decision. I wanted a place that was not only academically reputable but culturally diverse too. Cass was therefore my indubitable choice. Its proximity to London’s financial district, not only provides immense networking opportunities but an experienced faculty too.

After I confirmed my offer of admission, the undergraduate admissions team were in constant contact and answered all my queries regarding my visa application, student accommodation and tuition fees. As a result I was prepared for settling in a new city; furthermore the induction week at the start of the academic year provided all the essential information regarding the course, student facilities, student banking and amazing student discounts offered all over London.

As Actuarial Science is a challenging programme, I have a busy routine. Every morning starts with reading the Financial Times which is provided free of charge to all Cass undergraduates. My classes comprise of lectures, tutorials and practice labs. In between classes, I like to catch up on my work and study in the library. The teaching methods at Cass are specialised to cater to the needs of a multitude of students who come from diverse academic backgrounds. Aside from lectures, exercise classes and tutorials provide a chance to learn more about the subject and catch up on the additional practice material. The teaching staff and course officers are always willing to help and contribute towards the learning process. The amount of individual attention given to each student distinguishes Cass from other academic institutions.

But Cass offers more than just challenging academics; depending on one’s interest there is a wide range of clubs and societies to join. I am a member of the Finance, Actuarial and Cass Women in Business societies. Cass also regularly conducts talks and networking events with professionals from leading business firms.

I have completed my 1^st term as a year 1 student and so far Cass has been an incredible experience in terms of learning, meeting people across the financial industry and making new friends.

Cass student gets set for the Olympics

With the Olympic Games taking place in London over the summer, it’s not only the athletes that are preparing for the biggest sporting event in the world. Katherine Mou, a 3rd year Business Studies student will be representing London at the Games as a volunteer, officially known as a ‘Games Maker’.

Katherine applied to be part of the games in the summer of 2011. With a record number of 250,000 applications, competition was tough, but Katherine was successful in gaining an interview and later went on to secure her role, one of only 70,000 positions available. 

Katherine will be working the entire two week duration of the games, based at the Olympic village in Stratford, East London. Her role will include welcoming millions of visitors to the games, as well as answering questions and queries, directing ticket holders to event venues and acting as a friendly face. Training started in early February at Wembley arena along with 10,000 other Games Makers, only 5% of the whole games workforce! 

Excited about her role in the Games, Katherine feels that her time at Cass in and out of the classroom really helped her in being able to convey her enthusiasm and commitment to the role. ‘I’ve developed excellent team building skills from working with a variety of different people on my course, especially on big projects such as group coursework. I also work as a Cass Student Ambassador, a customer facing role where I often represent the School at Open Days, answering any questions and queries potential students may have. This experience definitely helped me win my place at the Games. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to live and study here and to represent my City.’

With her graduation ceremony taking place a week before the Games, Katherine has an exciting summer to look forward to. After the summer, Katherine hopes to go on to secure a graduate scheme in either Marketing or Market Research in London, and has the opportunity to work in Hong Kong at a later date. 

A Year Out: Student Exchange

At Cass you will have the opportunity to tailor your degree by applying to study abroad. You will have the option of doing a replacement second year at a partner institution or doing a sandwich degree with a year spent studying overseas. Apart from being a lot of fun, the student exchange programme is an opportunity to improve your language skills and is an impressive asset on your CV.

Students opting to do a replacement second year spend their first and third year at Cass and the middle year being taught from an international cultural perspective but still learning comparable module content to those students taking their second year at Cass. All of the teaching is in English. Please note this option is not available for Actuarial Science and Accounting & Finance students due to the professional requirements of those courses.

The sandwich year study abroad option is available for all courses. Students spend the first two years at Cass followed by a year abroad and then a final year at Cass. If you are proficient in German, French, Spanish or Italian you can take a sandwich year studying in that language. Students are taught in English in Singapore, South Korea, Norway, Sweden and the USA.

It is also possible to take a sandwich year and split it with one semester spent at a partner institution and one semester spent gaining work experience in a placement.

You don’t need to decide if you wish to apply for Study Abroad at this stage. Students apply for the replacement second year option in the autumn term of year one and the sandwich degree option in the autumn term of year two.

Darja Danilina recently completed the replacement 2^nd year at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada:

Study abroad is one of the unique features that helps Cass Business School to nurture its multi-cultural dimension.

The benefits of spending a year away from home are not limited to experiencing another culture. I found that adapting to a new teaching method is very valuable in the work place, where only those will be successful who can change fast. At the same time, being in a different cultural environment, I was forced to question things I took for granted and became aware of my biases, which crucially broadened my perspective.

Settling in as an exchange student is much easier than you might expect. The long tradition of international co-operation with partner institutions and experience of the study abroad team make it possible to prepare everything – such as visas, accommodation and course schedules – well in advance of departure. Three months before leaving on exchange, I was already in touch with students from Queen’s University. Through this connection I was able to find a room in a student house three minutes away from the business school, living with five other girls, which allowed me to integrate within days. Apart from studying and travelling, there was also the opportunity to take part in conferences and case competitions.

Having spent a year in Canada, I have improved my interpersonal skills and gained valuable insights that I am eager to share with the rest of the Cass community.

For a list of our current partner institutions please visit the following link: http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/student-exchange-programme. 

Information for Conditional offer-holders

If you are holding a Conditional offer it’s very important that you read the offer text on UCAS Track to check exactly what is required of you and whether you need to send any previously obtained qualification documents to Cass. We often make offers where one of the conditions is to send proof of qualifications obtained by a set date.

What evidence do I need to provide?

You need to send a copy of the relevant final certificate or transcript. Please send clear copies as original certificates can not be returned. Statements of provisional results can only be accepted up to six months from the date of issue and, if it is more than six months since you received your results, we will need to see your certificate, which will show your final mark received from the awarding body. If for any reason you are not able to provide this information, please email admissions at: cassug@city.ac.uk.

Where should I send my results?

Please send a clear copy of your certificate (or transcript) to the Cass Admissions team, by post or email:

Cass Undergraduate Admissions

E302 Drysdale Building

City University London

Northampton Square

London

EC1V 0HB

Email cassug@city.ac.uk

Please include your UCAS Personal ID number in any correspondence. We will send you an email to confirm receipt of the documents.

If you have sent your results to Cass in the last few days you do not need to take any further action, and an acknowledgement email will be sent to you shortly.

Visit Days

As an offer-holder you are invited to attend a Visit Day at Cass. The Visit Days are always very popular, so make sure you book as soon as possible for one of our upcoming events on Wednesday 7 March and Wednesday 4 April.

Book your place on a Visit day.

Also, on March 5, 6 and 7 Cass students will be making phone calls to 2012 offer holders who wish to receive a call.

If you're interested in asking a current Cass student about life at Cass and in London, please email Emily.mancuso.1@city.ac.uk and we'll be in touch soon

Welcome to February’s Undergraduate newsletter

By now your UCAS application will be in and you’ll have received your offer from Cass – congratulations! Before you sit back and relax, it would be useful for you to spend this time researching your choice further and really imagine yourself living and studying here.

Our newsletter exclusively for offer holders, provides you with a glimpse of what you could be doing at Cass; from which society you could join and different study options for your course, to what Scholarships may be available. See who you could be joining with our interesting application statistics and read a first-hand experience from one of Cass’ students.

Don’t forget to register for the offer holder Visit Day and find out for yourself about life at Cass - details can be found below.

My Life at Cass

Written by Laura Reeves, BSc Business Studies

I have always been a competitive and forward-thinking person, who thrives under pressure. I knew I wanted to study business and there’s no better place for it than the heart of London. My choice was simple, I looked for the top business school in London and I found Cass Business School.

Since starting at Cass, I’ve felt immersed within the business industry. Opportunities are flashed before you constantly and it’s up to you to experience as much Cass as possible. Studying in the City and being taught by experienced professionals continually reminds me of what I want for my future and I am constantly motivated to keep working towards it.

Studying at Cass means independence and freedom. The work is definitely challenging and encourages you to develop a good work ethic immediately; so far I have significantly furthered my independent study and group-working skills. I study along-side a talented and diverse mix of students and I feel like I have met someone from every country on Earth! I believe this has really helped to enrich my knowledge, communicative skills and outlook.

The modules allow you to gain a comprehensive overview of the business micro and global, macro environment and with study lead by experts in the field, a contextual framework of thought is constantly emphasised. You will learn new theoretical concepts in real-life application, building on the empirical knowledge you will bring with you to Cass.

Even in the first year I have started to tailor my expertise towards my final and personal specialism. With a choice of electives offered throughout my Cass career, I believe this will develop strong and refined knowledge of my personal strengths, allowing me to define my own journey towards my future career.

Aside from studying, I discovered a pulsating hub of opportunity in and beyond Cass. Cass offers an expansive array of activities to be involved in; not only sporting and recreational clubs, but real opportunities to develop yourself as a future professional. Personally I have attended trading, entrepreneurial, investment and public speaking society events, as well as company specific conferences; where I have already had the opportunity to test my networking.

Living in London, you will never run out of activity and opportunity. The city is my campus and I will continue to explore and enjoy it throughout my career at Cass. In a city that never sleeps and a business school that offers a challenging, pressurised, yet supportive environment, I am confident that I am in exactly the right place.

Information for offer holders: Visit Days

As soon as you have been made an offer by Cass, you will be sent an invitation to attend a post-offer Visit Day. These specially devised events give you an opportunity to learn more about your chosen degree course(s) and life as a Cass student.

The Visit Day events consist of:

• Course Director presentations
• Campus tours with current Cass students
• Information stands for Admissions, Study Abroad, Professional Placements and the Course Office
• Opportunities to meet current students and alumni

You can bring a maximum of one guest with you, who should be a parent/guardian or other family member.

BSc Accounting & Finance student, Shazia Giny, previously attended a Visit Day at Cass:

Attending the Cass Visit Day allowed me to experience its typically friendly atmosphere and discover its wide range of learning facilities, enabling students to excel in their studies. Having seen what Cass had to offer, I felt a lot more confident in selecting it as my firm choice.

All offer-holders will receive an invitation to register at one of the Visit Days which are held in February, March and April. These events are always very popular, so make sure you book as soon as possible.

If you can't attend any of our Visit Days, we can arrange an appointment for you to visit at another time. University campus tours take place most Wednesday afternoons during the academic year and we suggest you combine your visit with a tour of the University. You can arrange this by contacting the Cass Undergraduate Admissions team at cassug@city.ac.uk.

A year out: Professional Placements

All Cass undergraduates have the option of combining their degree with a professional placement year. This is your chance to acquire professional skills, knowledge and experience, giving you a real edge in the global graduate job market when you complete your degree.

The professional placement takes place in the third year, making your degree a four year programme. It’s a fantastic opportunity to acquire the kind of practical skills and competencies that graduate employers are looking for. It can also give you a clear insight into your future career choice and increase your confidence, maturity and professionalism. It’s a chance to network with professionals and put into practice the theoretical knowledge you will have gained from your first two years at Cass. The placement experience can also help you explore ideas for your dissertation when you return to Cass for your final year. Our graduating placement students have excellent degree results and in 2010, 97% of placement students graduated with a 2:1 or above.

You will be paid a salary while you’re on placement, averaging around £26,000 for the financial sector and £18,000 for marketing or HR positions. Our recent placement year students have worked in a wide range of roles for organisations such as UBS, American Express, BNP Paribas, Morgan Stanley, Warner Bros, HSBC, Microsoft, Universal Pictures, Bank of England and Goldman Sachs.

You will be invited to apply for a placement during your second year of study and our Work Placement & Internships Coordinators can offer information and support, including assistance with CV and cover letter writing, completing online applications and providing one-to-one guidance.

We can also help with applying for summer internships, where you can gain 6-12 weeks work experience in an area relevant to your studies and career goals. Throughout the year we run events and careers fairs where you can talk to employers face-to-face about placement and internship opportunities.

Rajiv Shah, a BSc Investment and Financial Risk Management student, is currently undertaking a placement at Lloyds Banking Group, watch his video:

I am currently on placement at Lloyds Banking Group, working as a Credit Portfolio Analyst on the Strategy & Optimisation team in the Portfolio Management division. This is my opportunity to combine all the theoretical knowledge that I have learnt in my modules with the range of skills that I have developed at university and apply this all to real- life situations. I am thoroughly confident that this experience will heighten the prospects of finding employment after finishing university.

Did you know? Cass Facts

Cass is ranked 1st in London and 3rd in the UK for undergraduate programmes in business, management and finance (The Guardian University Guide 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011).

Cass Undergraduate Admissions processed a total number of 5126 applications for 2011 entry. 2551 offers were made and 581 students registered.

Applicants from 146 nationalities applied to Cass for 2011 entry. The highest number of applications came from the United Kingdom followed by China, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Germany.

In 2011 the most popular applicant boy’s name was Muhammad (39 applicants) followed by Alexander (26). The most popular applicant girl’s name was Anna (21) followed by Maria (19).

Studying at Cass places you in a 25,000-strong network of Alumni from all over the world and high profile Cass Alumni include Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Founder of EasyJet; Bob Kelly, CEO of Bank of New York Mellon; and Muhtar Kent, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. 

Clubs and Societies

There is a wide variety of clubs and societies on offer, covering everything from entrepreneurship to poker, and you will be eligible to join not only Cass societies but also those run by City University.

By joining one of our clubs or societies, you can acquire new skills and knowledge while meeting other students and professionals. If you are from overseas, you will also find clubs for people from your country.

Joining a club or society will provide you with a huge variety of opportunities from personal and professional development including:

• The chance to experience organising and running conferences
• A wider understanding of financial and organisational practices
• An opportunity to develop practical skills
• Networking events with alumni and professionals
• A wider knowledge base, away from the classroom
• The chance to meet students from across courses and departments
• Opportunities to self market - invaluable additions to your CV
• A better understanding of the 'soft' skills necessary in today's job market
• Closer links with the business world

In addition, many clubs encourage sport and leisure activities ensuring the Cass experience is both rewarding and fulfilling. Friends made at Cass socialising or playing sport can develop into networks and friendships for life.

See the full list of clubs and societies.

Rewarding excellence

Cass Business School is recognising the exceptional academic performance of its undergraduates with scholarships of £2,000 a year for students from the UK and EU.

A-level entry requirements at Cass are A*AA or above for BSc Accounting and Finance and BSc Actuarial Science and AAA or above for BSc courses in Banking and International Finance, Business Studies, Investment and Financial Risk Management, and Management (or equivalent).

Those from the UK and EU with these grades (or equivalent) will also be eligible for a Lord Mayor of London Scholarship of £2,000 a year for at least 3 years.

Richard Gillingwater CBE, Dean of Cass Business School, comments:

We believe that exceptional academic performance should be recognised and rewarded so we are very pleased to offer these scholarships. These Lord Mayor of London Scholarships will make it easier for the most able students, regardless of background or circumstance, to study at Cass.

For further information on the new scholarships click here.