Investment Banking Immersion for MBAs

Invested in Your Career Success

Investment banking is a challenging, rewarding, and lucrative career, and the employment landscape is highly competitive.

At the Johnson School, we surround students with a system of resources curated to help them succeed in recruiting and throughout their careers. The investment banking immersion at the Johnson School—part of our full-time MBA program—delivers the academic and practical expertise and experience you need to become a top banker in the industry.

Program Overview: What Is an Investment Banking Immersion (IBI)?

The investment banking immersion—a semester-long deep dive into the industry—builds upon the other strengths of our acclaimed Two-Year MBA program. Throughout the semester, you’ll learn from leading faculty members; work on live equity, fixed income, leveraged buy-outs, and mergers and acquisitions; be coached by top investment bankers; and practice pitching and positioning deals to public and private equity investors and corporate CEOs.

Investment Banking Curriculum: What You Will Learn

The investment banking immersion consists of a carefully curated package of theory-based classes taught by award-winning academic faculty who are leaders in their research fields. The Investment Banking Immersion Practicum—the signature course within the IBI—serves as the connective tissue between established and cutting-edge academic theory and the real-world investment banking environment.

For instance: Learning how to value a company is important; learning how to apply standard valuation techniques in the context of a live capital raising or preparing for a merger or acquisition deal is a key program differentiator that helps ensure Johnson School MBAs are the most-prepared students.

Cultivate and Strengthen Your Skills

Why investment banking for your MBA immersion? This in-depth program will build the specialized skills and knowledge you need to enter or advance in this lucrative finance field.

Strategic Advising

Develop the analytical and interpersonal skills required to help marquee clients make decisions that lead to growth in value.

Capital Formation Advising

Build and leverage your expertise in capital markets and capital structure to help clients fund their businesses.

Merger and Acquisition Advising

Learn how to deploy your entire MBA skill set to help clients execute the most complex of all corporate activities—mergers and acquisitions.

Career Outcomes: Investment Banking Success

Our students secure coveted MBA investment banking internships at prestigious banks and financial firms, ultimately paving the way for successful careers at the top names in the industry.

EXPLORE TWO-YEAR MBA EMPLOYMENT REPORT

Immersion Highlights: Standing Out in the Field

We’re proud of our program and its people. The investment banking immersion continues to stand out in the business community.

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No. 3 for Placement

Poets & Quants ranked Cornell Johnson’s investment banking immersion one of the top for career placement.

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Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management

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Biography for Lenna Ohanesian

“The immersion is helping me develop a point of view on different deals and creating a narrative around if a deal makes sense or not. As a banker, you are a storyteller. With each case that we take on in the immersion, I continuously improve on developing a story around the rationale of a deal. I believe you ultimately develop a point of view by working on these kinds of deals, so the experience the immersion gives us is what really sets Johnson [School] students apart when they show up for their internships.” —Lenna Ohanesian MBA ’24

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Continuing Your Specialized Learning: Opportunities across the College

With the investment banking immersion, you’ll get a semester dedicated to in-depth learning. But throughout your two years in the MBA program, you’ll have other ways to boost your banking acumen.

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Areas of Focus: Choosing a Specialty

During your second year in the MBA program, you’ll have the option to choose an area of focus, including investment banking, asset management/investment research, or private equity and venture capital. Through nine elective credits, you’ll continue to build specialized knowledge and set yourself up for career success

Explore Focus Areas

Clubs and Organizations: Getting Involved

The Johnson School Two-Year MBA is full of extracurricular opportunities, including organizations that will allow you to grow your investment banking skills—and your professional network.

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Old Ezra Finance Club

Make connections as part of the oldest and largest network for banking professionals on campus, named for the founder of Cornell University.

VIEW OLD EZRA FINANCE CLUB

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Johnson Private Equity & Credit Club

Explore specialized aspects of the field such as hedge funds, impact investing, and venture capital.

EXPLORE JPEC

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Investment Management Club

Find training opportunities and recruitment assistance as you prepare for careers in investment management and financial research.

MORE ABOUT IMC

Next Steps: Applying to the Johnson School

If you’re interested in leveraging all the Johnson School has to offer as you pursue a career in investment banking, we encourage you to apply to our two-year MBA program today.

Apply Now