Finance seemed out of reach. Villanova’s MSF changed that.
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By Luca Romano, MSF ’26
Engineering isn’t the most obvious path to finance, but looking back, it was exactly the right one for me.
When I graduated from the University of Calgary with a mechanical engineering degree, I felt drawn to finance, but I had no idea how to approach it. Sitting across from investment banking recruiters as an undergrad, I didn’t have the context or language for those conversations. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I remember finishing those interviews feeling pretty shell-shocked, but it didn’t deter me. If anything, I felt more determined to find my way into finance.
Why I chose a Villanova MSF over an MBA
Growing up in Calgary means growing up around the energy industry. After finishing my engineering degree, I spent about three or four years working in energy: first as a production engineer, then in a technical sales role. I knew I liked problem-solving as well as the technical side of energy. By nature, I like understanding how things work from the inside out: not just the how but the why behind it. That instinct drove me through engineering. It's also what pushed me toward finance. Over and over, I kept coming back to one question: What if I could take everything I know about this industry and apply it to finance?
I knew I wanted to move in that direction, but the question was how. I completed the CFA Levels 1 and 2, partly out of curiosity, partly to see if I could pass. But self-study only takes you so far. I knew I needed and wanted a formal education in finance.
I looked at schools across Canada and a couple in the States. I was looking for more than just a credential. I wanted something rigorous enough to learn how finance worked from the inside out. An MBA felt too broad, but an MSF seemed to offer the technical proficiency I wanted.
What tipped me toward Villanova was how much it offers in one place. Other programs had a strong network, a student investment fund, or favorable career outcomes. Villanova had all of it and more: an uncommon mentorship program, the research opportunities, the Haley Large Cap Equity Fund, and professional development catered to our goals and interests. I did my research online and also spoke with admissions and those those who had been through the program. The more alumni and students I spoke with, the clearer the answer became.
Finance, learned the hard (and best) way
People often say you can learn theory from a textbook but putting it to work is what matters. I would add that it should happen among your peers who push you to be your best. That’s what the program’s Investment Banking course did for me.
In that class, we were broken into sector groups and assigned to analyze an M&A deal from start to finish, covering the deal rationale, the valuation, and the structure. I had never done anything like that in preparation for the CFA exams. It was completely new territory, and Professor Meg Luo had a way of keeping us engaged, making the hefty technical analysis feel accessible. By the end of the course, I understood what M&A looked like from the inside.
I ultimately decided that corporate finance and investment banking weren’t for me. After talking to enough people in the field, I knew there wasn’t a fit. But the fact that I could go through those interviews and hold my own was something I could do eleven months earlier.
How I found success in the Villanova MSF
If someone asks me what kind of person succeeds in this program, I’d say two things: curious and opportunistic.
There’s no shortage of resources in Villanova’s Master of Science in Finance. As I referenced earlier, there are research fellowships, career fairs, CFA events, the alumni network, a mentorship program and especially the career services team. They push to put yourself out there, even those who describe themselves as introverted as I do.
With so much at my disposal at Villanova, my curiosity kicked into high gear; I wanted to explore everything. But I quickly learned that I needed to focus my time and my energies on what I found truly compelling and worthwhile to get what I wanted out of the program. For me, that became the CFA Research Challenge.
Sponsored by the CFA Institute, the CFA Research Challenge is an annual global competition meant to simulate the real-world experience of working in equity research. Students work together on teams to produce the best equity analysis of a particular company and then defend their position to a panel of CFA investment professionals. The competition offered every bit of the professional experience and exposure I wanted, but I needed to find my way onto a team.
This is where it helps to be a little opportunistic. Because I had gotten to know my cohort early on, I quickly found those who had similar goals and who might want to pursue the CFA Research Challenge. By October, five of us formed a team and between then and April, we worked together to produce a full equity research analysis and presentation on the assigned company. We competed against 20 teams in Philadelphia and successfully defended our findings to take first place in the city.
What I remember most isn’t the win. It was the dinner afterward with the judges who were all CFAs and working investment professionals. At that table, I realized I could talk to them as something closer to a peer than a student. It was a far different experience than that initial investment banking interview in college. Coming out of the Villanova MSF program, I knew I’d opened a door to a conversation I might not otherwise been prepared to have.
Two paths, one career
Upon graduating, I started a trading role in the energy sector. To some, that might sound like two separate chapters in my life, but for me, it’s the start of a new story.
The energy industry gave me something the MSF couldn’t: years of real-world experience and the ability to talk about the sector with people who work in it. The MSF gave me something the energy industry couldn’t: the financial vocabulary, the analytical tools, and the professional network to take that knowledge somewhere new.
I came to Villanova with a question I couldn’t quite answer on my own. What I found was a program that gave me the formal grounding, the hands-on experience, and the professional confidence to answer it.
Eleven months in the Villanova MSF program went by quickly, but it set the foundation for an enduring career.
Luca Romano is a 2026 graduate of the Villanova School of Business Master of Science in Finance program. He holds a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Villanova MSF program
Is the Villanova MSF program suitable for students without a finance background?
Yes. The program actively welcomes students from non-finance backgrounds, including engineering, sciences, and other quantitative fields. The curriculum is designed to build financial knowledge from a rigorous foundation, and students with analytical backgrounds often find their prior training is an asset in quantitative coursework and recruiting.
How does the Villanova MSF compare to an MBA for career changers?
The MSF is a specialized, 11-month program focused exclusively on finance, making it a more direct pathway for candidates who want to enter financial services without the broader scope and longer timeline of an MBA. It is particularly well-suited to students with 0–5 years of experience [MA1.1]who want concentrated finance training.
What types of careers do Villanova MSF graduates pursue?
Graduates pursue roles across financial services including investment management and research, banking and capital markets, corporate finance, alternative investments, risk compliance and consulting, fintech, and data analytics. The program’s proximity to Philadelphia and New York, combined with a strong alumni network and active career development support, gives students access to a wide range of employers in major financial markets.
What does the Villanova MSF mentorship program offer?
Each MSF student is paired with a Villanova finance alum through a formal mentorship program. Mentors provide career guidance, industry introductions, and support throughout the job search process. Students also benefit from structured networking events with alumni and access to CFA Society of Philadelphia programming.
How competitive is the Villanova MSF program academically?
The program is intensive and fast-paced — 11 months of rigorous coursework covering investments, financial modeling, corporate finance, and applied portfolio management, among other areas. Students describe the pace as demanding but manageable, and consistently cite the close-knit cohort and accessible faculty as factors that make the academic intensity sustainable.