Master's in finance grad Maggie Thurston gained strong connections and career skills at ASU

Maggie Thurston (MS Finance '22) finished her undergraduate degree during the pandemic and craved more of the traditional college experience. As an Arizona native, Thurston was familiar with the strong reputation of ASU and the W. P. Carey School of Business, and decided to continue her education with a master's degree in finance.

Maggie Thurston (MS Finance '22) finished her undergraduate degree during the pandemic and craved more of the traditional college experience. "I felt like I missed out on collaboration with professors and my peers and wanted to go somewhere where this communication would be encouraged," she says. "At W. P. Carey, I created friendships that I will cherish for life."

As an Arizona native, Thurston was familiar with the strong reputation of ASU and the W. P. Carey School of Business, and decided to continue her education with a master's degree in finance. In the program, she formed strong connections and gained high-impact skills and knowledge to launch her career in hedge fund services.

Why W. P. Carey?

Thurston's undergraduate degree had an emphasis in finance — a topic she wanted to explore further with her master's degree. The MS-FIN at W. P. Carey provided an extremely detailed look into the industry that helped her prepare for her future.

"The curriculum made learning much more exciting because it was applicable to my career goals," she says. "I also gained invaluable experience working in a team. I felt like the teamwork imitated that of the corporate world very well."

W. P. Carey makes business personal for all of its students, and the MS-FIN, with its small class sizes and team-based learning, is no exception. The highly accomplished Department of Finance faculty is readily available to assist students and help them achieve success.

"The faculty and classmate connections really mimicked those of the professional world," Thurston says. "I felt like there was mutual respect between the faculty and students. There was a culture of wanting to help one another be successful and it really did feel like a team."

For future students considering a master's in finance, Thurston recommends diving in and discovering what's possible at ASU. "If you are serious about learning the ins and outs of the industry, you should do it," she says. "The program covers a wide variety of topics while still being able to get into the nitty gritty details."

Why finance?

After graduating from W. P. Carey, Thurston began her finance career at the financial services company Northern Trust in Arizona, first as a senior analyst and now as a consultant on the Investor Accounting team. "My main job focus is preparing income allocations, fee calculations, and capital activity for hedge funds and private equity funds," she says.

One of Thurston's favorite things about her position, and the industry as a whole, is its fast-paced and ever-evolving nature. "What inspires me most about the work I do is that it is always changing," she says. "Accounting concepts and models are always trying to accomplish different goals, presenting new challenges and learning opportunities."

In her current role, Thurston draws on concepts, ideas, and skills from the MS-FIN program to assist with daily activities. She pointed out the corporate finance course and its Excel work as particularly useful.

What's next?

As part of ASU, a leader in innovation, the W. P. Carey School is always looking at new concepts and technologies and ways to integrate them into relevant programs. The MS-FIN curriculum features classes in machine learning, and Thurston found this especially interesting and useful for the future of finance.

"I never thought that coding would be applicable to my interests, and I didn't know how interrelated coding and finance are," she says. "The machine learning courses are a valuable part of the program at W. P. Carey."

Thurston continues to stay engaged with W. P. Carey since her graduation, from attending networking events to ASU football games. She's also taken part in recruiting events with her employer, hoping to help current students achieve their career goals, especially encouraging more women to join finance.

"One thing I would love to see in finance is to continue having more women in leadership," she says. "Being a historically male-dominant industry, I think representation of women is important for the progression of the industry."