2nd BSc while at McKinsey

Question

Hi all,

I will be joining McKinsey full time end of next year. My undergrad is in economics (gpa: 3.8).

So after consulting work (6-7 years) I have a goal of getting a PHD in educational psychology/human development and moving into research later on. I need a background in psychology and a bit higher gpa to enter this field.

Therefore, was planning on taking on a 2nd bachelors in psychology part time while working (after about 2 years into McK).

What would you advise pls?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offer! In terms of your question:

Q: Was planning on taking on a 2nd bachelors in psychology part time while working (after about 2 years into McK). What would you advise pls?

In general, consulting is a very demanding job and does not allow for other activities in parallel. If you really want to enroll in an additional degree, I would recommend taking a leave and doing it full-time.

On the other hand, if your long-term goal is a PhD, I am not sure that working in consulting for 6-7 years is the best path for it. If you are sure that’s what you want to do eventually and believe you need an extra degree to land it, I would consider enrolling in one now (possibly a master instead of a bachelor) and going directly for that path without waiting for so many years.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 2

Hi there,

Impossible and not feasible.

You will work around 60+ hours on average, some weeks more.
You will travel Monday to Thursday for local projects and 2-3 weeks at a time for projects further away from home.
Your schedule is driven by deliverables and client meetings

As a result, you don't have the time to attend classes and study nor make any exam dates because you are simply not there.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 3

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offer from McKinsey!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

First of all, I would advise you to thoroughly evaluate your capacity to manage both working in consulting and part-time studies.
Moreover, I wonder why you want to work in consulting if your mid- to long-term goal is in a completely different field. Therefore, I would advise you to re-evaluate your path into science and psychology via consulting.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 4

Wow, I wonder if this works.

Knowing the lifestyle in McKinsey, I sort of doubt it. I've also never heard of anybody doing anything like this.

The good thing is that the McK brand can help you secure a PhD program, but typically for more ‘management’ related topics.

My recommendation would be to have a chat with somebody who could be a potential PhD supervisor at your target university, discuss with them the track that you have in mind and get some feedback as to what they think would be best.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 5

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