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Trojan Finance Academy

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    Trojan Finance Academy

    The Trojan Finance Academy (TFA) is the USC Marshall Financial Services Career Hub’s signature program for sophomores pursuing a career in investment banking.

ABOUT THE TROJAN FINANCE ACADEMY

The Trojan Finance Academy (TFA) seeks to immerse USC’s highest-performing sophomores into financial services and prepare them to recruit for junior year investment banking internships. TFA students have a strong track record of securing roles across mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and client-facing industry or coverage groups within leading investment banks. Through TFA, students gain the skills, knowledge, and connections necessary to thrive in the highly competitive investment banking recruitment process. While students are not required to have any experience in the financial services industry to apply, they should demonstrate a passion for finance. Students are admitted during the fall semester of their sophomore year and benefit from a robust series of professional development opportunities, including:

  • Targeted curriculum training for behavioral and technical interviews, including partnerships with Training the Street and Wall Street Prep
  • Peer mentorship from upperclassmen who have successfully navigated the recruiting process 
  • Participation in investment banking treks to Los Angeles, New York, and/or San Francisco 
  • Networking at alumni mixers with professionals across the financial services industry 
  • Inclusion in curated resume books shared with employers
  • Access to exclusive employer info sessions and industry events

The 2024-2025 TFA Program Featured the Following Guest Speakers

YOUR PATH TO A NEW CAREER IN FINANCE

  • Freshman Year

     - Engage with Finance and Accounting student organizations

     - Classes: BUAD 280, BUAD 308

  • Sophomore Fall

     - Apply to and join TFA

     - Networking + Interview Prep

     - TFA IB treks to LA, SF, NY

     - Classes: FBE 421

  • Sophomore Spring

     - Consider lighter coarse load

     - Recruitment for Junior/Senior summer analyst positions

     - Classes: FBE 421

  • Junior/Senior Year

     - Buy Side Programming such as VC/PE Networking

     - Serve as TFA Mentors and Advisors

     - Consider applying to USIF, MSF PDP


FAQ

Who can apply?

Sophomores in their fall semester, assuming students are spending four years at USC.

What makes a competitive applicant?

Admission to the TFA is based on the student’s application, a cumulative GPA of at least 3.60, demonstrated technical skills, and behavioral competencies, all of which will be evaluated during the application and interview process. The 2024-2025 TFA cohort’s cumulative GPA average is 3.9.

When are applications due?

Applications for the TFA program will open in September and interviews will occur in September/October timeframe.

When are admission decisions released?

Decisions will be released in October.

AFTER GRADUATION

  • First-year analysts typically earn a base salary of $100,000 to $125,000, with total compensation – including performance-based bonuses – ranging from $160,000 to $250,000.
  • Those who continue in investment banking frequently transition from analyst to associate.
  • Alumni who transition out of investment banking after two to three years typically go on to buyside roles and corporate development.

Placement

Los Angeles

Ares Management
B. Riley Securities (fka FocalPoint Partners)
Bank of America
Barclays
Cantor Fitzgerald
Citi
Credit Suisse
Ducera Partners
Goldman Sachs
Greif & Co.
Houlihan Lokey
Intrepid Financial Partners
J.P. Morgan
Lazard
Lincoln International
Macquarie
Moelis
Morgan Stanley
MUFG
Perella Weinberg Partners
RBC Capital Markets
Rothschild
Santander
Touchdown Ventures
UBS
Wells Fargo

Los Angeles Skyline

San Francisco/Menlo Park

Bank of America
Barclays
Centerview Partners
Citi
Credit Suisse
Deutsche Bank
Eastdil
Evercore
Goldman Sachs
J.P. Morgan
Jefferies
Lazard
LionTree
Mizuho
Moelis
Morgan Stanley
Nomura
Perella Weinberg Partners
Piper Sandler
PJT Partners
Qatalyst Partners
RBC Capital Markets
Rothschild
Tidal Partners
Truist
UBS
Wells Fargo
William Blair

San Francisco Skyline

New York

Apax Partners
Ares Management
Bank of America
Barclays
Blackstone
Campbell Lutyens
Centerview Partners
Citi
Cowen
Credit Suisse
D.E. Shaw & Co
Decisive Point
Deutsche Bank
Evercore
Goldman Sachs
Greenhill Partners
Guggenheim
Houlihan Lokey
HSBC
J.P. Morgan
Jefferies
Kroll
Lazard
Lincoln International
LionTree
Macquarie
Moelis
Morgan Stanley
Nomura
Perella Weinberg Partners
Piper Sandler
PJT Partners
Point72
RBC Capital Markets
Rothschild
Santander 
Scotiabank
Solomon Partners
Stifel
Stout
TD Securities
The Raine Group
Truist
UBS
Wells Fargo

New York Skyline

Boston

Bain Capital
Charlesbank Capital Partners
Kroll
Morgan Stanley

Boston Skyline

Chicago

Guggenheim
Heitman
J.P. Morgan
Livingstone Partners
Vista Equity Partners
William Blair

Chicago Skyline

Houston

Evercore
Houlihan Lokey
Intrepid Financial Partners
J.P. Morgan
Piper Sandler

Houston Skyiine

Hong Kong

Deutsche Bank
Goldman Sachs
J.P. Morgan
Morgan Stanley

Hong Kong Skyline