Career and Professional Development

Ensuring that MFI (Master of Financial Insurance) students are well prepared to successfully transition from university to the professional world is a cornerstone of the MFI program. A full schedule of professional development training both as a group and 1:1 support is embedded within the program. There are many opportunities to hone these skills throughout the program and interact with professionals from a wide range of organizations within the industry. This exceptional support continues throughout the program and beyond graduation!

Here is some of the support provided by the MFI Program to build professional skills:

• Professional Development Series
• Application Documents (Resume & Cover Letter)
• Practice Your Interview
• Culture, Connections, & Communication in the Workplace
• LinkedIn & using social media
• Networking 101

MFI Mentorship Program

The MFI Program has established the MFI Mentorship to provide a semi-formal platform to facilitate the social connection between the current MFI students (Mentees) with MFI Alumni (Mentors).
The aim of this program is to further engage our alumni who have completed the program and embarked on careers in finance, insurance, and/or fintech industries by sharing their skills, knowledge, expertise, and experiences of completing the MFI Program and starting out in the professional world.

Learn about our MFI Alumni!

Guest Lectures

As part of the MFI curriculum industry leaders are frequently invited into the classroom throughout the term to deliver guest lectures on various topics of interest. This is an invaluable part of the curriculum where MFI students learn about trends in the industry.

Check out this sample of interesting talk titles from partners who have participated in the program to date.

In addition to the formal guest seminars industry professionals frequently donate their time and expertise through:

• Mock interviews
• Panel discussions
• Networking events
• Field trips
• Coffee chats

MFI Fall Reception

During the fall term, the MFI Program hosts an annual reception to launch the new student profile book, introduce the new cohort and celebrate the graduating students. This event is attended by representatives from the finance and insurance industry, MFI students and alumni, and UofT Faculty. This provides a valuable opportunity to network with top professionals and researchers in the field.

“On October 30, partners, friends, faculty, industry instructors, students and alumni all gathered at the historical venue of The Design Exchange to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the Master of Financial Insurance (MFI) program and to launch the “hot off the press” Student Portfolio Book!

We also celebrated our newest inductees of the MFI Alumni Family, our 2025 graduates and the achievements of the 2025 MFI Award Recipients, Yi Chen, Sabrina Ameyaw, Nicholas Adegbe and David Agbeko. Congratulations!

A warm thank you to everyone involved – your support is essential to our success and a special shout out to our keynote speaker Jingyu Bao, who kindly spoke about his experience in the MFI Program!”

Photos

ASNA Convention

The MFI Program is a proud sponsor of the annual ASNA Convention, the largest gathering of actuarial students in North America. This year, 15 MFI students participated, and the MFI Team also delivered a seminar on graduate school and the program to prospective candidates.

ASNA slides from presentation.

Internship

The internship component of the Master of Financial Insurance (MFI) program is an essential and keyaspect of the program.

Students are required to complete an internship during the summer semester beginning in May 1 andending Aug 31 (16-weeks minimum). The internship provides a strong experiential learning component and students must complete a detailed report, and deliver a presentation of their findings.

The successful acquisition of an internship depends on a students’ willingness to participate fully inthe professional development activities during the job search process. As a result, the MFI Program cannot guarantee a placement, however, while students are responsible for securing a summer placement, the Program provides extensive support with the MFI Career and Internship Outreach Administrator working directly with each student individually assisting in their job search, creatingstrong application documents, improving interview skills, and considering career options.

To achieve this, the MFI Program:

• creates the Portfolio of Talent Profile Book to share with prospective employers to market MFI students
• distributes suitable and exclusive postings to the cohort
• offers career and professional development workshops, seminars, and industry panels
• expands networking opportunities through alumni engagement and Mentorship
• provides 1:1 career advising with a dedicated MFI Career and Internship Outreach Administrator easily accessible
• facilitates mock interviews and interview coaching to strengthen employability

In the event that a student wishes to complete a research project in place of the internship, they must contact the program Director to discuss this route.

Based on our experience with industrial internships in other professional programs at the University of Toronto, as well as the high caliber of skills that students admitted to program will possess, we anticipate that all MFI students who wish to be placed in an industrial internship will be successful.

All students will need to meet the internship requirements in order to graduate from the MFI Program as (STA2560Y) is a mandatory formal course in the curriculum. This can be fulfilled through a formal work-term OR a faculty research project, provided that students complete the mandatory components (See internship Requirements for more details).

Students are not restricted to positions advertised by the MFI Program, and they may apply to any role or organization that meets their interest; however, the position must be approved by the Program Office before accepting.  

Internship Requirements

The internship (STA2560Y) is a mandatory formal course with the following requirements:

• Successful completion of the work-term: minimum 16-week full-time.
• Participation in all professional development workshops and seminars on career-related topics.
• Submission of report.
• Presentation to classmates, faculty, supervisors, and the incoming cohort of students.

Sample Career Titles of MFI Students and Graduates:

Industry Partners Include: