Career26 Academy
A free but highly selective finance training programme for the ambitious university students.
Designed with industry experts. Endorsed by CISI.
How it works
Career26 Academy helps students stand out by learning industry skills and demonstrating them through real desk-style projects.
Admission is competitive to ensure a high-quality training cohort.
There are no course fees.
Apply
Apply once for the upcoming term
Preferences
Rank your course preferences for the term
Placement
Placement into one 100-student cohort
Not admitted this term? You're welcome to re-apply next term.
CISI endorsed
The Career26 Academy is endorsed by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI).
How you progress
After training, you will complete a real desk project and a short interview based on your work
Training
Learn the fundamentals from the guided training
Project & Feedback
Complete a desk-style project and receive structured feedback
Fellowship
Fellowship is awarded for strong performance. All graduates receive CISI certificates.
Who's it for
The Career26 Academy is for university students who are passionate about finance and want to break into the industry.
Ideal candidate
- Current university students (undergraduate or masters)
- Able to commit ~2hr weekly for live sessions and revision
- Motivated to build practical, desk-ready skills
- Targeting competitive finance roles
- No prior finance experience required. Offer holders welcome.
What it isn't
- A casual or drop-in course
- A certificate-only programme
- A guaranteed job placement scheme
Career26 Fellows
An earned recognition for strong performance from Career26 Academy's projects and interviews.
Career26 Fellows have been 3× more likely to secure roles, based on Academy outcomes.
Direct referrals to partner employers
Exclusive access to masterclasses
Priority access to career26 events
“Being part of Career26 was an incredibly rewarding experience, offering a strong community of like-minded individuals alongside a wide range of resources and opportunities to build skills and gain deeper exposure to finance.”
Kishan Patel
Nomura - Global Markets Summer Analyst
UCL, Economics Student
“I loved all the lessons in Career26 Academy. I thought the delivery by all the lecturers and everyone involved was outstanding - better than lecturers at university by far. It has proved so useful in interviews and hirevues. The AM Fundamentals course, the IBD Accelerator and the feedback throughout genuinely such made a huge difference. I truly don’t think I’d be in this position without Career26.”
Rahul Patel
Rothschild - Equity Sales Analyst
Imperial College, Engineering Graduate
“The Career26 Asset Management course really helped me explore my interests further. It is thoughtfully designed to be both informative and engaging, and it was a great space for me to connect with people with shared interests. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and found it so valuable.”
Litong Zhong
Bank of America - GCIB Credit Analyst Graduate
LSE, Politics & Data Gradate
“I got interested in finance and got where I am today because of Career26 - the summit, the academy and the community. The Asset Management course offered me vast insights into portfolio construction and theoretical foundation. It really gave me great confidence before I started the summer intern and I met the best peers from the cohort!”
Raluca Rusu
Barclays - Sales and Trading Graduate
UCL, PPE Student
“The Career26 Asset Management course was incredibly valuable in starting the process of building my technical understanding for interviews. The frameworks and market insights allowed me to curate into stronger answers in M&A interviews. Coming from a semi-target university, it was something that gave me a massive boost in confidence going into the process, making a real difference to my process.”
Kitty Farrell
Rothschild - Investment Banking Summer Analyst
University of Birmingham, Finance Student
