MS in Finance FAQs

For admissions and deadlines information, visit the MS in Finance Admissions page.

The School of Management uses a test-optional admissions process for our Master of Science programs. You have the option to submit GMAT or GRE scores in support of your application, but are not required to do so. 

All international applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting official test scores from one of the approved tests. Unofficial score reports may be uploaded, as the Office of Admissions has the ability to verify scores.

• IBT TOEFL - The admissions committee prefers a minimum IBT target of 95
• DET – The university minimum for the DET exam is 120
• IELTS - The university minimum for the IELTS exam is an overall score of 6.5
• PTE - The university minimum for the PTE is 55

Score reports must be valid at the time of planned enrollment. Score reports expire two years from the test date. Learn more about English language proficiency requirements.

We offer many ways for you to learn more and experience our MS programs:

•  Chat with one of our Dean's Student Ambassadors
• Participate in on-campus and virtual information sessions, webinars and class visits
• Attend off-campus events including graduate fairs, MBA/MS fairs and tours, and community and professional organization events
• Schedule a 1:1 appointment to meet with an admissions advisor
• Watch information sessions and discussions with students, alumni and faculty via our on-demand digital library
• Engage with us on our social media channels
• Read our MBA/MS Ambassadors blog

Can I defer my admission?

You are eligible to defer an admission offer for up to one calendar year from original admit term. You may only request to defer once. To request a deferral after admission to a program, please submit a request for a deferral on the intent form or email the Office of Enrollment at som-apps@buffalo.edu.

You may request a deferral prior to paying your tuition deposit. If you request a deferral after paying your tuition deposit, the deposit will defer along with your admission. You must request a deferral prior to the start date of classes of your original admit term.

The following exceptions apply:

• Students who receive an auto-admit offer for a specific term may not defer.
• 3/2 BS/MBA and 4+1 BS/MS applicants may not defer.
• PhD admits are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the department.

Visit the UB Student Accounts page for current tuition information.

The first payment due is your $500 tuition deposit. Your tuition will be due according to the University’s schedule. Note: Tuition and fees cannot be paid in cash.

A.  Students must request, in writing, a deposit refund by the following dates:

• Fall: Refund requests for deposits made for the fall semester must be received by May 1 or 30 days after the offer of admissions, whichever is later.*
• Spring: Refund requests for deposits made for the spring semester must be received by November 1 or 30 days after the offer of admissions, whichever is later.*
• Summer: Refund requests for deposits made for the summer semester must be received by April 1 or 30 days after the offer of admissions, whichever is later.*

* There are no refunds of the tuition deposit after the first day of classes. 

Refund requests made after the dates noted above will not be considered.

There are multiple ways to fund your degree. New York State residents may be eligible for New York State financial aid. All domestic students may be eligible for some form of educational loans. No direct School of Management aid is available for the MS programs. Students can apply for student loans by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

We encourage candidates to explore all scholarship and financing opportunities available to them in their home country or country of residence.

Students may apply for assistantships and on-campus employment just prior to enrollment or when they arrive on campus. Admitted and confirmed students can search assistantship and on-campus employment postings on Bullseye powered by Handshake.

There are several on-campus and off-campus housing options available. Visit UB’s Campus Living page or search off-campus housing options. You may wish to contact Dean’s Ambassador regarding their experience.

A detailed curriculum planner can be found on the MS in Finance Your Program page.

Specific requirements can be found on MS in Finance Admissions page.

The program faculty director will review requests for transfer credits on a case-by-case basis. Per the UB Graduate School policy, up to 20% of a program’s required credits can be considered for transfer credits. To be considered for transfer credit, a graduate course must have a full ‘B’ grade or better completed at an equivalent AACSB-accredited institution within the last 10 years. View this and additional policies in the Graduate Program Handbook.

This depends on your residency/visa status and program requirements. Due to U.S. immigration regulations, internships are available to international students who are in a program that requires them as part of the curriculum. International students may elect to complete Optional Practical Training (OPT) following completion of their degree.

Our MS in Business Analytics, MS in Finance, MS in Management Information Systems and Master of Business Administration programs are STEM-eligible, which provides international student F-1 visa holders additional time for Optional Practical Training (OPT).

For information on the foreign student policies for studying in the U.S., visit the Department of Homeland Security Study in the States website. For additional information, visit University at Buffalo International Student Services website.

If you are a prospective applicant, you can view and register for information sessions via our recruitment events calendar. You can also schedule a 1:1 appointment to meet with an admissions advisor. If you are an admitted student, your academic advisor will reach out to you prior to the start of your first semester of graduate enrollment.

Some MS faculty will provide recommended reading, podcasts or videos prior to the start of classes. They are not required, they are just for fun and to help prepare you for your program.  

Our  36-credit program is typically completed in three semesters. Some students extend to a fourth semester, and UB undergraduates may be able to complete the program in two semesters. Opt for a fall or spring start in our flexible MS in Finance program. 

For course load information, reference the curricular planner found for each track on the Your Program page. 

Study time outside the classroom varies greatly from student to student and fluctuates throughout the semester based on assignments and exams. You should expect to invest a minimum of 20 hours per week studying.

Refer to the UB academic calendar for up-to-date start dates. We also note the first date of classes in program acceptance letters. You will want to pay close attention to pre-enrollment communications you receive from the admissions and advising teams for arrival and orientation dates.

Yes. Faculty members will advise on the first day of class via the course syllabus if you need text books or course material packs. Typically course material packs are downloadable for either a fee or free. If you are assigned a text book, they will be available in the University Bookstore, which maintains book lists, or you can find the text book through various publicly available online sources. 

UB faculty employ theoretical, case study, applied and practical teaching methods throughout the curriculum. The individual professor chooses the teaching method used in his or her class, and most courses will combine these methods. Students are expected to participate and contribute to class and team discussions.

Faculty members are here to support you. It's up to you to contact them to make an appointment to discuss a particular issue. In addition, most faculty members use email regularly and will happily answer quick questions.

There are many opportunities for student engagement. Our student organizations offer many extracurricular activities throughout the year. There are university-wide and school-wide organizations.

Yes, our alumni remain engaged with the school and love to connect with students. There are many events and opportunities to engage with alumni virtually and in person. Learn more about our alumni success.

UB expects every incoming master's student to have access to a personal computer beyond those provided in the university’s public computing sites. Most students have laptops. All School of Management classrooms provide wireless computer access. Faculty may assign computer-intensive work and design computer-intensive courses that will engage every entering student, on or off campus. As an entering student, you are expected to possess or develop computer skills in the following areas: word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, internet research and email. If you do not already have these skills, there are many campus resources available to help develop them. Learn more about software and services UB provides.

No, none of our MS programs require work experience to apply. However, work experience is beneficial.

Work experience is defined as professional employment after completing a bachelor's degree. While co-op, internship and part-time work experience is valuable to your application and in the classroom, AACSB reporting standards require us to report post-bachelor's work experience.

Yes, we believe military experience is valuable and encourage military personnel to apply to our programs, as they have proven leadership and interpersonal skills. Employers also value military experience.

The School of Management’s Career Resource Center and Office of Internships and Experiential Learning work together to develop internship and employment opportunities for our graduate students. Students can post their resumes and search internship and full-time job postings on the online BizLink recruiting system. They continue to grow the list of companies that recruit at UB and offer a variety of career preparation resources. UB MS students also have access to university’s central Career Design Center.

Companies, organizations and government agencies recruiting our graduates can be found on the MS in Finance Where Our Graduates Work page.