Master of Science Frequently Asked Questions

For admissions and deadlines information, visit the application page for your program of interest:

• MS in Accounting
• MS in Business Analytics
• MS in Finance
• MS in Management Information Systems

The MS in Accounting program specifically requires the GMAT. We will accept either the GMAT or GRE for the MS in Business Analytics, MS in Finance or MS in Management Information Systems programs. Score reports must be valid at time of planned enrollment. Score reports expire five years from the test date. Applications are viewed holistically. While the admissions committees do not have absolute minimums for admission, it is unlikely that prospective students with a score below the 30th percentile on any section of the GMAT or a score of less than 152 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE will be admitted.

A GMAT/GRE waiver will be considered if candidates meet certain work and academic experience thresholds. In order for a waiver to be considered, candidates must first complete an application, pay the application fee and upload all required admissions materials. View detailed MS GMAT/GRE waiver criteria.  

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 time of planned enrollment. Score reports expire two years from the test date. Please 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 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

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.

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

• October 1 previous to the spring semester of admittance term
• January 1 previous to the summer semester of admittance term
• April 1 previous to the fall semester of admittance term

 Refund requests made after these dates will not be honored.

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 for each program can be found on the individual program webpage:

• MS in Accounting
• MS in Business Analytics
• MS in Finance
• MS in Management Information Systems

Each MS program has specific requirements, so you should review each program in detail.

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 and MS in Management Information Systems program 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.  

The MS Accounting program is two semesters. The MS in Business Analytics, MS in Finance and MS in Management Information Systems programs are three semesters (which may or may not include a summer term). Reference the curricular planners found on each program website.

• MS in Accounting
• MS in Business Analytics
• MS in Finance
• MS in Management Information Systems
  

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 connect with alumni. 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 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.

The Career Resource Center publishes a list of companies who have recruited UB School of Management students.