Submit your application through the Graduate Application website. Completed applications and all credentials, including letters of recommendation, must be received in the School of Management by January 3 to be considered for admission. Applicants are encouraged to submit application materials in advance of the deadline date.
Note: Incomplete files will not be reviewed. It is expected that early applications will be complete within 30 days of original online submission, but all applications should be complete by the deadline date.
Be sure to upload required documentation as instructed. When uploading materials to your application, upload them as PDF documents. Be sure to remove password protection from all documents prior to uploading them. Do not mail or email materials, as they will be discarded.
Applicants to the School of Management’s PhD in Management program are not required to take the GMAT or GRE. If you wish to submit a GMAT or GRE score report, you may upload an unofficial score report with your application materials and send the official score reports to the university. For GMAT reporting, search the “University at Buffalo”. For GRE reporting, the institution reporting code is 2925.
As part of the application process, you must supply the email addresses of two recommenders. They will receive an email asking them to submit a letter on your behalf, detailing how long they have known you, in what capacity, and your strengths and weaknesses.
The best recommenders can comment on your academic and professional qualifications. Current and former professors and employers are desirable.
Recommendation letters must be uploaded as PDFs and received directly from the recommenders. Letters sent from applicants will not be considered valid. You will be notified by email when your recommenders have completed the process.
We must receive two letters of recommendation for your application to be considered complete. No exceptions.
Your writing sample should provide evidence of your ability to reason coherently and express yourself clearly. The sample presented must be in English, should not be co-authored and should not be more than five pages in length. A term paper or research project is ideal.
Your writing sample must be uploaded as a PDF. Be sure to include your full name identical to that used on the application site and indicate that the document is your writing sample.
Writing samples that do not meet ALL of these criteria will be rejected.
For your statement of purpose, tell us, in approximately 700 words, your reasons for pursuing a doctoral degree. This is not the same as your writing sample. Be sure to include your full name, identical to that used on the application site, and upload it as a PDF.
Submit a résumé showing relevant education and work experience. Include months and years of employment (i.e. MM/YY - MM/YY) along with telephone and email contact information for the two most recent workplaces shown on your résumé. Upload your résumé as a PDF and be sure to include your full name identical to that used on the application site.
Be sure your résumé highlights your relevant education and work experience. Visit our School of Management Career Resource Center résumé guide for helpful tips.
Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded as a PDF for admissions review. Upload the front and back of transcripts (if back is blank, you do not need to upload the back). The site checklist has more than one line item for transcripts. If you only attended one undergraduate institution, you may ignore the second item. Transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate credits (including transfer credits) must be uploaded for admissions consideration.
For international transcripts, we will accept a transcript issued in English by the university. If the university does not provide the transcript in English, you must submit a copy of the transcript in your native language and an English translation. If you have attended an Indian university, you must upload transcripts, mark sheets and proof of degree.
If offered admission, you must submit an official, final transcript from every post-secondary institution attended to finalize admission.
Domestic applicants:
International applicants:
A non-refundable fee of $100 is required for applications submitted via the online application process. You must submit your application fee electronically via the University at Buffalo E-Payment system at the end of the electronic application.
The application fee is waived for U.S. active military, veterans and their spouses. Complete and submit your online application using one of the nonpayment methods. Contact som-apps@buffalo.edu for more information.
The Personal Privacy Protection Law requires this notice to be provided when collecting personal information from individuals: The information on this admissions application will be used by the School of Management at the University at Buffalo to evaluate your request for admission. Failure to provide the requested information could prevent your application from being processed. The authority to request this information is found in section 355 (2) (I) of the Education Law.
This application will be maintained in the Graduate Programs Office. The official responsible for the maintenance of this information is the assistant dean, 150 Jacobs Management Center, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260-4010.