MF Frequently Asked Questions

View this resource for an overview of the admissions profile. 

Applicants who do not have a bachelor’s degree in business are encouraged to apply. Strong scores in quantitative subjects such as calculus, statistics, or probability are recommended.  

No, the MF program does not require any work experience for its incoming students. Upcoming and recent graduates are encouraged to apply. 

We are looking for applicants with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above. However, applicants who are below a 3.0 are not excluded from applying as we look at application materials holistically.

Fall Start

Early Action: February 1
Regular: April 1
Extended: June 1 (U.S. Applicants Only)

All applicants will receive an acknowledgement letter via email from the Graduate Admissions Office which includes a link to log into the Admissions Portal. This will enable you to keep track of application materials that have been received. Additionally, the Isenberg Graduate Programs Office will be in touch about any incomplete materials and next steps.

Acceptance decisions are posted in SLATE with instructions to confirm acceptance. The Associate Dean and your Academic Advisor will email you with additional information to get started.

Accepted students can defer their acceptance once, for up to one year. Contact your Academic Advisor to discuss further.

Applicants are encouraged to provide evidence of quantitative skills with strong scores in quantitative courses such as calculus, statistics, or probability.  

Application materials include:  

• Graduate School application and $90 application fee (waived for military and current UMass Amherst undergraduates)  

• Personal statement  

• Resume/CV   

• Official transcripts of all universities/colleges attended  

• Two letters of recommendation  

• GMAT/GRE score (waiver may apply)  

• English Language Proficiency score (for non-native English speakers only)  

A personal essay should be one to two pages in length and include information about your past and current academic and professional history, your future goals and reasons for pursuing the MF, and other pertinent details that will help us evaluate you as a candidate.

Please submit your transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, undergraduate and graduate, where nine (9) or more credits were earned. Unofficial transcripts uploaded to the Additional Materials page of your application are acceptable. Upon admittance, official transcripts will need to be submitted, either electronically or in paper format, directly by each institution's Registrar to the Graduate Student Service Center. Review After You Apply for instructions on submitting official transcripts.

If your current transcript has all of the courses and grades (GPA-based) from the previous institutions included, you are not required to submit the transcripts. We highly encourage you to double-check with the University Registrar’s Office. Otherwise, you are required to submit transcripts from all previous institutions where 9 credits or more were earned. 

Recommendations should be requested from individuals who know you on a professional level and well enough to provide specific examples and details regarding your past performance and competencies. If you are a current or recent undergraduate student, two academic references are acceptable. If you have a few years or more of work experience, at least one professional reference is preferred.  

A GMAT/GRE waiver is granted for an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. To be considered for the GMAT/GRE waiver, leave the application test score section blank. If you don’t meet the GPA qualification, waivers may be considered for individuals with professional work experience.

School Code: Isenberg-UMass Amherst - 3917

Students with a finance background will complete 10 courses (30 credits) for graduation. Students without a finance background will complete 11 courses (33 credits) for graduation. 

The MF program is a cohort-based program that begins on-campus each fall. Students study full time in fall and spring with an online professional development course taken during the winter term, completing their classes in 9 months. Students without a finance undergraduate degree will begin with 3-6 credits of foundational coursework online in the summer before joining the cohort in the fall.  

MF students are offered a rich selection of coursework in financial management. Core finance topics include Investment Management, Corporate Valuation, and Real Estate.  Students have a wide range of electives including Fixed Income Securities, Derivatives, Data Science for Finance, Hedge Funds, and Private Equity & Venture Capital. 

Students will have access to multiple Bloomberg terminals as well as to several databases including the Morningstar CISDM Hedge Fund/CTA database, CRSP database for historical stock prices, Compustat for accounting data, OptionMetrics for options data, Morningstar Direct mutual fund data, and LSEG Institutional holdings 13F data. Bloomberg certification is available for interested students, a valuable tool when seeking competitive finance jobs. 

We follow a typical semester system – fall and spring semesters are 14 weeks. The summer semester schedule may vary and the winter session is typically 5 weeks.

Classes are scheduled each semester based on professor and classroom availability. Typically, classes are scheduled Monday – Thursday each week between the hours of 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Eastern time. Classes last about 75 -105 minutes each. This is subject to change based on the above considerations.

No, the Master of Finance program is only offered as a full-time program on campus in Amherst.  

Yes, the MF has achieved classification as a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program. This designation, determined by the Department of Homeland Security, allows international students to extend their training (Optional Practical Training - OPT) in the United States by working in their field of study.  More information regarding the Extended STEM OPT process can be obtained through the university’s Office of Global Affairs (OGA).

The Isenberg School of Management is accredited by AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB grants international accreditation to undergraduate and graduate business administration and accounting degree programs.

Undergraduate students at UMass Amherst and other colleges in the Five College Consortium can pursue a 4+1 option, completing their undergraduate degree and the MF degree in 5 years or less. Undergraduate students apply to the MF program in their junior year or early in their senior year and can then take up to 12 credits of MF graduate courses during their senior year, with up to 6 of those credits (2 courses) allowed to double-count for both the undergraduate and the MF degree.

Students from a non-finance background may need to take 3-6 credits of foundational coursework online over the summer. These credits are optional for students with a finance background. Communication regarding the coursework will be conveyed upon admission into the program. Students should regularly check their UMass email for notifications and updates about the program and reach out to their advisor with any questions. 

Yes. Prior to the beginning of classes, all first-year students participate in an orientation to introduce faculty, academic advisors, and career coaches. Once on campus, students will also participate in a career bootcamp. 

Yes, we offer many events including networking events, discussion panels, as well as various social gatherings. Events may be offered both virtually and in-person.

A dedicated Career Coach is available for MF students to schedule individualized sessions throughout the course of the program. Additionally, alumni of the program may schedule up to five individual 30-minute appointments each year with an Alumni Career Counselor. 

Isenberg graduates have found employment opportunities at leading financial firms, including hedge funds, pension funds, investment banks, private equity, consulting, commercial banks and other financial services firms. These include Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon, State Street, Fidelity, McKinsey and EY. 

Joining our Master of Finance Program means you will have access to work with the world’s leading experts in Financial Management. Check out our unique partner list: 

• Center for International Securities and Derivatives Markets (CISDM) - Located at Isenberg, the center hosts conferences, connects academic and business communities and provides access to the Morningstar CISDM Database. 

• Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA) - CISDM co-founded the Amherst-based Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA), which supplies credentials and support for AI professionals. MFAI graduates interested in Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) certification can skip the Level I Exam and be eligible for one of 10 scholarships the association will have available for students taking the Level II Exam. 

• The Journal of Alternative Investments (JAI) - Housed at Isenberg, JAI is the official publication of the CAIA Association and provides its readers with innovative research, practical tools, and expert analysis on managing alternative investments. 

• Chartered Financial Analyst Institute  - Students can access a wealth of resources through the CFA Institute to support their academic and professional development. Career tools, webinars, and internship opportunities round out a robust suite of offerings designed to prepare MF students for success in the finance industry.  

• Certificate in Quantitative Finance Institute – The CQF institute provides access to resources such as exclusive webinars, masterclasses, industry research, and thought leadership from leading quant practitioners. Members can also explore a library of technical content, career development tools, and networking opportunities within a global community of finance professionals. 

Isenberg students are provided with many opportunities to tailor their experience. Student organizations open the doors to relationships, leadership development, and professional growth. Isenberg organizations include the Graduate Business Association, Business Analytics Club, and Women in Business. You can learn more about these organizations here. 

Up to two classes (6 credits) of coursework from another institution may be eligible for transfer/waiver if the courses: 

1. are graduate level courses with a grade of B or better; 

2. have not been applied toward the completion of another degree; and 

3. were taken within three years of admission to the Isenberg MF.  

Please note that coursework must mirror the Isenberg MF curriculum to be eligible for transfer. Courses and their respective credits that transfer will reduce the number of credits required to complete your Isenberg MF degree. A waiver does not reduce the number of credits; it simply allows you to replace a core class with an elective. In order for courses to be considered for transfers or waivers, please send us your transcript as well as a description and syllabus for each course. Please be specific about which Isenberg course you are requesting to have reviewed. We prefer to receive these requests via email to grad@isenberg.umass.edu. 

Note: Isenberg undergraduate finance majors will automatically be waived from SCH-MGMT 640 and will take a substitute course in its place. 

The Graduate Programs Office will contact you to let you know which course(s) has been approved for transfer or waiver. 

You need to activate your Student IT Account to get access to SPIRE, UMass Email, and Online library resources. On the SPIRE Logon page, click Activate Your Account under IT Accounts.  You will need your NetID and temporary password sent to you via email or regular mail. 

Your academic advisor will enroll you in classes each semester. Please contact your advisor if you have any questions about your course schedule. 

Yes! The University uses an Online Learning Management System called Canvas. Canvas courses are available a week prior. 

Congratulations on reaching your goal of completing your degree! If you are enrolling in your last class this semester, you must complete the Degree Eligibility Form in Spire.

Note: An overall 3.0 GPA (B) must be maintained in order to graduate.

The diploma will not reveal your focus area, but the transcript will.

YES! All eligible MF students can participate in graduation ceremonies and receptions.

Official Transcripts will not be available right after you complete your coursework. You will know that your transcript is finalized when you see “Degree Conferred” at the end of your transcript. If you completed a focus, you will see it with the Degree Conferred. 

Your confer date will be posted to your transcript in the weeks following your semester's confer date. Confer dates for each semester are February for fall and winter graduates, May for spring graduates, and September for summer graduates. 

Diplomas will be mailed two to three months after your degree has been conferred, to the Diploma Address listed on SPIRE at the time of mailing.

Your UMass email is viable up to six months after graduation. You will always have access to your SPIRE account. You’ll be able to request your official transcripts online and/or change your contact information. 

Please refer to the Office of the Bursar for up-to-date information on tuition and fees.  

Students are responsible for paying miscellaneous fees, plus books and living expenses (which can vary based on your needs). Graduate housing is currently unavailable on-campus. You will be able to work with the Off-Campus Housing Office once accepted into the program.

Mandatory fees include:

• $1270 graduate service fee ($635 on fall and bring bill) 

• $908 graduate health fee ($454 on fall and spring bill) 

• $172 graduate student senate fee ($86 on fall and spring bill) 

• $507 matriculation fee (on fall semester bill) 

• $85 registration fee (on summer bill) 

No, Isenberg does not offer any scholarships for the MF program.

No, MF students are not eligible for graduate assistantship positions. Isenberg MF students can seek part-time employment opportunities across campus.  

You will be billed directly by the University Bursar's Office. Billing information will be sent to your UMass email account. Paper bills will not be generated. The bill can be viewed within SPIRE and paid directly online, or it can be downloaded and mailed with a check.

No, there is no deposit required.

Please review the graduate level financial aid information on the financial aid website.