When entering into a masters program, choice of school is one of the most important choices a student must make. Many students choose to study in a country other than their own, which can provide the opportunity to see subject matter from a different, and often global, perspective. With the decision to study abroad made, students then turn to the admissions process, and there are some things international students should be aware of that may make their process different than American students.
An international students’ admissions process for U.S. master of finance programs differs slightly from the admissions process for their domestic counterparts. Here are a few tips for maximizing your chances of being accepted to the program of your choice and obtaining a full-time job offer after graduation:
What Is a Master’s of Finance?
A master’s degree of finance from a U.S. program is a graduate degree that is designed to provide students with the training necessary for a career in the financial sector. Such programs are generally built around a core of foundational classes covering economics and business basics. Students then move on to upper-level classes such as financial theory and markets, corporate accounting, investment analysis and game theory.
Applications for Admission
The first necessary step in the admissions process is to check each program’s application deadline. You will often find that the deadline for international students’ applications is earlier than it is for U.S. students. Have your application, resume, transcripts, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation and any other important documents you may need ready to be sent out 2-4 weeks before each program’s submission deadline. This will ensure that they arrive prior to their final due dates.
Standardized Testing: GMAT or GRE Scores
Master of finance programs require applicants to take either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Most programs’ admission committees will accept either exam, although this is not universally true. Check the admissions website of each program to which you plan to apply to make sure your test score will be accepted. GMAT scores are typically valid for five years after the date on which you took the test. The Educational Testing Service, which administers the GRE, does not release scores that are more than five years old. Although some programs may still accept such scores, most do not. Thus, if you have not taken the GMAT or the GRE within the past five years, you will likely need to do so before submitting your applications. Preparatory online and in-person courses, as well as other print and electronic materials, are available for each exam through companies such as Kaplan, Manhattan, the Princeton Review and PowerScore.
Choosing the Right Program for You
Not all master of finance programs are created equal. While most take two years to complete, some only require one. You must consider both a school’s curriculum and its location before enrolling, especially if you are an international student who may be paying for airfare back and forth to home. For example, MIT’s Sloan School of Business offers a one-year master’s in finance that is heavily quantitative and may be more appealing to those who wish to finish the degree quickly and pursue quantitative career paths. The University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business would likely appeal to candidates who wish to work in the Silicon Valley tech sector and value the school’s geographic proximity to that market. Investigate your programs of choice closely to make sure each one is a good curricular and geographic fit for you.
Additional Reading: 3 Critical Graduate School Considerations for International Students
