Admission Requirements

The MFE can be completed in 12 months of full-time coursework. Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling deadline, and sixty students are enrolled each year. The program begins and ends only in the spring, and is not available part-time.

Application Deadlines

For the academic year beginning March 2009:

January 17, 2008
March 25, 2008
June 22, 2008
September 1, 2008

Graduate Division Admissions Requirements

• Valid degree from an accredited institution, comparable to the 4 year Bachelor's Degree from Berkeley.
• Sufficient training to undertake graduate study in the chosen field.
• A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum of 3.0 in upper division work.

MFE Admissions Requirements

• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test.
• A strong quantitative background including linear algebra, multivariate calculus, differential equations, numerical analysis and advanced statistics and probability. Prerequisite Course Chart
• Prior exposure in computer programming (C, C++) and familiarity with computers as a computational and management tool.
• Excellent writing, speaking and presentation skills (in English).
• Video presentation submitted on CD to MFE office NEW
  

MFE Admissions Recommendations

• Post University Work Experience
• Experience with statistical and econometric applications (Examples: SAS, Gauss, RATS, S-Plus, and Garch)
• Experience with mathematical tools. (Examples: MatLab, Mathematica, or MathCad.)

In some cases, applicants may be admitted conditional on the successful completion of one or more recommended courses before enrollment in the program. For more information please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions.

GMAT or GRE: We require either the GMAT or GRE. All GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years and should not be older than April 1, 2004 for Spring 2009 entry. When ordering GRE scores, use institution code 4833 and department code 4399. For GMAT scores, use institution code 4769 and program code N2V-PT-87.

Letters of Recommendation: We require two letters of recommendation. Letters should come from individuals who are familiar with your training in quantitative methods and their remarks should address your ability to apply your quantitative skills. Recommendation letters should be written by an individual in a position to evaluate you either professionally or academically (e.g., a supervisor, project leader, or instructor). Recommendations from co-workers, friends or family members are inadmissible.

Personal Interview: Interviews are conducted on an invitation-only basis. Please refrain from calling the office to request an interview. You will be contacted by the MFE Program office if an interview is necessary to make a decision on your application.

 

Video Presentation Requirement
Applicants must submit a short (3-5 minute) recorded presentation which should meet the following criteria:

1. Describe why you are particularly qualified to attend the Berkeley MFE program.
2. Choose any topic in finance that is of interest to you and discuss the topic and why it is of particular interest to you. 

Presentations should be recorded using a web camera or digital video camera. Video presentations must be less than 700MB in size and fit on a single CD.  Presentations must be written to a CD as a data disc; do not create a VideoCD/VCD. Presentations must be mailed to the MFE Office.

 

Please record your video in one of the following formats:
- Windows Media Format (WMV)
- Windows Video Format (AVI)
- QuickTime (MOV)

Special Circumstances: The MFE Program does not accept any credits or transfers from other universities. All admission decisions are final, and there is no appeals process.