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Admissions and Applications

Admissions to the MSF program

In addition to the general requirements of the university, specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are

  • Bachelor's Degree: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with required minimum GPA of 2.75 calculated using the entire degree or the last 90 quarter (60 semester) units, which may include post baccalaureate work;
  • Personal Statement: A 200-250 word statement highlighting the academic motivation and qualifications for pursuing the Master of Science in Finance;
  • English Proficiency for International Students: All international applicants who have not completed three years of full-time study at a secondary or post-secondary institution where English was the language of instruction must also achieve an acceptable score (as determined by the Accounting and Finance Department and ratified by the College Curriculum Committee, in alignment with the Office of Graduate Studies requirements) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the IELTS exam, or must complete CSUSB's ESL program. The current minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 550/PBT, 213/CBT, 79-80/IBT taken within the past two years; IELTS score of 6.5 taken within the past two years; or complete level 6 of CSUSB's Intensive English Program;
  • Resume: Submission of a current resume;
  • Letters of Recommendation: One letter of recommendation are required.
  • Business Aptitude Requirement: Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE): Applicants for Master of Science in Finance must meet the Business Aptitude Requirement:
  1. Submission of an acceptable score on the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) as determined by the Accounting and Finance Department, ratified by the College Curriculum Committee, and conforming with the Office of Graduate Studies requirements. The current acceptable GMAT or GRE score must meet a minimum GMAT score of 470 (with a minimum 10% on GMAT Verbal Ability and 50% on Quantitative Ability percentile rankings) or a minimum GRE score of 298 (with a minimum 10% on GRE Verbal Ability and 50% on Quantitative Ability percentile rankings); or

(GPA x 200) + GMAT score greater than or equal to 1,050 points; or

(GPA x 24) + GRE score greater than or equal to 368 points; or

  1. GMAT/GRE requirement may be waived if an applicant has 3.0 cumulative GPA from an AACSB accredited undergraduate program or meets other GMAT or GRE waiver criteria as set by the department.

Admission to the MSF 4:1 Option 

In addition to the general requirements of the university, specific requirements for being invited into the MSF 4:1 Option are:

  • Invitee must be a CSUSB JHBC (business) undergraduate student with at least a junior year academic standing;
  • Invitee must have completed at least three concentration courses with an average grade point for those three concentration courses of 3.0 or higher;
  • Invitee must earn a B (3.0) in the upper-level writing requirement;
  • Invitee's overall CSUSB grade point average (GPA) should be 2.75 or higher.  

    Students who accept invitation into the MSF 4:1 Option program shall be considered as achieving conditionally classified status and shall get a waiver from the GMAT exam requirement for admission to the MSF degree program. Conditionally classified status will become classified status upon the completion of requirements for the Bachelor degree.

Application and Financial Aid

How to apply?

  1. Master of Science in Finance. (MS in Finance is offered at San Bernardino campus).
  2. Master of Science in Finance 4:1 option: taewon@csusb.edu.

(MS in Finance is offered at San Bernardino campus).

Financial Aid

There are several other recourses for funding: https://www.csusb.edu/pace/home/financing-your-education). If you have questions about Federalfinancial aid, you are welcome to contact our specific FA liaison, Nicolette Cusino. Her contact information: Nicolette.cusino@csusb.edu. Tel: 909-537-5220.

You may also check with your own financial institution for personal and education loans. We recommend you to conduct an internet search for scholarships and see what turns up. Try your social and service clubs, many of which offer funding for continuing education. Check with your employer about professional development funds or tuition reimbursement payments.