Completing your application
Guidance notes
Please download and review the Application Guidance Notes before starting your application.
Apply early
We advise that applications are submitted as early as possible, particularly for those who will be reliant on scholarship funding.
Submission of an early application also gives greater flexibility on interview scheduling, and assists with the College placement, visa application (if necessary) and other admissions administration.
The availability of College places and accommodation will become more limited later on in the admissions cycle.
In the last admissions cycle, the class filled up before the final interview day in June, and applicants who applied close to the final deadline were placed on a waiting list. To avoid being placed on the waiting list, please ensure that you apply as early as possible. We cannot guarantee that there will still be places available if you leave it close to the final deadline to apply.
Are you ready to apply?
Apply by 31 May 2023
Applications are accepted through our online application system. An application fee of £120 will be charged and can be paid as part of your online submission.
Cambridge admissions: how to apply
The Master of Finance degree from Cambridge Judge Business School is a demanding programme. We are looking for applicants who can demonstrate a good professional and academic record, strong ambition and a willingness to work hard.
Entry into the programme is competitive. But through this, students will benefit from learning alongside a high quality and professionally strong peer group.
Please read all of the information provided on this page.
CV reviews
Want to know if your MFin application would be competitive? We offer a CV review service to candidates who fit our minimum requirements.
Specific minimum requirements
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Undergraduate academic achievement |
At least a high UK 2:1 or equivalent. Any degree subject is potentially eligible. If you did not study a finance-related subject at undergraduate level, on rare occasions, you may be required to submit a GMAT or GRE score to demonstrate your quantitative ability. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the Admissions Team once you have submitted your application. If you studied your undergraduate degree overseas, you can check whether you meet the University’s minimum requirement. Please note that the University’s minimum requirement equates to a standard 2:1, whereas we require a high 2:1 for admission to the MFin. Therefore, the grades required for the MFin are likely to be higher than the minimum 2:1 equivalent stated on the University’s website. For example, we would require applicants who have studied in the USA to have a minimum GPA of 3.6/4.0. |
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Professional experience |
A minimum of two years’ graduate work experience in a core finance or finance-related role. |
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English proficiency |
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Maths & stats proficiency |
A willingness to reach the necessary level of maths and statistics. Read specific guidance on the level of maths and stats knowledge required |
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Skills & competencies |
Ambition and a willingness to work hard, as there will be a lot to cover in the programme. Evidence of good interpersonal communication and teamworking skills, in addition to numeracy, problem-solving and reasoning skills. |
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Three references |
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If you have mitigating circumstances for not meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and would still like to apply, please contact the admissions office to discuss your case.
Detailed requirements
A strong academic background; at least a high UK 2:1 or equivalent.
Any degree subject is potentially eligible. If you did not study a finance-related subject at undergraduate level on rare occassions you may be asked to provide a GMAT or GRE score to demonstrate your quantitative ability. This is be assessed by the Admissions Team on a case-by-case basis once you have submitted your application.
If you studied your undergraduate degree overseas, you can check whether you meet the University’s minimum requirement.
Please note that the University’s minimum requirement equates to a standard 2:1, whereas we require a high 2:1 for admission to the MFin.
Therefore, the grades required for the MFin are likely to be higher than the minimum 2:1 equivalent stated on the University’s website.
For example, we would require applicants who have studied in the USA to have a minimum GPA of 3.6/4.0.
At least two years of finance-related work experience. This could be in a bank or financial institution, but could also be in financial accounting or finance-related legal work, or in the financial arm of a non-financial company. Ideally, at least one year of this should be in a front office finance role or equivalent.
Fluency in English is a pre-requisite for the Cambridge MFin. If English is not your first language, you must have taken a recognised English proficiency test in the two years prior to 30 September on the year for which you’re applying for entry. Please note that the English Language Policy will be updated in November 2022.
The Master of Finance is open to graduates of any discipline, so long as they can show a willingness to reach the necessary level of maths and statistics.
We have provided specific guidance on the level of maths and stats knowledge required to complete the core courses taught on the programme.
For those with an advanced maths background and who wish to tailor their MFin degree towards a more quantitative direction, we are able to offer some very demanding electives. Cambridge has several faculty members who are leaders in the areas of mathematical finance, advanced econometrics and computer modelling.
Ambition and a willingness to work hard as there will be a lot to cover in the programme. Evidence of good interpersonal, communication and team-working skills, in addition to numeracy, problem-solving and reasoning skills.
In addition, applicants must have the potential for a successful career in finance, and be willing to engage fully with the programme,contributing to the student experience.
We require three references for the Master of Finance application:
- Professional reference from your line manager or supervisor
- Peer reference from a team member or colleague
- Academic reference
Automated reference requests will be sent to your referees once you have input their contact details into our online application system. You must provide your referees’ work email address in the contact information. We cannot accept references sent from personal email accounts. You will be able to track your references online, once you have submitted your application.
The submission of a GMAT or GRE score is optional for anyone applying to the MFin. We assess the strength of an application based on all of the information the applicant provides us (including the application, transcripts and references).
Therefore, in some cases a GMAT or GRE score can provide more information and potential strength to an application, particularly in cases where the academic score is borderline for our requirements or if the scoring of academic qualifications is unfamiliar to us.
However, we do not consider a GMAT or GRE score by itself as enough to accept or reject an MFin application and it cannot be presented as evidence of a strong academic record by itself. Please note we do reserve the right to request a GMAT or GRE score on the rare occasions where we feel it is necessary.
If you do wish to submit your GMAT score, please self-report your score on the application form.
What happens next
Once we have received your application it will be reviewed and a decision made about whether to shortlist you for interview.
We aim to complete this process within three weeks of the date your application is completed. Applications will only be reviewed once all three references have been received, and it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they are submitted before the final deadline.
We regret that, due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot provide feedback on individual applications that are unsuccessful. However, an admissions appeal can be made if you believe:
- there has been an administrative error
- you have been treated unfairly because of bias or prejudice
- there are circumstances unknown to Cambridge Judge Business School that might have affected the decision.
If we decide to short list you for interview, we will contact you directly via email to let you know and to arrange the interview.
Interviews take place on a set day every month and in most cases the interviews will take place here in Cambridge or via Zoom video. In some instances, it is possible for interviews to be conducted off site. You can discuss this with the admissions team once you have been shortlisted.
Interviews will be conducted by the MFin Director or other members of the Finance faculty. Candidates who attend the interview in Cambridge will get the opportunity to meet with faculty, MFin staff and have a tour of the facilities at Cambridge Judge Business School.
Please note that the Master of Finance attracts considerable interest, and the competition for places is intense. It is the policy of the MFin Office not to provide feedback on final interview decisions.
A decision to offer you a place on the programme will normally be made within a week of the interview process. The initial offer is called a conditional offer and the following conditions must be met before we can convert this to an unconditional offer:
- Receipt of the first instalment of fees (10% of the tuition fee). The deadline for this payment is one month after the offer is made
- Receipt of completed financial declaration forms. Students will be asked to complete a financial declaration form and provide evidence of how they will fund the full cost of the programme. It is therefore very important to think about how you will fund the programme, and to apply early for any financial assistance if necessary. Please note that we can only accept evidence of funds that are in liquid form, or that can be easily liquidated to pay the tuition fees when due.
- Award of a College place. Every student who is offered a place on a degree programme at the University of Cambridge must also be awarded a College place. It is the responsibility of the MFin Office to find College places for students and students should not try to arrange this independently
- Satisfying any relevant verification or reference check. The Admissions Office will conduct relevant verification or reference checks on a sample of candidates. This might involve contacting a student’s referees, or engaging a third-party to verify academic transcripts
This is the final stage of the admissions process. We will notify you when you have reached this stage. Documentation for those who need student visas will be issued at this stage. A second instalment of 20% of the tuition fees is due by 1 June or when the unconditional offer is made, whichever is latest. Both tuition fee instalments are non-refundable.
