FAQs

The Master of Finance is a full-time, 12-month master’s programme. It includes nine months of taught courses and an individual project carried out between July and September.

The MFin lets you engage directly with industry clients and apply what you’ve learnt to real-world problems and solutions. Projects include the Equity Research Project (an investment report on a listed company) and Group Consulting Project (an assignment for a host company either within or outside the UK) as well as an optional individual project over the Summer.

Teaching is typically delivered through formal lectures, supported by classes and workshops, and supervised group and individual projects.

Assessment is through a mix of written examinations, essays, projects, individual and group written assignments, and presentations.

Applications open in early September 2024 and close on 31 May 2025. Demand for places is strong, so we recommend you apply as early as possible. Early application also helps with College placement, visa applications and scholarships.

We do not accept any applications after 31 May 2025. Before this date, applications are accepted until all available places are filled.

All three of your references must also be received by the 31 May deadline.

Yes, there is a non-refundable application fee of £120. Payment can be made by credit or debit card through our online application system.

We offer an application fee waiver for candidates serving in the military and candidates from countries receiving overseas development aid.

If you would like to request an application fee waiver, please contact the admissions team before submitting your application.

No, all work experience must be post-graduation.

In most cases no. If you are applying for 2025 entry you should have at least 2 years’ full time, post-graduation work experience by September 2025.

Please tell us if there are extenuating circumstances which mean that you have only been able to work part-time or on temporary contracts, such as bringing up a family or caring duties.

Please nominate 3 referees – an academic, a peer and a supervisor – in the references section of our online application form. Your chosen referees will be sent an automated email asking them to submit your reference to us directly, via our online system.

We know it’s not always possible to ask your current line manager for a reference and are happy to accept one from a former line manager or supervisor prior to application submission. Failing this, we’ll accept a reference from a customer, supplier or adviser with whom you work on a professional basis. Please note that you will be required to submit a reference from a current line manager if you are made an offer of a place on the programme.

No.

Please upload a copy of your degree transcript (front and back pages) in the academic information section of our online application form.

If you are invited for an in-person interview, please bring your original transcript certificates with you. If you cannot provide the original documents, you must have copies authenticated by a public notary or lawyer who has seen the original documents.

If you receive an offer of admission, you’ll be asked to provide an original copy of your transcripts.

Please prepare these documents now. We sometimes invite candidates to interview at short notice. Transcripts should be written in English, or be certified translations into English.

Fluency in English is a prerequisite for the Cambridge Master of Finance. If English is not your first language, you must have taken a recognised English proficiency test in the two years before 30 September of the year you’re applying for.

We may, at our discretion, waive this requirement if you can provide clear evidence that your English is fluent.

View our full English language policy

We accept TOEFL iBT, IELTS (Academic), TOEFL iBT Home Edition, TOEFL iBT Paper Edition and IELTS Online test scores. View Point 3 of our English language policy for the minimum scores required.

We cannot accept paper copies of score reports submitted by post. Please ensure you make your official score report available to us online to verify. Our TOEFL institution code is 0908.

View our full English language policy

We may consider applicants with special circumstances on an individual basis. You’ll need to provide evidence of sufficient academic ability to cope with the intellectual demands of the programme.

A GMAT or GRE score is optional for anyone applying to the MFin.

Your application is assessed based on all the information you provide us with. In some cases, a GMAT or GRE score adds more information and potential strength to your application, particularly if your academic score is borderline for our requirements, or if the scoring of academic qualifications is unfamiliar to us.

However, we don’t consider a GMAT or GRE score itself as enough to accept or reject an MFin application and it is not considered as evidence of a strong academic record by itself. Please note also that we reserve the right to request a GMAT or GRE score on the rare occasions where we feel it is necessary.

Please check the ‘Current application status’ section of our online application form to verify that your application is complete. Your application cannot be reviewed until we have received your application fee and all 3 references.

The following websites provide information on whether you need a visa to study in the UK or to travel to the UK for interview, and on how to obtain a visa, and what paperwork you need to submit. You can also find the location of your nearest British Embassy or Consulate:

• UK Visas & Immigration is the website of the Home Office department that administers visas.
• UKCISA is especially designed for overseas students who wish to study in the UK.

We’ll send you an email notification about whether you have been shortlisted for interview, approximately three or four weeks after we receive your completed application (including your three references).

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview in Cambridge (at their own expense). For those who find it difficult to attend, we offer limited face-to-face interviews elsewhere and also carry out video interviews via Zoom. Please discuss your needs with the Admissions Team once you’ve been invited to interview.

We usually try and inform you within one week of your interview.

Yes, the Admissions Office carries out reference checks and verifies academic records for selected candidates. This may involve calling your referees or independently verifying academic records.

You’ll receive the Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) that you need to apply for your student visa when you receive your Unconditional Offer known as Confirmation of Enrolment. This will be from June onwards.

Due to the overwhelming number of applications we receive each year, unfortunately we are unable to provide individual feedback on either the review process, or on individual decisions.

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
• Circumstances unknown to us might have affected the decision

There are 31 Cambridge Colleges. All students who are offered a place on a University of Cambridge degree programme are also awarded a College place.

The MFin Office will find your College place – so there’s no need for you to arrange this yourself. The office will contact you to let you know your College. Please contact the Admissions Office for advice if you don’t hear about your College place in time for your Conditional Offer requirements.

If your application is shortlisted, you will be asked to interview.

If you are subsequently offered a place on the MFin, your place will be conditional on you providing evidence that you can fund the programme, pay the first reservation fee and on you having a College place. There may be other conditions attached to your offer e.g English language conditions, depending on your individual circumstances.

Once these conditions are satisfied, your offer is converted to an Unconditional Offer.

We are always interested in hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. However, you may find the answer to your question in our FAQs and contact page.

Yes, there is a non-refundable application fee of £120. Payment can be made by credit or debit card through our online application system.

No.

The tuition fees for 2025/26 are £57,850.

The first instalment of fees is 10% of the total tuition fee. The deadline for payment is one month after you receive your unconditional offer.

The second instalment of 20% is due by 1 June or when the Unconditional Offer is made, whichever is latest.

The remaining 70% is due by 1 September.

If you want to apply for financial assistance through scholarships, please apply in the earlier rounds. Many scholarships and bursaries are awarded early in the year.

Please note, however, that scholarships are highly competitive, and amounts vary. You will need to have an MFin offer in place before you can apply for them.

No, tuition fees are not refundable.

For details of scholarships, bursaries and loans visit our MFin fees and funding page.

We offer an application fee waiver for candidates serving in the military and candidates from countries receiving overseas development aid.

If you would like to request an application fee waiver, please contact the admissions team before submitting your application.

Successful completion of your MFin partly depends on your ability to cover student fees and living costs while you study. Completing a financial declaration form and providing evidence of your funding shows that you can fund the full tuition fees, which are payable before your programme starts. It also ensures that you can cover the living costs you’ll have throughout the year.