Academic Records

Scanned copies of transcripts from all educational institutions attended must be uploaded in the online application. Original transcripts or documents are only required AFTER you have been admitted.  Candidates must hold at least a 4-year bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from a college or university of fully recognized standing. Bachelor degree must be conferred prior to the September program start date.

1.Transcripts:

The UCLA Anderson MFE Admissions Committee uses the transcript copies you upload with your application to do a preliminary evaluation of your academic qualifications.
Transcripts from all educational institutions attended must be uploaded in the online application. Only admitted candidates should send us official hard-copy documents upon request.
List on your application all of the educational institutions you have attended since graduating from high school, regardless of the period of attendance, whether or not the work was completed, and whether or not the work was related to your proposed field of study.

International Applicants: Records needed from schools outside the United States include multiple documents as described here.

2.Required Educational Background:

A candidate for admission to the MFE program must hold at least a 4-year bachelor's degree from a college or university of fully recognized standing. 
While no specific undergraduate major is required, most students will have a degree in quantitative subject matters such as mathematics, engineering, computer science, physics, etc. 
Applicants who have attended institutions outside the United States should have completed 16 years of study, 12 of these at the elementary and secondary school levels and four at the college level.

Evidence of strong quantitative skills is required of all candidates, regardless of undergraduate major. 

GMAT/GRE

Applications cannot be reviewed without complete test scores (reported officially by the GMAT or GRE office), and applications are only reviewed in the round when scores are received.
The GMAT or GRE test is valid for five years. 
Official GMAT score reports are sent electronically upon your request from Pearson VUE to UCLA Anderson MFE Admissions (School Code 2NZ-2F-21).
Official GRE score reports are sent electronically upon your request from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to UCLA Anderson MFE Admissions (Institution Code  5988).
We primarily evaluate your top score, but all scores reported to UCLA Anderson are visible to the Admissions Committee.
No minimum GRE/GMAT is required, and the Admissions Committee has the flexibility to consider all scores in the context of your overall academic preparation and management potential.
For further information and testing arrangements, please visit the GMAT or GRE website.

Three Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be from faculty or individuals qualified to evaluate your potential for graduate study. Our department prefers that you use the online application system to submit your letters of recommendation. In the online application system you will be asked to enter the names and emails of your recommenders. Applicants will then be able to select when a notification is sent to their recommenders with instructions on how to proceed with the online recommendation. This can occur prior to application submission or after. Applicants are asked to follow-up with their recommenders directly to determine if letters have been submitted. While the application system allows for applicants to request four letters of recommendation, we request that you only submit three.

Essays

Applicants are required to submit two essays as part of the online application to the MFE program.  One optional essay may also be submitted to supply additional information you think would help us evaluate your potential to succeed in the MFE program.  The application essays help the Admissions Committee become acquainted with applicants as individuals, and demonstrate an applicant's ability to write concisely and economically.
The essay questions can be found within the MFE Essays section of the Graduate Division online application and are as follows:

1.REQUIRED ESSAYS:

Financial engineering requires a combination of mathematical/quantitative abilities and creative thinking. Describe a project you worked on, either as a student or professional, that demonstrates your analytical and creative problem-solving skills. Tell us why this project was interesting to you. (maximum 750 words)
Why does a career in quantitative finance appeal to you? Based on your abilities and what you know about careers in financial engineering, why do you think this is the right career path for you? (maximum 750 words)

2.OPTIONAL ESSAY:

Feel free to provide any other information you think would help us evaluate your potential to succeed in the program. (maximum 375 words)

3.REAPPLICANT ESSAY: 

Reapplicants to the MFE Program do not need to resubmit the two "required essays" if the last application was submitted within the past two years. They are, instead, asked to complete and submit an essay answering the following question:

Please describe your academic or career progress since you last applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy. Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals. (750 words)

Please upload essays in .pdf format.

It is important that applicants respond to essay questions candidly and completely. Essays that fall significantly below the required word count will hurt your overall application.
Essays must be written by the applicant. If it is determined that an essay submitted has been written by anyone other than the applicant, the applicant will be denied admission.

PLEASE NOTE: When filling in the application do NOT submit a writing sample, a statement of purpose, a diversity statement, a personal history statement, or a fellowship application. Those items are part of the generic Graduate Division application, and are NOT required for the MFE program. Make sure you fill out the Master of Financial Engineering (considered the MFE supplemental) section which will appear in the application after you have selected your graduate plan of study as "MANAGEMENT MFE - MASTER OF FINANCIAL ENGINEERING."

Work History / Resume

Work or research experience in a quantitative discipline is recommended, but not required for admission to the MFE program. Exceptional undergraduates with strong quantitative backgrounds are encouraged to apply. On average, admitted students have 2 years of full-time experience before entering the MFE program.
Please complete the Professional Experience portion of the application and upload a resume in the space indicated for "Supporting Documents" as a pdf. Include all full-time and intern positions you have held, and account for any employment gaps since college.

TOEFL/IELTS:

Official TOEFL score reports are sent electronically upon your request from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to UCLA Anderson MFE Admissions by selecting institution code 4837 - UCLA ANDERSON SCHL OF MGMT and then choose "2 - Graduate  Management" as the department code.

Applicants who are submitting IELTS scores must request that a hard copy of their scores be sent to the following address: 

UCLA Anderson School of Management
Master of Financial Engineering Program 
110 Westwood Plaza, Suite C-401 
Los Angeles, CA 90095

TOEFL test scores are valid for two (2) years. Admitted applicants are required, upon arrival at UCLA, to take the UCLA English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE), an English diagnostic test, before being permitted to register. Depending on the results of the ESLPE, you may be required to complete English as a Second Language courses beginning in your first term at UCLA. If English courses are required, you should anticipate spending a longer period of time at the University. Admission is canceled for those who do not pass the ESLPE. Please note that you must sit for the ESLPE regardless of your score obtained on the TOEFL,IELTS or any other English proficiency test.

CFA, FRM, and other Professional Designations:

Include these in the "Professional Designations" section under the Master of Financial Engineering tab, and and upload a copy of your results in the tab indicated for "Supporting Documents."