MSF program in U Florida doesn't like international students at all. THAT"S TRUTH! Don't waste money to apply UF MSF program. They think it hard for international students in MSF to find a job.
Note that we do not have fall admissions. The program begins each summer and runs through the following spring semester. Full international applications are due by Jan. 15. International students must attend the summer semester, arriving in mid June.
Assistantships and fellowships are almost exclusively reserved for PhD students in the Finance Dept. There is some scholarship funding available and all accepted students are automatically considered. This usually goes to a student wanted by the program who might accept an offer elsewhere. It is not always the student with the highest test scores or GPA.
All accepted students are expected to be able to pay full tuition, fees and living expenses. Financial proof is not required until the student has been accepted. The International office on campus will let them know which forms are required.
I caution all serious international inquiries that this particular program received nearly 400 international applications last year. For the current class we accepted three. Each has very unique placement plans and is completely fluent in English. In the past, when we have accepted more international students, they have had extremely difficult, frustrating, time consuming, and emotionally trying times attempting to get job placement in the U.S. We have had between 20 and 30 international students the past 6 years from Taiwan, China, India, South America, Nigeria and Germany all trying to get placement in the U.S. With the exception of four, they were all unsuccessful and returned to their home countries. Often the best avenue into the US for work is by excelling with a company in your home country which has offices in the US and working with the company to place you in the U.S. or by getting a US education in a field that does not have so many domestic students. Right now it is not difficult for companies to get finance employees who are US citizens.
One of the critical variables to the MSF application is the Statement of Purpose. The program seeks students who have well researched avenues for placement and can back it up with data. We also look for qualities in the applicant consistent with the people we have seen obtain those jobs.
Sincerely,
Kelly Herring
Director of Admission and Student Services
William R. Hough Program in Finance, MSF
HOUGH GRADUATE SCHOOL of BUSINESS
Warrington College of Business Administration, University of Florida
312 Stuzin Hall, PO Box 117168 Gainesville, FL 32611