Master of Science in Accounting | Tests & Waivers

GMAT or GRE Waiver

There are two ways an applicant may qualify for a GMAT/GRE test waiver.

1). Pre-Approval:  applicants who meet certain criteria are automatically exempt from taking a test without needing to request approval (see below)

2). Request for Approval:  applicants who do not meet the pre-approval criteria may request to be approved by the Admissions Committee under certain circumstances (see below)

Pre-Approval of Waiver

Applicants who meet certain criteria are eligible to waive the GMAT/GRE requirements for the MS in Accounting program without pre-approval from the Admissions Committee. Candidates wishing to waive the GMAT/GRE must meet the following conditions: 

• Have earned a four-year bachelor's degree from an U.S. accredited college or university in the U.S. Please note that this must be a U.S. undergraduate institution; therefore, a degree from an institution outside of the U.S. does not qualify. Graduate degrees will also not qualify.
• Have earned a final undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher on a four-point scale at the time of degree conferral. GPAs below 3.00 may not be rounded up to 3.00 for pre-approval. For GPAs close to a 3.00, use the request for approval process below.
• Have majored in:
  • Accountancy
  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Business (see detailed list of eligible business majors below)
    • Advertising (This major will only be approved if it was completed at a business school within your undergraduate college.)
    • Business
    • Business Administration
    • Business Economics
    • Business Management
    • Commerce
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Hospitality Management
    • Information Systems
    • Information Technology (This major will only be approved if it was completed at a business school within your undergraduate college.)
    • International Business
    • Management
    • Management and Entrepreneurship
    • Marketing
    • Supply Chain and Operations

If you check one of the two boxes in the GMAT/GRE Test Waiver form of the application and meet the eligibility criteria, the Admissions Committee will waive the standardized test requirement for your application.

Request for Approval of Waiver 

In cases outside of the parameters of the pre-approval process, applicants can still request to be considered.  Please note such approvals are at the sole discretion of the Admissions Committee and are not subject to appeal. All decisions are final.

Please note, to make a waiver request you must have earned a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university located in the U.S.

Some examples of possible requests could include the following:

• Majored in business and have a final GPA close to a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale 
• Majored in business at a college or university that does not grade on a 4.0 scale, but earned the equivalent of about a 3.0 GPA if it was on a 4.0 scale
• Your major is not listed as a business major on the pre-approved list, but you believe it may qualify as a business major
• Have earned a graduate degree in business from an U.S. college or university 

To request a waiver, please submit the MS in Accounting Test Waiver Request form. Requests must be made no later than 15 days prior to the application deadline.

Important Notes
Applicants who are applying prior to the completion of their undergraduate degree must have earned the required GPA at the time of application to be eligible to waive the GMAT/GRE. Applicants must maintain the required minimum GPA through the completion of their undergraduate degree. 
 

GMAT or GRE

Before submitting an application you must take the GMAT administered by Pearson VUE, or the GRE, administered by Educational Testing Services (ETS). 

Stern has no preference for the GMAT or GRE, feel free to take either test. 

Scores are valid for five years from the date that you took the test and must be valid at the time that you submit your application. You are responsible for including your test score on the online application and ensuring that Pearson VUE or ETS is able to release and send your official score report to NYU Stern. Stern's GMAT reporting code is 5TF-HW-30. Stern's GRE reporting code is 1695. While an official test score is required for a final decision, the Admissions Committee can begin the review of your application with an unofficial test score.

​If you plan to retake the GMAT or GRE after applying, you must inform the Admissions Committee of the date you intend to take the test in the optional essay or via email to gradadmissions@stern.nyu.edu. The Admissions Committee will proceed with the evaluation of your application using your submitted score and may issue a decision prior to receiving additional test scores.

NYU Stern has no minimum GMAT or GRE score requirement. For applicants who took the test more than once, the Admissions Committee will consider only the test with the highest total score. For those that submit more than one test type, we will consider the standardized test score (submitted with this application or previously sent to Stern) for admission which aids your candidacy. For those who are eligible and submit their application with a standardized test waiver and who have or submit a standardized test score, we will consider the standardized test score if it aids your candidacy. 

TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test

Mastery of English is required for NYU Stern.

Your level of proficiency in English must be demonstrated in at least one of the following three ways:

• Your native language is English
• Your undergraduate or graduate degree was taught in English
• Your test results from either the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test

Scores are valid for two years from the date that you took the test and must be valid at the time that you submit your application. You are responsible for including your TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test score on the online application and ensuring that your official score report can be released and sent to NYU Stern. While an official test score is required for a final decision, the Admissions Committee can begin the review of your application with an unofficial test score.  In order to be eligible to apply, all applicants must receive a TOEFL score of at least 100, a IELTS score of at least 7, or a Duolingo English Test score of at least 120. For applicants who took the test more than once, the Admissions Committee will consider only the test with the highest total score taken within two years from the application deadline for which you apply (MyBest TOEFL scores will not be considered).

If you plan to retake the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test after applying, please inform the Admissions Committee of the date you intend to take the test in the optional essay. The Admissions Committee will proceed with the evaluation of your application using your submitted score, and may issue a decision prior to receiving additional test scores. 

The TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo English Test reporting codes: