No, but full-time work experience is considered as part of the admission process, and most students continue working full time while in the program.
We welcome applications from a wide variety of backgrounds and do not look for or favor specific undergraduate majors. Business classes and/or business related experience are not required before entering the MBA program.
No, you must be an active student in order to enroll in any courses.
You must hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree and have 12 months full-time work experience (post completion of your undergraduate degree) by the start of the program. Recent graduates are eligible to apply, but applicants with fewer than two years of work experience are very rarely admitted.
Students must have at least 12 months of full-time work experience (post-completion of an undergraduate degree) prior to entering the MBA program, but almost all incoming Ross students have worked for at least 2+ years. The average Online MBA student enters with 7-9 years of work experience.
That said, we evaluate work experience in terms of quality, not quantity. We examine the impact you have had on your organization and the leadership qualities you have demonstrated. We consider the range of stories and experiences you will be able to share with your classmates. If you have limited work experience, you should demonstrate on your application why it is the right time to pursue an MBA, and what you will be able to contribute to the Ross community.
We seek diversity in the professional backgrounds of our admitted students, just as we do in other parts of our applicants' profiles. No one industry or field is favored over another. We are more interested in your contribution to the group or organization. For more information on our student population, check out our class profile.
Yes, we will consider applicants who hold a three-year undergraduate degree from India.
Ross has no prerequisite courses for admission to the MBA program. The MBA is a quantitative heavy program. If you have not had business quantitative coursework and would like to prepare, we recommend (not required) that you familiarize yourself with subjects such as accounting, finance, economics, and business statistics prior to beginning the program. Familiarizing yourself with these topics can help the transition into a quantitative program.
If you have basic math knowledge but need a refresher, you can utilize our free Quantitative Readiness Course prior to the start of classes.
The non-refundable $200 application fee is waived for:
- Active members and veterans of the U.S Military
- Members of Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Teach for America, Teach for China, Teach for India, or other Teach for All Network Partners who have served within the past five years
- Currently enrolled students in a University of Michigan graduate degree program
- Citizens of a country on the UN's list of least-developed countries - verified at time of application
- Students who submitted an application to the Ross MBA program within the past five years
- Students who are current Fulbright Scholars
- Applicants who register for and attend at least one Michigan Ross Part-Time MBA event before submitting their application
In order to receive an application fee waiver, you must select the above criteria that applies to you on the Getting Started page of the application.
We do not waive application fees for any other reason.
No. We recommend you decide which MBA format best fits your schedule, responsibilities, and desired timeline for completion.
No. Applying to a MBA program and another program at Michigan Ross is not possible. You must choose between programs.
Unfortunately, there is no appeals process for denied applicants. Denied applicants are welcome to re-apply for the next eligible program. You are welcome to reuse portions of your prior year's application (such as GMAT/GRE scores, transcripts, a valid QRC, or previous recommendation letter) for your new application. Please contact the admissions office if you would like us to transfer materials forward from a previous application.
Taking the GMAT, GMAT Focus Edition, or GRE is a required component of our application and candidates are encouraged to submit a test score. Candidates with eight or more years of professional post-collegiate work experience may submit the Executive Assessment instead of the GMAT or GRE.
There are alternative ways candidates can demonstrate their quantitative readiness in lieu of test scores, including test waivers for select candidates and the free Ross Quantitative Readiness Course. Please read our Application Requirements page to learn more.
We do not have minimum cutoff scores and/or grade point averages. You are, however, always compared to the current pool of applicants. Please note that you must have eight or more years of post-collegiate professional work experience to submit the Executive Assessment in lieu of the GMAT or GRE.
Please see our class profile webpage for information on test scores.
We recommend taking the GMAT/GRE/EA test at least 30 days before the application deadline to provide ample time for you to receive your unofficial score from the testing agency and provide it to Ross. Unofficial scores are accepted for the application. If admitted, official scores must be sent to Ross from the testing agency.
Unofficial scores are accepted for the application. We ask that you provide unofficial scores via the online application (input your scores or upload a copy of your unofficial score report). If admitted, official scores must be sent to Ross from the testing agency. application?
Ross will keep GMAT/GRE/EA scores on file for two years. Test scores are valid for five years from the date you took the test; scores more than five years old are not acceptable. We encourage you to take the GMAT/GRE/EA no later than one month prior to the application deadline, and preferably earlier. You can self-report test scores on the application.
Non-native English speakers are required to submit a TOEFL, IELTS, or Pearson Test of English score as part of the application. Exemptions from submitting a language proficiency score are given if you earned your undergraduate degree at an accredited institution where the sole language of instruction was English or if you have been living, working, and conducting daily business in an English speaking country for two or more years.
TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores taken within two years of the application deadline are valid.
Yes, an interview is required for admission, and is by invitation only. If the admissions committee invites you to interview, you will receive the invitation and scheduling information via email. The interview provides the admissions committee with more information about you, it does not guarantee admission to the program. Interviews are typically conducted by the managing director and director of admissions.
Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis and will be provided an average of six to eight weeks from the time a completed application is received.
The Office of Admissions can use unofficial transcripts for evaluation purposes. If admitted, your admission would be conditional upon receipt of your official transcripts. These would need to be received by the Office of Admissions.
You should choose a recommender who can comment in depth on your professional performance and work product and provide relevant examples -- preferably your direct supervisor. We recognize that you may not wish to inform your current supervisor about your plans to pursue an MBA. If that is the case, you should choose an alternative recommender such as a former manager, client, or a supervisor from an extracurricular organization. If you do not choose your current supervisor as a recommender, you should explain the reasons for your alternate choice in the optional essay.
Since we use the recommendation to learn about you as a working professional, recommendations from former professors or work experience before your undergraduate degree are not as effective.
This tends to be a problem with a recommender's email account spam or junk email filter settings. The emailed invitation is either blocked or automatically filtered into a junk mail folder. You can check the status of your recommendations, resend a recommendation request, and even update a recommender if the recommendation is not yet started via the Personal Activity page. You can access this under the "Apply Online" section of your online application homepage by clicking on the Review Your Submitted Application/Manage Your Recommendations link.
If there was a problem submitting transcripts or a recommendation via the online application, you can scan these items and attach them to a support ticket. Please include your name and date of birth in the email, and let us know that supplemental information is being sent because it could not be submitted online.
Deferral requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Requests to defer admission should be submitted in writing to [email protected]. A detailed explanation of the request is required.
Yes, you can attend an info session or schedule an individual phone consultation from our events page. Attend any Part-Time MBA event before submitting your application and receive an application fee waiver.
As much as possible, course material and other content are similar between all Ross MBA programs. Students will take the same required core courses and complete the same number of credit hours (57).
The Online MBA Program is self paced and designed to give you the flexibility to accelerate or extend your plan to fit your career goals and needs. On average, most students complete the program within two-and-a-half to three years. However, the program allows students to accelerate the program to take as few as two years or extend to five years.
Masters in Business Administration, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
No, these campuses, which also have business schools, are completely separate.
No, we do not accept transfer credits.
We operate on a semester schedule : Fall = Late August through December; Winter = January through April; Spring/Summer = May through August. Each 2.25 credit hour course will run for a “half semester” of seven weeks. Therefore you could take two courses in a full semester, but focus on one course at a time.
Fall A: Late August through the end of October
Fall B: End of October through the end of December
Winter A: January through the end of February
Winter B: March through the end of April
Spring: May through the end of June
Summer: July through the end of August.
Check out what your schedule could look like.
As an Online MBA student, your maximum credit load is 12 credits in the first full term. If you are in good academic standing (3.0 or higher), you may increase your limit to 18 credits in subsequent terms if approved by the Ross Registrar's Office. Online MBA students typically take between 4.5-7.5 credit hours per term. Check out a sample course schedule.
Yes, our renowned faculty teach across all MBA programs.
Core courses must be taken in the online format. Students may choose to take elective courses on campus if they wish.
No, it is not possible for students in the Online program to transfer into the Full-Time MBA, Weekend MBA, or Executive MBA programs.
Online, you’ll participate in live class sessions in the award-winning Digital Education Studios and connect with renowned faculty and your peers as if you were together in person. These live classes also include case discussions, group work, and presentations that promote meaningful interactions among peers.
You’ll also come together for three in-person residencies. Many student-led conferences and case competitions are also held throughout the year and give you the opportunity to further engage with Ross students.
Yes, the Ross School of Business offers an Executive MBA Program structured to meet the needs of individuals in senior management roles, focusing on leadership skills needed to be successful at the executive level. Specifically, the program targets participants with 10-20 years of work experience, with significant experience in a managerial/supervisory capacity. The collective professional experience of EMBA participants enriches the learning experience both in and outside the classroom.
The University requires that students stay actively registered. You are able to take a semester or two off at a time, but you must complete a course within 12 months. Should you not complete a course within any 12-month timeframe, you would have to go through a reapplication process, including paying the application fee.
The University of Michigan is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services, and activities. Please see more details for applicants wishing to seek accommodations on the application requirements page.
On average, students are expected to spend an extra 10 to 15 hours a week per class.
Yes, all domestic MBA students (U.S. Citizens/P.R./Canadian Citizens/Valid employment visa holders) can attend recruiting presentations, Career Services workshops, access iMpact, and use Career Services handouts, seminar videotapes, mock interviews, career consulting, on campus recruitment, and other services. International students are not eligible to participate in on campus recruitment.
Yes. MAP is a core requirement and provides students an action-based learning opportunity to work with classmates on a project for a real company.
Yes, Part-Time MBA students may join student clubs.
The QRC is free, and you are under no obligation to apply to the program if you take the course.
- The QRC consists of six learning modules with 4-6 topics per module. Each module has practice questions as well as a practice quiz at the end. The quizzes do not count towards the final assessment of your performance in the course.
- There is a final exam consisting of approximately 25 questions that serves as the final assessment of your performance in the course. The exam takes three hours and you may use notes you have taken during the course.
The QRC consists of six learning modules with four-six topics per module. Each module has practice questions and a practice quiz at the end. There is a final exam with 25 questions that serves as the final assessment of your performance in the course. Each participant has two attempts to take the final exam with a total of 180 minutes to complete the exam. The exam takes three hours and you may use notes you have taken during the course.
No. The modules are designed to prepare you for the topics covered in the final exam without additional material. If you understand the information in the modules it is possible to achieve an 80% or higher on the final exam.
We estimate that the average student will need to put in 20-30 hours of work in order to score well on the final exam.
To enroll in the QRC, complete this form. Within seven days, you will receive an email from [email protected] with a link to the University of Michigan Guest Invitation page.
You have 60 days to complete the course once you have been given access to the course site. After that date, you will no longer have access to the course.
You must receive an absolute score of 80% or better on the final exam in order to use the QRC in lieu of a standardized test score.
You will be able to view your score immediately after taking the final exam. You will also receive another email from [email protected] confirming your score with steps on how to use your QRC score on the application.
If you fail the course (receive less than 80% on the two exam test chances) or do not complete it within 60 days, you must wait 60 days before repeating the course. Repeating the course would allow you two more chances to pass the final exam.
No. This is just one way for you to complete your application. If you start the class and feel that the GRE/GMAT test is a better option for you, you are welcome to submit a score instead.
The QRC course is a great refresher/preparation tool as you get ready to begin your MBA studies. Taking both the QRC and a standardized test for your application would provide the committee with the most comprehensive view of your candidacy, and potentially ease your transition into an MBA, but it is certainly not required.
Scores are valid for 18 months from completion date of the exam.
No. The QRC is not a credit-bearing course and you will not earn any academic credit toward your degree by completing it. We do not provide certificates for the completion of the QRC.
Please email [email protected] with any questions.
