Full-Time MBA Requirements & Deadlines

The Full-Time and Management Science MBA program begins in the fall of each year. To apply for the Full-Time or Management Science MBA program, candidates must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. or a comparable degree from an officially recognized college or university outside of the U.S.

Application deadlines are listed below, but we continue to accept applications after the final deadline on a space-available basis.

Full-Time MBA Application Deadlines

Deadlines on a weekend or holiday are extended through the next business day. 

Application Deadlines

  • October 1  
    Decision Notification: November 15
  • December 1  
    Decision Notification: February 1
  • February 1*  
    Decision Notification: March 15
  • April 1 (Domestic Applications Only)  
    Decision Notification: May 15

*All International Applications must be complete by February 1.

What you need to apply to the Full-Time and Managment Science MBA program

The application requirements apply to both the Full-Time MBA and Management Science MBA programs. 

Please note all materials will be required in some form for a Full-Time MBA or Management Science MBA application. If materials are missing, an application will be marked incomplete and will delay an admission decision. Please check your applicant checklist in the application portal to ensure all materials are received. 

Complete the application online.

Unofficial transcripts can be submitted through the online application or emailed to mbamsapp@umn.edu for attachment to your application file.

You will need to submit a transcript from each college or university where you have completed coursework before your application will be considered complete and reviewed by the admissions committee. Unofficial transcripts must include your name and the name of the institution (degree planning documents will not be accepted).

Official transcripts will be required if you are admitted to the program.

 

The GMAT or GRE General Test is required for admission to the Full-Time MBA and Management Science program and should be less than five years old. Waivers are available, see below for information on how to apply.

For GMAT, arrange for the testing service to send an official score report to code D2N-VJ-15, Carlson MBA. Results arrive 2-3 weeks after the test. For GRE, arrange for the testing service to send an official score report using institution code 8387. Results take 3-4 weeks to arrive.

Please note we don't have a minimum GMAT or GRE required score, but do have average scores in our Full-Time MBA Class Profile.

You may be eligible for a GMAT/GRE waiver if you meet the following minimum academic criteria:

  • Have a four-year undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited university in the U.S. or it's international equivalent
  • Have a 3.2 GPA or higher (3.0 GPA or higher in STEM majors) in the most recent degree earned

In addition to the above, you must also demonstrate program readiness based on, but not limited to at least one of the following criteria:

  • Progressively responsible professional, full-time work experience
  • Completed graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral)
  • Professional certifications of CPA or CFA
  • U.S. military service of 4 years, full-time 

All test waivers are granted at the admissions committee's discretion based on a holistic review of academic and professional accomplishments at the time of test waiver request submission.

 

Management Science MBA program applicants: Consider the overall strength of your application and intended career before submitting a waiver request.

 

Guide to GRE/GMAT Waiver Request

Students who are applying concurrently for the Full-time MBA/dual degree in which the respective partner program does not require a standardized test this year can apply for a GMAT/GRE waiver. Students should use the established waiver application process through the Full-Time MBA application portal.  Applying for the waiver does not guarantee it will be granted and the Admissions Committee may still require the applicant to complete MBA Math, submit additional materials, or take the GMAT/GRE exam. Receiving a waiver does not guarantee admission.

 

Apply for Test Waiver in the Full-Time MBA Admission Application 

 

Please follow and fully complete the instruction listed in the form. Please note completion of this request is not a guarantee for a waiver. Please note the waiver is only for the consideration of GMAT/GRE portion of the application and cannot be extended to any other requirements of the application. Candidates are responsible for understanding and meeting all other application requirements. The Academic Test Waiver is also to be complete prior to the submission of your Full-Time MBA application.

  • An approved GMAT/GRE/EA waiver does not guarantee admission to the program. Applicants should consider a number of factors before submitting a GMAT/GRE waiver request including their overall candidate profile. Submission of a test score is an additional data point considered by the Admissions Committee when determining merit-based scholarships. 
  • There are also some employers who may request a GMAT/GRE score as part of their MBA hiring screening process. This is particularly true in industries such as consulting or finance. Candidates are encouraged to consider all factors before submitting a GMAT/GRE test waiver request.

Please direct all questions about the Academic Test Waiver to ftmba@umn.edu.

Use the online application to provide the names and contact information of two professional references. We partner with GMAC for the common letter of recommendation.

Your recommendation providers will receive an email from "gradappinfo@umn.edu." The subject line will include your name and the words "Recommendation for the University of Minnesota". Please ask your providers to include this email address in their contact lists and to double check spam/junk mail folders if they don't receive the message. NOTE: It is not required to use a company email address. Some companies have firewalls that prevent receipt of the recommendation request email. Recommenders should receive the recommendation request email within 12 hours of saving their contact information in the application. If recommenders do not receive the email within 12 hours, please try again with another email address. Best practice is to use a Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail email address for recommendations.


Recommendation providers can submit their recommendations anytime, both before AND after you submit your application.  

We require two complete recommendations to consider this section complete, but you can list up to six professional recommendations. All completed professional recommendations will be reviewed by the admission committee. 

Your personal statement should be no more than 1200 words (3 pages), that address the following questions:  

  • Why are you choosing to pursue an MBA at this time in your career? What are you hoping to accomplish by doing so? Briefly describe your short-term (upon graduation from the program) and long-term (5-10 years after the program) career goals. Please be as specific as possible with roles, companies and/or industries. 
  • What excites you about being part of the Carlson School MBA program? Do you have an enterprise program that you are currently interested in and why? 
  • Carlson MBA programs are looking for diverse voices and experiences to add to classroom discussions. Can you tell us about how you have participated in and/or advocated for building more inclusive communities in your career?

Management Science MBA applicants: You will need to complete an additional statement describing your quantitative abilities.

 

Get tips on crafting your personal statement

Proof of English Language Proficiency is required of all applicants and must be demonstrated in one of the following ways. 

  • Completed at least the last 2 years of a bachelor's degree or 1 year of graduate school (full-time) in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Anglophone Africa, or the English-speaking Caribbean and will provide official transcripts.
  • Completed education solely in English in a country where English is not the official language and will provide documented proof (Ex: India).
  • Will provide the official results of an English Language Test taken within the last two years

The following tests are all accepted:

For further details, visit the International Applicants page.

The application fee is $75 (non-refundable) for U.S. citizens, international applications, and U.S. residents with foreign credentials. Your application fee will be waived if you have been on active duty in the U.S. military within three years of submitting your MBA application.

Submit a current resume (CV) that includes job responsibilities and accomplishments.

  • The video essay is a required component of the application that provides candidates with an opportunity to show the admissions committee the authentic you.  Think of this video essay as if you were answering an interview question with a member of our admissions committee. 
  • You will need to use a computer with camera and microphone capabilities. You will also need a strong internet connection for uploading the video. You will have the ability to test your technology before starting the video essay and submit a practice video essay. 
  • You can test your technology and run the practice simulation as many times as you wish to be comfortable with the format and technology.  You will be able to review your practice video essay(s) and your recording(s) will not be saved beyond the testing phase and will never be reviewed.
  • You can also practice responding to impromptu questions offline with a friend or colleague before completing the video essay portion of your application.
  • You will be prompted to click "Ready" once you are prepared to submit an official video essay.  You will be asked one impromptu question from a bank of imaginative or behavioral questions selected by our admissions team. 
  • Two minutes (120 seconds) will be provided to prepare an answer and two minutes (120 seconds) to record an answer.  The recording will automatically stop after two minutes.  You are not required to use the full two minutes.  If you have time remaining once complete with your response, click the "Stop Recording" button to end the recording. 
  • You will only be provided one attempt to record your official video essay.
  • You will need a strong internet connection to upload the video.

Video Essay Walkthrough Guide

  • Describe an academic or extracurricular activity that helped you shape your personality. What did you learn?
  • Describe a situation where you were a team member. How did you decide when to lead and when to follow, and how did the results impact you?
  • Describe a time when you showed great resilience and tenacity and it paid off. What were the results?
  • Describe the biggest risk you took at work and what was its outcome.
  • Explain a situation when you had to change your communication style. What was the outcome and what did you learn?
  • Give an example of a situation where you had to change your priorities due to an unexpected task and what was the outcome?
  • How would you describe your current thinking about diversity, and how has your thinking changed over time?
  • Talk about an activity or extracurricular experience and how it changed your perspective.
  • Talk about the time when you made a wrong decision, what was the setback and how did you handle it?
  • Tell about a setback you experienced, how you dealt with it, and the results.
  • Tell us about a time when you handled a task on which you had zero information. What were the steps you took to begin with, what were the strategies and what were the end results?
  • Tell us about a time you encountered an individual who was resistant to change, how did you deal with it and what was the outcome?
  • What accomplishment are you really proud of and why?
  • What does it mean for you to have a commitment to diversity? How have you demonstrated that commitment, and how would you see yourself demonstrating it here?
  • What is the key ingredient for building and maintaining professional relationships? Provide examples.
  • What is your definition of diversity and how or why do you think diversity is important?
  • What's the best piece of constructive criticism you've received and how has it influenced your work?
  • What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume alone?

Interviews for the Full-Time and Management Science MBA program are by invitation only. Candidates will be contacted after the initial review of their application. If you are unable to attend your interview in person, arrangements can be made for a Skype interview.

Deadlines that occur on a holiday or weekend will be extended through the next business day.

Deadlines for U.S. and International Applicants

  • Apply by October 1 to receive a response by November 15
  • Apply by December 1 to receive a response by February 15
  • Apply by February 1 to receive a response by March 15 
  • Apply by April 1 to receive a response by May 15 (Domestic Only)

Learn how to fund your Full-Time MBA

Contact Full-Time MBA