Welcome to the MBA Program

Log into your admission portal to respond to your offer of admission and provide a confirmation that you plan join our Fall 2026 cohort!

You will need to use the same email and password created for your application in order to log-in to the admission portal complete your confirmation.

Please respond to our offer of admission by the confirmation deadline listed in your admission letter.  You may also elect to defer your offer admission up to 1 year or decline the offer in the admission portal. We appreciate your timely response!

As part of the confirmation process, you may need to submit a required deposit of $1,000 USD. This will be a non-refundable, initial deposit due by the deadline required for your admission round. This is a deposit, not a fee, that holds your seat in the cohort and any possible scholarship offers; it will be applied to your first semester tuition statement upon completion of all new student requirements listed the checklist.   

Payment must be made via credit or debit card in the portal, we cannot accept other forms of payment or an installment plan.  

Waivers of the deposit due to financial hardship are unfortunately unable to be granted. Qualifying US Military and Veterans are not required to make the deposits, but still must respond with a confirmation. 

Please note a reconfirmation response and final deposit payment of an additional $500 USD will be due in June 2026. Details will be sent out ahead of this final date via email to all initially confirmed students. 

International students who require an I‑20 will complete this process through International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). Your I‑20 application will open only after your initial confirmation and deposit has been processed. You will also need to activate your UMN account/email to proceed.

How the I-20 request process works

• After you initially confirmed your enrollment, our Admissions team will send your student record to ISSS for processing.

• Within 3-5 days after the record has been received by ISSS, you will receive an email with instructions for completing your I‑20 application in the MyISSS portal.

  • Note: if you attempt to log-in to your MyISSS portal before this email is received, you will receive an error message.

• This email includes guidance on required documentation, how to activate your University email account, and other important steps for new international students.

• ISSS typically reviews and processes I‑20 applications within approximately two weeks.

Documentation you will need

As part of the I‑20 application, ISSS will ask you to upload financial and identity documentation. Requirements vary by student, but commonly include:

• Proof of funding showing you can meet the estimated cost of attendance for your program. Examples include:

  • Bank statements or bank letters

  • Scholarship or sponsorship letters

  • Affidavit of support forms if someone else is providing funding

• Passport identification page for you (and any dependents, if applicable)

• Dependent documentation (only if you plan to bring dependents), such as marriage or birth certificates and proof of additional funding.

Questions on the I-20 request form or MyISSS? Contact [email protected] for assistance.

Once confirmed, you should immediately claim your UMN Student Account.

You will need:

• Your Seven-digit Student ID Number
• Your Internet ID (also known as an X500)
• Your Social Security Number
  • If you did not provide a social security number on your application, or if you do not have one, leave this field blank when setting up your account.
• Your Birthdate

You can find your Student ID and Internet ID/x500 on your admission letter, which is located in the admissions portal. 

Please go here to initiate and claim your account.

After submitting the form, a screen displays your Internet ID and password. Make note of your Internet ID and the password you created. You will be able to use this Internet ID and password to log into your University e-mail. 

While the email provided in your application will be used by the admissions team for most communications, other teams of university staff will be sending information to your UMN email account starting in the late spring. The expectation is that you will monitor your student email account regularly starting now through the duration of your program.

You will use your Internet ID/X500 for secure logins, accessing university email and announcements, viewing grades, updating financial information, registering for classes, and reviewing other student resources in the MyU Portal. 

If you encounter any issues with initialization, please contact: UMN Central IT for assistance. 

To see our tuition and fee breakdown, please visit our Full-Time MBA tuition page (costs are the same for Management Science MBA), This page currently reflects our our tuition for the 2025-2026 year. You will see on this page tuition, fees, and additional cost estimates.  

Tuition & fee costs for the 2026-2025 year will be announced in early August 2025 following the approval of the annual budget by the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.  

Your first tuition statement won't be issued until after you are registered for classes in August. First semester tuition & fee statements are usually complete after the first week of classes in September and payments are due typically by the start of week three of the semester. 

The office of One Stop Student Services is the central university resource for questions on billing and payment. On the website, you'll find critical details and deadlines. There is also staff available to answer your questions 

Additional One Stop Resources related to planning your program costs:

• Residency & Reciprocity (Qualifying for In-state Tuition)
• Cost of Attendance
• Veteran Education Benefits

Once you have initialized your UMN email address, you are welcome and encouraged to begin your career journey by reviewing our career resources on the Carlson Business Career Center (CBCC) website.

For those incoming students who would like to get a head start on career-related tasks, please visit the CBCC website. 

Incoming students can begin formally working with the CBCC staff in May 2026.  If you have any career-related questions prior to that, please send an email to [email protected].

In the summer of 2026, the Academic Affairs & Student Engagement team (AASEt) will compile a checklist of all action steps new students should complete before beginning their studies including academic and career pre-work. 

Feel free to preview the checklist here: AASEt New Student Check List. Please note it may not be current for Fall 2026 until late spring, early summer.

All incoming students must re-confirm their enrollment by Friday, June 20th. 

The final, non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 will be due at that time. 

You will be notified about reconfirming your place ahead of this final deadline.

Orientation Dates & Details - TBA in Spring 2026

Orientation is a required multi-day commitment for all students, including those who have attended the University of Minnesota previously or currently in a dual degree program.  

You will need ample time to complete all critical new student "to-dos" and avoid a stressful transition into your full-time student program. 

The goal of Carlson's MBA & MS New Student Orientation program is to prepare students for success in both academics and careers while fostering meaningful connections with classmates through in-person engagement on campus.

If you have major personal conflicts that cannot be rescheduled, please email [email protected] to make arrangements.

By September 2026, you must submit your official transcripts if you applied to Carlson MBA program with unofficial or scanned copies of your transcripts. 

You may also bring official transcripts with you in a sealed, unopened envelope to Orientation in August as well. 

Failure to complete this step before the end of September will result in a hold on your student account, preventing you from registering for future semesters.

If you have attended the University of Minnesota for a previous degree, you will still need to release official transcripts from other UMN programs to our office for departmental record keeping. 

We hope to see you at one of the following events exclusively for admitted MBA students in next years' cohort:

Ask Me Anything - Carlson MBA

Following each admission round, log in for an opportunity to virtually connect over Zoom with current MBA students, Minnesota Carlson staff, and other admitted students for a casual conversation about anything and everything that is on your mind as a newly admitted student. Watch your email for times and event links. 

Round 1 - Wednesday, November 26

Round 2 - Friday, February 13

Round 3 - Friday, March 27

Round 4+  -  May, TBD
 

Up Close with Carlson

This hybrid event brings together all admitted students each spring to get to know Carlson and each other better. Details will be released on the event website in February 2026

CBCC: Incoming MBA Student Webinar Series:

The coaching team hosts a series of webinars over the summer to prepare students for the MBA internship and post-degree career hunt.  All times are CST.  If you have questions, please contact CBCC coach Kelly McClellan for details or watch your UMN email:

Looking to connect with a current MBA student?

Our MBA Ambassadors will serve as an informal mentor to whom you can ask candid questions about the student experience, culture of the program, local versus national opportunities, etc. while you weigh the decision to attend Minnesota Carlson. Please log-in and complete the match request form, if interested in being contacted by one of our MBA Ambassadors. 

Following the submission of this form, the Admissions team will match you with a current student, who will reach out to you within 1-2 weeks (they do keep pretty busy) and will continue to be available to you through the enrollment process. 

Also, feel free to connect with our Admission GA Sam Borja Traux by reaching out to [email protected]. He's happy to answer your questions from a student perspective anytime!

If you are relocating to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis or Saint Paul for your MBA, a great place to start is with the resources below on housing, transportation, and the community.

University of Minnesota Campus

• UMN Virtual Tour

  • Start here to see up close our beautiful campus located in the heart of the Twin Cities

     

Twin Cities Community

• The Make It. MSP initiative includes a coalition of thousands of amazing people at organizations throughout the region. By working together in teams, they are connecting even more people in and beyond our region. Make It. MSP provides resources for relocating and connecting people throughout the Twin Cities.
• Twin Cities Living Relocation Magazine - Digital Copy

  • Introduction to living in Minneapolis and Saint Paul

     

Transportation

• Parking & Transportation (PTS)

  • PTS oversees all parking and transportation needs for our Twin Cities campuses. There is a parking lottery for on-campus parking contracts or you can pay-as-you-go with a daily rate. For contracts, fall lottery starts in late May/early June. Please visit the PTS website for details on how to commute to campus by car, bike, or public transport.

     

Housing

• Incoming students must secure their own housing. We advise you to reach out to an MBA Ambassador for tips and suggestions on where to live/rent for the duration of the program.
  • Off-Campus Housing
    • "Off campus" means housing options not administered by the university. Many MBA students live in proximity to the West Bank of the UMN campus, but not in university-owned housing.
  • UMN Housing
    • Graduate Student Housing
      • UMN offers limited housing for graduate students, mostly situated in the East Bank/Saint Paul area of campus.
    • International Students: Early Arrival Housing Request: Temporary Housing in August
      • Apply for temporary housing on campus ahead of the fall semester, if you sign a lease that starts September, but arrive in August for Orientation. Space is limited.
  • Neighborhoods in the Twin Cities

    • Learn more about the various neighborhoods in the greater metropolitan area.

       

Transportation

• Parking & Transportation (PTS)

  • PTS oversees all parking and transportation needs for our Twin Cities campuses. There is a parking lottery for on-campus parking contracts or you can pay-as-you-go with a daily rate. For contracts, fall lottery starts in late May/early June. Please visit the PTS website for details on how to commute to campus by car, bike, or public transport.

     

Family Resources

For Parents and Families planning on joining our program, below are some helpful University of Minnesota resources:

• Parent and Family Program
• Student Parent Help Center

• If you want to connect to a current student who is navigating the MBA program and their additional family commitments, be sure to mention this in your MBA Ambassador request form!

Many of the Affinity Partnerships Conferences are during your first year of the MBA program and will be coordinated with our career center.   The exception is Forte which will take place in June before you begin the program. 

If you have questions about these conferences, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Please note that you need to be a confirmed or enrolled student to be eligible to attend these conferences. 
 

All organizations are open to any interested MBA student. 

Forté

Forté’s community of motivated and inspiring women—100,000 women and counting—is changing the balance of power in the workplace. We open doors for women to reimagine what they can achieve in business—from launching first jobs to advancing to the C-suite. Our powerful alliance of talented women, influential companies, leading undergraduate and business schools, and pioneering donors empower women to change their career trajectories, earning power and lives. Through business education, role models, professional networks, and leadership training, Forté shows women how to build the credibility, skills, network, and confidence to thrive as leaders and change the status quo. 
 

Prospanica

Prospanica is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the Hispanic community to reach their full educational, economic, and social potential. The organization was first formed in 1988 as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), but outgrew its name, adopting its new name Prospanica in 2016.

The National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) 

National Black MBA Association seeks to align itself with outstanding corporate partners that share our commitment to creating educational opportunities and economic growth for African-Americans and diverse business professionals.  We work to foster mutually beneficial relationships that create a pipeline of diverse talent for our partners, and offer new and exciting resources and opportunities for our members while increasing the reach and impact of the NBMBAA.

MBA Veterans

Founded in 2009, the MBA Veterans Network is a professional networking and advocacy organization dedicated to connecting military veteran students and alumni of the world's top-ranked universities with employers who value their elite academic credentials, military leadership abilities, and limitless career potential.

Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA)

The ROMBA conference is the world's largest gathering of LGBT+ business students and alumni. The event educates, inspires, and connects our community through C-suite panels, workshops, competitions, a host of receptions, and a career fair with 100 corporate partners across industries recruiting LGBT+ MBA talent.

You should already consider yourself a part of Minnesota Carlson and we hope that you consider attending some of the enlightening and engaging events happening year-round.

If you see other Events that are of interest to you, feel free to attend. We recommend checking out:

• Affinity Networking Nights
• Minnesota Carlson Conferences & Seminars
• Faculty Speaker Series
• Professional Development Workshops

Our space is being transformed to support student learning. Find more information about Connecting Carlson.

Meet your Carlson MBA Network

• Carlson Full Time & Management Science MBA - Incoming Class Fall 2026 (Request to join with your LinkedIn Account)
• Carlson LinkedIn Military MBA Network
• Full-Time MBA Alumni Profiles
   

Subscribe to Relevant Listservs

• ISSS (International Student & Scholar Services)
• Funds Enterprise
• Entrepreneurship (Holmes Center)
   

Follow us on Social Media

• Minnesota Carlson LinkedIn
• Minnesota Carlson Instagram
• Minnesota Carlson Facebook
   

Stay up to Date on What's Happening around Campus

• Minnesota Carlson News
• UMN Twin Cities News & Events
• Full Time & Management Science MBA Student Life