On-Campus MBA Frequently Asked Questions

The On-Campus MBA program, as well as our Dual Degrees, greet a new cohort every fall semester.

On-Campus MBA

November 1 (Early)

December 1 (Round 1)

February 1  (Round 2 – final for international applicants)

April 1 (Round 3 – final for domestic applicants)

MBA/MS Sport Management

November 1 (Early)

February 1 (Final)

MBA/Master of Public Policy and Administration

February 1 (Final)

All applicants will receive an Acknowledgement Letter via email from the Graduate Admissions Office which includes your Admissions ID and Access Code. This will enable you to keep track of application materials that have been received. Additionally, the Isenberg Graduate Programs office will be in touch about incomplete materials and next steps.  

Acceptance decisions are posted in SLATE with instructions to confirm acceptance and an electronic acceptance letter will be posted by the UMass Graduate School. The Associate Dean and your academic advisor will email you with additional information to get started.  

Accepted students can defer their acceptance once, for up to one year. Contact your academic advisor to discuss further.

Graduate School application and $85 Application fee (waived for military)

Personal statement

Graduate School short essay  

Resume/CV 

Official transcripts of all universities/colleges attended

Two letters of recommendation

GMAT/GRE score (waiver may apply)

TOEFL/IELTS score (for international applicants only)

Interview (by invitation only)

A personal statement should be one to two pages in length, and include information about your past and current academic and professional history, your future goals and reasons for pursuing the MBA, and other pertinent details that will help us evaluate you as a candidate.

*Not required for the following application terms: Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025.   

Please take the time to answer all parts of the following question. 600 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but do not feel obligated to do so. 

At UMass Amherst, no two students are alike. Our communities and groups often define us and shape our individual worlds. Community can refer to various aspects, including shared geography, religion, race/ethnicity, income, ideology, ability, sexuality, gender, and more. 

Please choose one of your communities or groups and describe its significance. Explain how your experience in this community or group would enable you to enrich the following: 
        1. Your department/program/our campus 
        2. Your field/discipline 

Please submit your transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, undergraduate and graduate, where nine (9) or more credits were earned. Unofficial transcripts uploaded to the Additional Materials page of your application are acceptable. Upon admittance, official transcripts will need to be submitted, either electronically or in paper format, directly by each institution's Registrar to the Graduate Student Service Center. Review After You Apply for instructions on submitting official transcripts.

Recommendations should be requested from individuals who know you on a professional level and well enough to provide specific examples and details regarding your past performance and competencies. If you are a recent college graduate, we encourage you to provide one academic and one professional reference.

School Code: Isenberg-UMass Amherst - 3917

While a strong GMAT or GRE score enhances any application, candidates may make a case for admission without a GMAT or GRE score by submitting application materials that demonstrate strong professional experience and academic accomplishments, such as:

• Doctorate Degree, including a JD, PhD, PharmD, MD/DO, or international medical graduate with an ECFMG or Fifth Pathway
• Bachelor’s Degree with a 3.2 or higher cumulative GPA and 5+ years of professional work experience

PLEASE NOTE: As our admissions process is competitive, you are encouraged to submit a GMAT or GRE score to enhance the strength of your application should you not meet one of the criteria above. If you submit all application materials prior to taking an intended GMAT or GRE test, please email grad@isenberg.umass.edu and let us know so we can postpone review of your application until the GMAT or GRE results are received. 

If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted to complete an interview either in person, Zoom, or Skype. Interviews are typically 30 - 45 minutes long.

There are 37 core credits required for the MBA although many students choose to take more, depending on the number of elective courses and focus areas added to their degree.

Yes, you can choose elective courses that will help you get ahead in a particular area of business or earn a specialized degree. An academic advisor can assist you in developing a tailored concentration which would strengthen your skill set in areas of your choice. Each focus is an additional 9 elective credits. You can choose to focus in 2 areas, as long as you complete the full 9 elective credits in each. You can choose to focus on two areas if you complete the full nine elective credits in each. Focus areas include:
Business Analytics
Management and Entrepreneurship
Finance: Asset Management
Healthcare Administration

Yes! Our on-campus MBA program offers several MBA/MS dual degree options to consider. In partnership with the applicable departments, we currently offer dual degrees in programs: Business Analytics, Sport Management, Public Policy & Administration, and Engineering. You can learn more about these programs here.

Yes, as an On-Campus MBA student, you are welcome to take elective courses offered by another department to satisfy elective requirements. Students must gain approval from both departments prior to registration.

Yes. In addition to taking elective courses, students have the option to put theory to practice in an experiential learning-based consulting project (3 - 6 credits) with for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. These projects allow students to apply their business knowledge and solve complex issues with a group of colleagues.

There is no prerequisite coursework; however, admitted students will be expected to successfully complete any assigned summer coursework in preparation for beginning the On-Campus MBA.

Designed as a cohort based program, all students progress through the core curriculum together during their first year on-campus. During the summer, students often partake in internships or study for industry exams. Upon returning for the second year, students complete the final two core courses before fulfilling elective credits. We follow a typical semester system – fall and spring semesters are 14 weeks.

Yes! Students can finish their final two core courses in the online program should they decide to leave the program after completing the first Fall and Spring semesters on-campus (this is most often done for a job offer). Additionally, students may graduate in December of their second year after completing all core requirements on campus.

Classes are held at the UMass Amherst campus. Presentation style varies per class including lectures, discussion groups, readings, and exams/papers. (Please note that each class varies, and the presentation methods/materials are at the discretion of the professor). Classes are typically held Monday through Thursday during the day, offering students Friday for group work, fellowship work, etc. However, the schedule may change year to year based on classroom and professor availability.

Congratulations on reaching your goal of completing your MBA! The academic advisor will be in communication with students about necessary forms and deadlines for graduation. 

Note: An overall 3.0 GPA (B) must be maintained in order to graduate.

The diploma will not reveal your focus area, but the transcript will. If you earn two focus areas, only one will officially be declared on your transcript.

Yes, students in the top 10% are inducted into Phi Kappa Phi. Typically, only those with a 4.0 will earn the Phi Kappa Phi, as our students are very competitive and driven.

YES! All eligible MBA students can participate in graduation ceremonies and receptions. You are eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies and receptions if you complete your MBA credits by May of the same year as graduation. 

Official Transcripts will not be available right after you complete your coursework. You will know that your transcript is finalized when you see “Degree Conferred” at the end of your transcript. If you completed a focus, you will see it with the Degree Conferred. 

Your confer date will be posted to your transcript in the weeks following your semester's confer date. Confer dates for each semester are February for fall and winter graduates, May for spring graduates, and September for summer graduates. 

Diplomas will be mailed two to three months after your degree has been conferred, to the Diploma Address listed on SPIRE at the time of mailing.

Your UMass email is viable up to six months after graduation. You will always have access to your SPIRE account. You’ll be able to request your official transcripts online and/or change your contact information. Do make sure your address is updated so the current year's W2’s will reach you.

Yes, we offer many events including networking events, discussion panels, as well as social gatherings. Events may be offered both virtually and in-person.

On-Campus Support Staff: 

As an On-Campus MBA student, you will receive career support and guidance beginning at orientation from the Office of Career Success within Isenberg. A dedicated Chase Career advisor will be available to our On-Campus MBA students throughout the course of the program. 

Our Director of MBA Alumni & Corporate Relations also works closely with our On-Campus MBA students to facilitate alumni introductions, host networking engagements and align you with the right resources to help you land that internship or post MBA job you are seeking.

Isenberg Resources:

• IConnect (tools, tips, tricks, recruitment, events, connections, etc.)
• Isenberg Alumni LinkedIn Group (Join at student level)
• Isenberg MBA Network

UMass Resources:

• Connect UMass
• UMass Handshake (UMass Amherst wide resource to connect with recruiters and view job openings)
• UMass Alumni Association (Students can request an Alumni ID using first time registration access as an accepted student)

Class Size: 40 - 45 students

Average Work Experience: 8 years
Average GMAT Score: 648
Average UGPA range: 3.45

Average TOEFL: 112

Gender Split: 56% Female, 44% Male

International: 30%

Dual Degree: 25%

The On-Campus MBA requires 3 years of post-undergraduate work experience as we have found that this strengthens our classroom discussions and enables students to learn more from each other.

No, many current students do not have previous coursework in business.

No, you must have completed a bachelor’s degree from a 4-year institution to enroll in MBA courses.

You need to activate your Student IT Account to get access to SPIRE, UMass Email, and Online library resources. On the SPIRE Logon page, click Activate Your Account under IT Accounts.  You will need your NetID and temporary password sent to you via email or regular mail.

All students can browse courses in SPIRE to review Isenberg course offerings. To register, login to SPIRE and click on Main Menu > Enrollment > Add Classes.

Yes! The University uses an Online Learning Management System called Canvas. Canvas courses are available a week prior. This is a great opportunity to introduce yourself and start to learn the navigation before having to learn the course content.

Required course materials may be available by looking at the course notes and/or course syllabus all available in SPIRE OR through the MBA Toolkit in Blackboard Learn.

Incoming students will register for and complete the four week Foundations of Accounting course as well as a self-paced Excel course during the summer months. Beyond these two courses, there is no additional academic prep work required. Students will have access to the MBA Toolkit in Blackboard Learn for updates and helpful resources provided by the department. Additionally, students should regularly check their UMass email.

Yes. Prior to the beginning of classes, all first-year students participate in the David C. O’Leary, Class of 1981, MBA Leadership Orientation Program. This is an immersive three-day orientation that takes place the week before classes begin. The program focuses on leadership and professional development such as interviewing techniques, networking strategies, and more, culminating with a networking reception at the UMass Club in downtown Boston.

Yes! Isenberg MBA Student Networks provide many opportunities for students to tailor their MBA experience. Student organizations open the doors to relationships, leadership development, and professional growth. Organizations include, but are not limited to; Graduate Business Association, Business Intelligence Club, Net Impact, and Graduate Women in Business. You can learn more about these organizations here.

Graduate courses, taken within the previous three years that were not used to satisfy another degree, are eligible for transfer. You can transfer/waive up to two classes (6 credits) from another university toward your Isenberg MBA. Courses and their respective credits that transfer will reduce the number of credits required to complete your Isenberg MBA degree. Waivers do not reduce the number of credits; it simply allows you to replace a core class with an elective. In order for courses to be considered for transfers or waivers, please send us a description, a syllabus and an official transcript for each course. Please be specific about which Isenberg course you are requesting to have reviewed. We prefer to receive these requests via email to grad@isenberg.umass.edu.

You will be exempt from the foundation course in Accounting. In addition, Certified Public Accountants and those who have a Bachelor of Science in Accounting will be waived from the MBA core course, Financial and Managerial Accounting. As part of your application for admission, please include a copy of your CPA Certification or your official transcript for the BS in Accounting degree.

Yes; students may be eligible to waive a core class based on their undergraduate major or other graduate degree. This is typically addressed only with admitted students as they work with the advisors to schedule their first year of courses.

Visit the American Council in Education (ACE) website to determine whether your military training courses qualify for credit. Once you determine which courses qualify, send an email, including the link to the ACE Course Exhibit web page to be reviewed by an advisor.

The Graduate Programs Office will contact you to let you know which course(s) has been approved for transfer or waiver.

Several tuition waiver scholarships are available for students. When invited for an admissions interview, more information will be provided regarding the selection process for the tuition waiver scholarships.

Please review the graduate level financial aid information on the University's financial aid website. 

Graduate assistantships may be available for students accepted into the program. General information about assistantships can be obtained by visiting the Graduate Assistantship Office website. 

Students are responsible for paying for miscellaneous fees plus books and living expenses (which can vary based on your needs). Graduate housing is currently unavailable on-campus. You will be able to work with the Off-Campus Housing Office once accepted into the program.

You will be billed directly by the University Bursar's Office. Billing information will be sent to your UMass email account. Paper bills will not be generated. The bill can be viewed within SPIRE and paid directly online, or it can be downloaded and mailed with a check.

Yes. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required when you confirm acceptance to the On-Campus MBA and will be applied to the first fall semester bill.