MSBA Frequently Asked Questions

On-Campus Fall Start (Amherst or Newton)
Early Action/International Applicant Deadline: February 1 
Final Deadline: June 1* 

On-Campus Spring Start (Amherst only)
Early Action/International Applicant Deadline: August 1 
Final Deadline: November 1* 

Online Fall Start
Priority: June 1
Final: July 15*

Online Spring Start
Priority: October 1
Final: November 15*

Online Summer Start
Priority: February 1
Final: March 15*

*Domestic applicants and international students currently on a Visa studying in the U.S.

All applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognized academic institution of acceptable standing and coursework in subjects such as calculus, statistics or probability is encouraged, but not required. For UMass Amherst students, this is equivalent to an R2 General Education Requirement. Students are eligible to apply while still enrolled as an undergraduate. Admissible individuals will receive a conditional approval pending final grades and degree confirmation.

Once you access the online application, under the “Objectives” tab in the “Degree(s)” section, please choose “Management (M.S. in Business Analytics) with the correct option to which you are applying (Amherst or Newton).

Yes! If you plan on enrolling as an Online MSBA student you can take up to 6 credits as a non-degree student. Please contact our office for specific instructions and course recommendations before registering.

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 any incomplete materials and next steps.

Acceptance decisions are posted in SLATE with instructions to confirm acceptance. 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 and current UMass Amherst undergraduates)

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)

English Language Proficiency score (for non-native English speakers 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 MSBA, 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.

If your current transcript has all of the courses and grades (GPA-based) from the previous institutions included, you are not required to submit the transcripts. We highly encourage you to double-check with the University Registrar’s Office. Otherwise, you are required to submit transcripts from all previous institutions where 9 credits or more were earned. 

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.

A GMAT/GRE waiver is granted for an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. To be considered for the GMAT/GRE waiver, leave the application test score section blank. If you are a working professional and don’t meet the GPA qualification, waivers may be considered for individuals with professional work experience.

School Code: Isenberg-UMass Amherst - 3917

The Master of Science in Business Analytics program requires 11 courses, or 31-32 credits, for graduation.

Microsoft Excel, Tableau, SAP, SQL, Python, MS Access, Teradata, and XLMiner.

Both the number of credits and the order of courses will depend on your start date. Choose your intended program and review the program curriculum on the Academics page.

We follow a typical semester system – fall and spring semesters are 14 weeks. The summer semester schedule may vary and for the Online MSBA, the winter session is typically 5 weeks. 

The presentation of classes is through the Blackboard Learn system, utilizing an asynchronous presentation style including recorded 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). 

The MSBA program is a one-year, specialized master’s program which provides core business analytics content. The curriculum focuses on data analytics coursework including Business Intelligence, Application Development with Python, Data Mining, Data Science for Business, Data Management for Business Leaders, along with some foundation business courses.

The certificate provides a specific subset of 12 credits of Business Analytics courses while the 31-32 credit MSBA provides both the foundations of business management in addition to the analytics courses.

Yes, you can. For the MSBA, all course credits will transfer towards your degree. For the Isenberg Online MBA, SCH-MGMT 650 transfers as a core class, and the remaining 3 certificate courses would apply to a focus area in Business Analytics within the Online MBA. Taking the certificate before the degree program does not guarantee admission to the degree program. There are separate application processes for each program. Taking the certificate program before the MSBA is not required.

The On-Campus MSBA is offered as a fall or spring start in Amherst or a fall start in Newton.

The Online MSBA program has three start dates each year: fall, spring, summer. 
 

The Isenberg School of Management is accredited by AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB grants international accreditation to undergraduate and graduate business administration and accounting degree programs.

Undergraduate students at UMass Amherst and other colleges in the Five College Consortium can pursue a 4+1 option, completing their undergraduate degree and the MSBA degree in 5 years or less. Undergraduate students apply to the MSBA program in their junior year or early in their senior year and can then take up to 12 credits of MSBA graduate courses during their senior year, with up to 6 of those credits (2 courses) allowed to double-count for both the undergraduate and the MSBA degree.

Congratulations on reaching your goal of completing your MSBA! If you are enrolling in your last class this semester, you must complete the Degree Eligibility Form and submit it to your academic advisor.

Note: An overall 3.0 GPA (B) must be maintained in order to graduate. Once your Degree Eligibility Form has been processed by the Graduate Office, details about commencement will be both emailed and mailed to your current address (listed on SPIRE).

Yes, you will receive the same exact diploma. Whether you take the program online or in-person, it will not be specified on the diploma. 

Diplomas are mailed out approximately 2 months after degree clearance.

YES! All eligible MSBA students can participate in graduation ceremonies and receptions. You are eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies and receptions if you complete your MSBA 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 various social gatherings. Events may be offered both virtually and in-person.

Isenberg Resources:

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

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)

On-campus MSBA students at both the Amherst and Newton campuses work closely with the Chase Career Center throughout the course of the program, as well as having access to the library, computer labs, etc.

Isenberg MSBA students are provided with many opportunities to tailor their experience. Student organizations open the doors to relationships, leadership development, and professional growth. Organizations include but are not limited to Business Intelligence Club and Net Impact.

Average Age: 25
Average GMAT Score: 620
Average UGPA: 3.3

No, the MSBA program does not require any work experience for its incoming students. Upcoming and recent graduates are encouraged to apply.

We are looking for applicants with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above. However, applicants who are below a 3.0 are not excluded from applying as we look at application materials holistically.

Residency is not a part of the program requirements as the Online MSBA is 100% online and can be done from anywhere in the world.

No, students from all backgrounds have completed this program successfully.

Graduate courses, taken within three years of admission into the program and with a grade of B or better, and that were not used to satisfy another degree, are eligible for transfer. You can transfer up to 6 credits from another accredited university toward your Isenberg MSBA. Courses and their respective credits that transfer will reduce the number of credits required to complete your Isenberg MSBA degree. Non-degree courses must have been taken within three years of admission into the program with a grade of B or better.

For courses to be considered for transfers, please send us a course description and a syllabus for each course. Please be specific about which Isenberg course you are requesting to have reviewed. If approved, you will need to have your official transcript sent with the courses listed to gradadm@grad.umass.edu.

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

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, tuition is the same regardless of state or country residency. To find out more about the various tuition structures, fees, and financial aid, please visit this link for the Online MSBA and this link for the On-Campus MSBA.

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

No, not at this time.

No, Isenberg does not offer graduate assistantships for one-year masters programs or programs offered through UWW.

No, there is no deposit required.

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

For specific partnership benefits, please reference your individual page.

You will need to complete and sign the agreement. You can view the Extended Payment Plans here. Please note these payment plans are applicable to all of Isenberg’s online graduate programs.

A strong performance in your MSBA non-degree courses may aid in the GMAT/GRE waiver process. Overall successful completion of non-degree courses does not guarantee admission into the program.

Yes, only 6 credits of non-degree courses are eligible for transfer into the MSBA program. A grade of B or better is required for transfer.

To register for courses as a non-degree student, you must make an enrollment appointment. Please follow this link for the instructions.

Non-degree registration typically opens two weeks after registration opens for our matriculated students. Please contact our office for course recommendations with open seats.

Please refer to the Academic Calendar to see the last day of registration, as well as the first and last day of classes of each semester. 

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.

Students will enroll in courses through SPIRE. The program academic advisor will provide enrollment details prior to each registration period with current course listings and instructions on how to enroll.

To access your online class for the first time, use your UMass login credentials to sign-in to Canvas.

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. 

You can find out what course materials will be required by looking at the course notes and/or course syllabus all available in SPIRE.

If you are unable to take a class in a Fall or Spring semester, you will need to register for continuous enrollment. Contact your advisor for more details.

If you do not enroll in a minimum of one course in the spring and fall semesters by the add/drop deadline OR do not apply for continuous enrollment, you will be withdrawn from the University for “failure to enroll.” Should this happen and you wish to be readmitted, you must contact the Graduate Programs Office, pay the program fees and a readmit fee. Readmission is not guaranteed.