FAQ

• Full-Time MBA,
• Fully Employed MBA,
• Executive MBA
• Global EMBA for Asia Pacific

• Visit the MBA website
• Watch a pre-recorded Information Session at your convenience
• Get answers to your questions at an Admission Q&A: Live session
• Join our students for virtual coffee chats
• Register for a class visit
• Attend a UCLA Anderson event
• Connect with students in clubs in your area
• Reach out to our Student Ambassadors
• Check out the UCLA Anderson admissions blog
• Follow us on  Twitter
• Follow us on Facebook
• Follow us on Instagram

Yes, UCLA Anderson is home to the following centers of excellence, each concerned with a unique aspect of the business world and serving students with additional resources and real-world training for our students:

• Center for Global Management
• Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports (MEMES)
• Laurence and Lori Fink Center for Finance & Investments
• Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate
• UCLA Anderson Forecast
• Easton Technology Management Center
• Morrison Family Center for Marketing and Data Analytics

• Computer Science: MBA/MSCS
• Latin American Studies: MBA/MLAS
• Law: MBA/J.D.
• Library & Information Science: MBA/MLIS
• Medicine: MBA/M.D.
• Public Health: MBA/MPH
• Public Policy: MBA/MPP
• Urban Planning: MBA/MURP

Visit  Concurrent Degrees for more information.

UCLA Anderson offers only fall intake.

No, we do not accept transfer credits. However, it is possible to test out of some core courses to be replaced by MBA elective courses of your choice.

The MBA program is a full-time format. Students find themselves on campus from 8:00 a.m. until late into the night during their first year. Hours that are not scheduled for class are typically used for club meetings, recruiting and homework. Although the schedule does not leave enough time to work a part-time job, academic internships are available as early as winter quarter of the first year. If you are interested in a more flexible format that allows you to work while attending classes, please explore UCLA Anderson's Fully Employed MBA and Executive MBA formats.

You can view the current brochure online here.

In response to COVID-19 impacts and in accordance with guidelines form federal and county agencies, the UCLA Anderson campus visit program is temporarily suspended. Nevertheless we still encourage you to learn as much as possible about our program and community via our many virtual events, including webinars, chats with students and alumni, admissions Q&A sessions, and more! These are great ways for you to get acquainted with our program without visiting campus. Additionally, we encourage you to become familiar with our website, which is an excellent resource for information on our application requirements, costs, academic curriculum, etc., as well as to access the application and our program brochure. We cannot wait to have visitors from around the world join us again on campus soon!

You may apply to only one UCLA Anderson program in a given year. There are separate application processes for each program.

Although we do not have formal admissions advisors, you can send an e-mail to mba.admissions@anderson.ucla.edu with your specific questions, and we will reply to you promptly. While we cannot accommodate individual counseling sessions, we encourage you to connect with our admissions representatives by attending an Admissions Q&A: Live session online You will also be able to or explore in-depth presentations about career options and our global alumni at our Career Spotlight and Global Perspective Series respectively, or catch us on the road at one of the fairs, forums and conferences that we attend every year. To sign up for events and learn more, please visit our MBA Events page.

No domestic and international students pay the same program fees. See the student budget here: Financing.

Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States who fulfill the residency requirements can qualify as California residents.

At-home test-taking options are now available for some exams in most regions. Please visit the testing agency's website for more information. We will accept scores from at-home exams, and they will be evaluated in the same way as exams taken at test centers.

The incoming class is expected to start on time.

To be considered for admission, you must take the GMAT or GRE, hold the equivalent of a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, and submit a completed application for admission. International applicants with a three-year undergraduate degree may be admitted if the Admissions Committee determines that their academic profile and overall application are strong enough. The TOEFL or IELTS is also required for the majority of international applicants.

For more information, please visit our Admissions Requirements page.

The application is available from August 1, 2020, through April 16, 2021, with  three application rounds to choose from. Completed applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the deadline date to be evaluated in that round.

Yes. Applicants are notified on a continuous basis throughout each application period, so you are advised to apply for admission as early as possible. Historically, fewer applicants are admitted in the last round, which tends to be especially competitive. Candidates who are denied admission during one deadline period cannot reapply during another deadline period in the same academic year. However, denied applicants may reapply the following year.

Applications are completed and submitted online only. The application fee is $200.

Application fee waivers are available for all U.S. military applicants, current UCLA graduate students, and SIEML program participants only. To request a waiver, please upload the requested documentation within your application and wait for confirmation from Admissions before submitting your application (do not pay the fee as we do not refund any fees paid.)

Unfortunately, we do not accept updates to the application once it has been submitted. If you must add information after your application has been submitted, then your application will be moved to a later round for consideration.

You will be notified of our decision via email by the appropriate decision release date for the round in which you applied.

The Admissions Committee selects a diverse community of students who will succeed in managerial leadership and bring unique contributions to enrich UCLA Anderson. The committee carefully evaluates: biographical and academic background information; your GMAT/GRE score and, for most international applicants, TOEFL/IELTS score; achievements, awards, and honors; employment history; letter of recommendation; essay(s); and college and community involvement, especially where you have served in leadership capacities.

Please visit our Admissions page to find out more.

We recommend that all admitted students complete a differential calculus course prior to the start of MBA studies. Knowledge of statistics also is recommended to prepare for MBA coursework. Finally, all students are expected to have a working knowledge of word processing, as well as spreadsheet and presentation software applications (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Components of an application are not weighted. All of the factors are important aspects of the application. The Admissions Committee conducts a comprehensive review and considers the total application holistically.

Yes, feedback sessions are available at the end of the admissions cycle. Requests for feedback sessions will be accepted May 14–28 and those interested will be scheduled for 15-minute phone sessions.

GMAT/GRE test date must be within 5 years of your application submission date.

TOEFL/IELTS test date must be within 2 years of your application submission date.

No. Many factors are considered in the decision process. Admissions decisions are not made solely on the basis of grades and test scores. However, you may want to note our average and range of scores in our most recent class profile and ensure that your GMAT or GRE score (including Writing Assessment) represents your ability. If your score doesn't reflect your ability, we recommend that you consider retaking the test.

We will see all of your scores and, although we will not average them, we will primarily consider your highest score.

The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test (CAT) that is administered frequently throughout the year at approximately 400 computer-based testing locations around the world. To make testing arrangements, visit www.mba.com and please note that the GMAT code for UCLA Anderson School of Management is 2NZ-2F-24.

TOEFL or IELTS scores are required of all applicants EXCEPT those from a select list of countries. For more information please refer to UCLA Graduate Division Office English requirements.

Applicants who were educated in countries where English is not the primary spoken language of daily life are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS, no matter the language used at their school.  This includes applicants with degrees from multilingual countries such as India, Nigeria and Pakistan.  

Please note that work experience in English is not sufficient for a TOEFL/IELTS waiver. For more information about the TOEFL, visit www.ets.org/toefl or, for the IELTS, visit www.ielts.org.

Almost all admits score over 100 on the TOEFL IBT, 610 on the TOEFL paper-based test, or 7.0 overall on the IELTS. For more information about the TOEFL, visit www.ets.org/toefl or, for the IELTS, visit www.ielts.org.

Although work experience is not required for admission, the average is five years. It is important for you to assess your own readiness when deciding to apply. Recent college graduates who have exceptional academic records and GMAT scores, who have demonstrated strong leadership in college, and who are ready to pursue their MBA are encouraged to apply. We seek to admit outstanding leaders at different points in their professional careers. We feel it is not the quantity of experience that counts but rather the quality, and how the experience translates into your goals.

Internships can provide valuable experience, but should not be counted as full-time work experience.

Please submit only two letters of recommendation, preferably from direct supervisors or managers at your current place of employment.

If you have been out of school for less than two years, you may include an academic recommendation in place of a work-related one. Ideally, an academic recommender should know you beyond the classroom through research, internships or other interactions. Early-career applicants should also consider asking club advisors, internship supervisors or other employers who can comment on your leadership skills.

In your optional essay you can explain your reasons for not including a letter of recommendation from your direct supervisor. You may request a letter of recommendation from another work-related source such as a client or a manager from another department who knows your skills, or a former boss who has left the company. We are looking for letters of recommendation from people who know your work well, preferably from a supervisory perspective. Remember that family and friends/peers at work are not the best sources.

Yes, your completed application, including your letters of recommendation, must be submitted to us by the deadline in order to be considered for evaluation. It is your responsibility to inform your recommenders of the deadline and ensure that your letters of recommendation are submitted by the deadline for the round in which you are applying.

All candidates being considered for admission will be interviewed, but an interview is not a guarantee of an offer.

Interviews are by invitation only. If you are selected for an interview, you will be notified after the admissions committee has reviewed your application, which could be at any time during the admissions round. If you cannot come to campus for the interview then one will be arranged via Skype or Zoom. There is no difference between interviews conducted on-campus or Skype/Zoom, as all interviewers are trained to evaluate communication skills, focus, reasoning, passion, and understanding of the opportunities that a UCLA Anderson MBA provides.

Interviews take place in every round. It is possible to receive an interview invitation at any point before the decision release date of the round in which you applied.