Entrance Requirements

The Alberta MBA Program is an intensive 16-month program. Success requires high scholastic aptitude, a superior command of English and strong time-management skills. Admission to the Alberta MBA Program is highly selective. We seek motivated, bright, articulate individuals who have a strong standard of personal ethics. No formula is employed in admission decision-making. Rather, each candidate is evaluated individually to assess compatibility between the applicant and the program. The following sets out the entrance requirements in more detail:

Undergraduate Degree
Work Experience
GMAT
TOEFL
Letters of Reference
Statement of Intent
 

Undergraduate Degree

Admission to the Alberta MBA Program requires a strong, broadly-based undergraduate degree. Since we value the diversity of backgrounds, we accept students from all disciplines. To be considered, an applicant should hold a four-year undergraduate degree from a recognized institution with a minimum grade point average of 3.0/4.0.  Unfortunately, applied undergraduate degrees do not meet graduate admission requirements.  Only official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions will be accepted for application purposes. Two official transcript degree certificates must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the Alberta MBA Program office. If the transcripts and degree certificates are in a language other than English, official translated copies are also required.  For applicants with a degree from India, we also require official marksheets.

For students with a degree from outside North American, you must meet the minimum academic requirements from other countries laid out by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

Work Experience

The admission committee gives special consideration to professional experience and early career accomplishments, including potential for career growth and advancement. Applicants should possess a minimum of two years, full-time work experience after completion of an undergraduate degree. Alberta MBA students possess an average of six years of work experience.

Your application should include a résumé with sufficient details of your professional work experience including months and years for each term of employment, full-time or part-time hours of work, and a brief description of employment duties. Education, volunteer experience(s), accomplishments achieved at work, and any extracurricular activities should also be highlighted.

Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)

The GMAT is a standardized assessment required by virtually all MBA schools to evaluate applicants.  The exam measures your verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills.  The GMAT is a requirement for all applications and applicants must arrange to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) prior to being evaluated for admission.  The minimum GMAT score required is 550.  It is recommended that you review the material prior to writing the test.  The institution code for the Alberta MBA Program is 87G-MT-78.

More information on the GMAT can be found here.

The Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta currently offers a 27-hour GMAT test preparation course.  More information on the course and availability is available on the Faculty of Extension Website.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

The language of instruction at the University of Alberta is English. Applicants who do not hold an undergraduate degree from a recognized institution in which the language of instruction is English are required to provide an official result from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Pearson Test of English (PTE) or the Michigan Test (MELAB).  A list of TOEFL exempt institutions is available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

Successful applicants will have demonstrated their English language proficiency by achieving the following minimum scores:

TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), or 100 (internet-based test)
IELTS (Academic): Overall band score of 7.0, with at least 5 on each band
PTE (Academic): Overall score of 68
CAEL: Overall minimum of 60, with at least 60 on each subtest
MELAB: minimum of 85

More information on the TOEFL can be found here.

Letters of Reference

Candidates are required to submit three letters of reference. These assist the School in evaluating the candidate's managerial, administrative, and academic skills. Letters of reference should be obtained from current or past supervisors.  Referees are asked to complete our standard referee form (Letter to Support Application)and to submit the form directly to our office in a sealed envelope.

Statement of Intent

A statement of intent, approximately 1 to 2 pages in length, must be included with your application. The statement should outline why you are interested in the program to which you seek admission, what your expectations are for the course of study, and how this degree relates to your career goals.

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