Admissions

APPLICATION FORM

When you’re ready to apply, start with our online application form. Please be sure to select “Online MBA” from the program list when creating your application in the system. The easiest way to do this is to enter “Online MBA” in the search bar. Please review our admissions checklist to stay on top of required materials, and keep an eye on our deadlines, too.

Feel free to contact us with any questions along the way. We want the admissions process to be as simple and transparent as possible. Reach out to the Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid Office at (617) 353-2670 or mba@bu.edu. 

KIRA TALENT ASSESSMENT

We know that you are more than what’s on paper. During the online application process, all Online MBA candidates are invited to answer 3 Kira Talent Video Questions, which allow us to get to know you on a more personal level. You can access the Kira Talent platform here. When you register, you must use the same email address that you used to create your admission application account. Upon creating your account with Kira Talent, you can begin your video assessment. You’ll need to use an internet-connected computer with a webcam and microphone. You’ll have 30 seconds to prepare, and then 60 seconds to record your answers. You can practice an unlimited number of times with Kira Talent’s example questions, but once you start the formal video assessment, you are only allowed one opportunity to record. This allows the committee to see your candid responses. We want your video recording process to be as easy as possible. As such, we encourage you to dress in business casual attire – no need for a suit. The admission committee will review your responses as part of the application process, and are interested in your presence, personality, and fit with our community. We recommend trying out a few of the sample Kira questions prior to recording your formal video essay. This is not a required application component, but we highly encourage you to take advantage of this great opportunity.

WRITTEN ESSAY

In order to get to know you on a more personal level, applicants to the Online MBA program are required to complete one written essay during the application process. Within the “Documents” section of the “Program Materials” portion of the application, you will scroll down to “Essay” and click “Add Document” to upload your written essay.

Your written essay should be no more than 750 words, and should explain to the admissions committee why you’d like to earn your degree from the Questrom School of Business specifically.  It should also address why you have selected the program you are applying to and how that program will help you achieve your post-graduate goals.

OPTIONAL ESSAY

Optional Essay: If you have additional information to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee, you may address it in an optional essay of no more than 250 words. Acceptable topics for the optional essay include, but are not limited to, obstacles in your life that you’ve had to overcome, gaps in post-college work experience, choice of recommenders, and concerns about academic/test performance. If you plan to retake any admissions tests (GMAT or GRE; TOEFL, IELTS or PTE), please provide the date of your scheduled test here. To upload an optional essay, please scroll to the “Essay” section and click “Add Document.”

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES & TRANSCRIPT INFORMATION 

We require transcripts from any institution where you have completed 12 or more credits, including study aboard. We will accept unofficial copies of transcripts for the evaluation of your application, though any copies should include your name, the University name, confer date, course names, and grades for each course taken. 

We require that applicants hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited US institution or its international equivalent. If you have earned a three-year degree that is the equivalent of a four-year degree in the US, it will be accepted in the admissions process. For example, if you earned a three-year degree in India, your degree will qualify you to be considered for admission. Regardless of program length, if you are uncertain whether your undergraduate degree meets our qualifications, please contact mba@bu.edu before starting the application process. 

Students admitted to our graduate degree programs must provide proof of an earned bachelor’s degree or equivalent international credential. Boston University does not require official transcripts with the submission of an application. Should a student decide to enroll at Boston University Questrom School of Business, official transcripts from each of your previous universities must be submitted and verified prior to the point of matriculation. 

OPTIONAL GMAT OR GRE 

The Online MBA is a rigorous program that requires quantitative aptitude. The admissions committee will look for evidence of this in your application via previous coursework. If you feel that you do not have sufficient evidence in your previous coursework to demonstrate this aptitude, you may want to consider submitting a GMAT or GRE score to enhance your application. The GMAT or GRE is not required for admission to the Online MBA.

RESUME

You should submit a current resume that outlines all work experience, with months and years of employment. Your resume should show all employment history from the completion of your undergraduate degree, including any jobs that may not be considered relevant to your present career. We will calculate all full-time, post-graduate work experience from your undergraduate degree confer date and remove any gaps of unemployment. It’s important that we have an accurate sense of your months/years of employment for reporting purposes.

Within the online application you will also be asked to fill out a work experience section. For Online MBA students, we recognize this could be quite a bit of work. Please feel free to only include your current or most recent employment. We will look to your resume for the rest of the details on your work history.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION 

We require one letter of recommendation for the Online MBA. Within the application (program materials, recommender section) you will enter your recommender information. Once entered into the system, the person(s) listed will receive detailed instructions on how to submit their letter. They can either use the Common Letter of Recommendation or upload a standard letter they have written. We prefer you use someone who knows you in a professional capacity. 

Please note, your letter of recommendation must come via the online system or directly from the recommender themselves to OMBAappdocs@bu.edu. We cannot accept letters of recommendation directly from applicants. 

RE-APPLICANTS

The Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid Office keeps all records on file for one year. We welcome your re-application.

Each re-applicant is required to submit a new application form and fee ($125); an essay discussing updates or changes since the time of the previous application, as well as reasons for re-applying; an updated resume and official university-level transcripts (if the re-applicant has taken new coursework since the time of their first application). A new letter of recommendation is not required. Please email mba@bu.edu for more instructions.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY:

Candidates who have earned or will have completed at least two years of a bachelor’s or master’s degree at an institution in which the language of instruction was solely based in English are eligible for an automatic TOEFL/IELTS/PTE waiver. Candidates must present evidence of language of instruction with the application for admission. Appropriate documentation includes a transcript coversheet, an official statement from the university, or a link to the institution’s website that specifies that the mode of instruction is English. Additionally, candidates who have or will have worked for at least two years in a full-time, post-bachelor’s degree position in the US are eligible for an automatic waiver. If you do not meet this criteria but would like to be considered for a waiver, you can submit a written request highlighting your experience with and proficiency in the English language to mba@bu.edu prior to the submission of your application. The admissions committee will consider these requests on a case by case basis. If you are submitting test results with your application, please be advised that tests are valid for two years.

We are currently accepting Duolingo scores in addition to TOEFL and IELTS. To access the Duolingo test, go to https://englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants.  Select Boston University Graduate & Professional Programs as a score recipient, and email questromappdocs@bu.edu with your name and the date you have taken the Duolingo test.

• TOEFL: BU’s TOEFL code is 3087. Minimum Scores of 600 on the PBT or 90 on the iBT are recommended.
• IELTS: A student must score a minimum of 6.5 across each band.
• PTE: As more candidates submit the PTE, we are developing updated standards for our requirements. As new information becomes available, it will be posted here.
• Duolingo: A minimum score of 120 is recommended.

APPLICATION FEE WAIVER

The Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid Office will waive the application fee for current BU employees, as well as for those who attended select admissions events.

In addition, we will waive the application fee for those who are members or alumni of the following programs:

Instructions:

Instructions and the application fee waiver form can be found here.

Once we process your fee waiver request, you’ll receive a follow-up email with additional instructions on how to submit your application. DO NOT click “submit and pay for programs” prior to receiving these instructions. We are unable to offer application fee refunds.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, your application fee waiver may take a few business days to process. As such, we encourage you to submit your application fee waiver request as soon as you have started your application.  If you wait until the application deadline to submit your waiver request, you will still be considered “on time” for that deadline as long as you submit your application within 48 hours of receiving your waiver code. You must submit your waiver request before you submit your application in order for the fee waiver to be applied.

Tuition

The Online MBA costs $4,000 per module. The 45 credit program is completed 100% online. You will be billed at the start of each module.

You are only billed for direct expenses (tuition and fees) charged by the university. However, we encourage you to think about your budget for things like books, course materials, and incidentals and plan accordingly. We recommend budgeting between $350-$450 a semester for books and course materials. Please note, summer budget items are subject to change, but tuition will remain at $4,000.

Looking to see tuition rates in another currency? Click here convert the US dollar amounts into other currencies, such as Euros, Great Britain Pounds, Chinese RMB, and Indian Rupees, and see current exchange rates.

The following tuition, fees, and other expenses have been established at Boston University Questrom School of Business for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Online MBA tuition is subject to change.

Federal Financial Aid

We strongly recommend that all U.S. citizens and permanent residents apply for federal student loans before pursuing other loan options. Student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) to qualify for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Interest begins accruing at the time of the loan disbursement. Students can elect to pay the interest while in school or have it capitalized into a repayment schedule that starts six months after you leave school. The Standard Repayment term extends up to 10 years, with deferments available during unemployment, economic hardship, or continued education. Loan funds are issued in two disbursements each year, typically timed to coincide with the start of each semester. Please note the following:

• Students are eligible to borrow up to $20,500 per academic year
• Students must remain enrolled at least half-time (6 or more credits).
• Interest rate on the UNSUB loan is currently 7.05% fixed.

HOW TO APPLY – FALL 2022/SPRING 2023

1. Obtain a FSA ID. Students will need a FSA ID to complete and electronically sign the FAFSA.
2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (2023-2024 FAFSA) Boston University’s FAFSA school code is 002130.
3. Complete the 2023-2024 Federal Unsubsidized Loan Application. First time BU applicants may be asked to provide their SSN through secure email.
4. Submit the Master Promissory Note (MPN)* and Entrance Counseling for your loan (first time BU borrowers only)

*Be sure to complete the first option given, “MPN for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans”. The Graduate PLUS MPN is specifically for the Graduate PLUS Loan and not the unsubsidized loan. *For students starting their program in Fall 2024, you must complete the 24-25 FAFSA which will be available in December 2023. You must also complete the 2024-2025 Federal Unsubsidized Direct loan application which will also be available December 2023. Questions regarding federal loan funding can be sent to questromfa@bu.edu

Private Loans

For students who need financing beyond what is available through the federal student loan programs or choose not to borrow a federal loan, we offer a list of recommended loans and lenders here. A co-signer with a strong credit history will increase your chances of being approved for an alternative/supplemental loan.

Private Scholarships

The scholarship search engines below can help you to find the scholarships that are most applicable to your strengths, interests, and skills:

• International Student-Resource website for Full Time international students looking for funding
• The College Board
• FastWeb​
• Federal Student Aid​
• ​Fin Aid! Guide to Financial Aid
• Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)​
• Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance​
• Peterson’s College Quest
• The Wily Network​– support services for youth with foster care experience​

In addition, Questrom Financial Aid updates the list below as we are made aware of scholarships that may be applicable to some or all of our students. This list is not comprehensive but can also be a good place to start your search:

• Golden Key Scholarships– Golden Key offers unique scholarships, awards and grants to members, alumni and advisors all over the world.
• Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program – The Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program is available to students who are studying accounting, business administration, finance, or criminal justice. Students must also express an interest in fraud examination or a similar anti-fraud profession in order to be eligible. Applicants must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours.
• FINCAD Women in Finance Scholarship Program – The FINCAD women in Finance Scholarship Program offers an annual award of $10,000 to support a woman student of graduate study in the field of finance, particularly relating to the use of derivatives in capital markets and/or financial risk management. The scholarship is open to women of any age and citizenship.
• Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship – The GFOA’s Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship of $9,000 is available for award to an upper-division undergraduate or graduate student of public administration, (governmental) accounting, finance, political science, economics, or business administration (with a specific focus on government or nonprofit management)

Payment Plan Options

For students who are part-time during the academic year, there are two payment plan options during the Fall and Spring semesters. Each option requires a down payment of 25% of the enrolled plan amount, in addition to an enrollment fee. The remaining 75% of the plan amount may be paid in one of two ways. Students enrolling in Option 1 will make three equal installment payments of 25% of the plan amount, due monthly throughout the semester. Those enrolling in Option 2 will make their remaining payment shortly after the semester ends. Anyone enrolling in a payment plan must have access to a US bank account.

For enrollment in the plan, an initial payment and a completed online promissory note are due by the semester payment deadlines listed on the BU Student Accounting Website. Please follow the deadlines for those under “Online MBA Students” payment plans chart.

Veteran Benefits

Veterans and military personnel are eligible for educational assistance. If you are interested in taking advantage of this assistance, please contact 1-888-GI-BILL (1-888-442-4551) and speak with a Veterans Benefits Counselor or visit the GI Bill website

Yellow Ribbon Program

Boston University is proud to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, an agreement with the Veterans Administration (VA) to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. Individuals with active duty service since September 11, 2001, may be eligible for this benefit and can apply online at United States Department of Veterans Affairs. As a participant in the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP), Boston University will provide 20 students with Yellow Ribbon scholarships on a first-come, first-served basis. The University will contribute up to $2,600 per student per semester (fall, spring, and summer) that will be matched by the Veterans Administration. Please click here for more information.