MBA FAQ

The University of San Diego requires an official score report from the GMAT or GRE exam to apply to the MBA program. USD's school code for the GMAT is 29B-Q2-68. If you plan to submit a GRE score, leave the GMAT information blank on the application and request that ETS submit your official score report to USD. Our school code for the GRE is 4849.

You can still submit your application if you have not yet completed the GMAT. Just indicate in the online application the date on which you are scheduled to take the exam. Note that the admissions committee will hold off on a final review of your application until the GMAT or GRE test score has arrived.

Take the GMAT Mini Quiz (Full-Time MBA)

Take the GMAT Mini Quiz (Professional MBA)

Full-Time MBA program applicants: A GMAT or GRE waiver may be requested only if you have completed an MD or a PhD in an approved field of study.

Part-Time MBA program applicants: 

• In addition to the potential waivers indicated above for MD or PhD applicants, waivers will be considered for those who meet the following criteria: 1) A master's degree with a 3.0 GPA in an approved field of study or a bachelor's degree with a 3.2 GPA in an approved field of study, and 2) five years of relevant full-time work experience. Please complete this form to see if you are eligible for a GMAT waiver
• Certain Part-Time MBA candidates may also be eligible to take the Executive Assessment instead of the GMAT.  This 90-minute exam is also administered by the makers of GMAT and is designed for experienced business professionals. This opportunity will be considered for those who have over 7 years of relevant work experience or have already completed a master's degree.  Please complete this form to see if you are eligible to take the Executive Assessment. Learn more about the Executive Assessment.

Approved fields of study: Accounting, Biological Sciences, Economics, Engineering, Finance, Information and Computer Sciences, Health Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Statistics.

To request a GMAT waiver, please complete this waiver form. The waiver request form should be submitted early in the application process to ensure appropriate requirements are met.

A competitive GMAT score is generally within 50 points of the average score for the most recent incoming MBA class (2017 Full-Time MBA average GMAT score: 611; Part-Time MBA average GMAT score: 580). Keep in mind that these averages range from year to year and that other factors are also considered when reviewing candidate applications.

All applications are reviewed by the admissions committee. However, applicants with a GMAT score below 500 are rarely offered admission. Additionally, a quantitative section score at or above the 35th percentile is highly preferred.

We want our future students to effectively prepare for the GMAT or GRE. Therefore, if an applicant completes a GMAT or GRE course through USD Professional and Continuing Education and is admitted to and attends one of our master's degree programs, then we will reimburse the student for the test preparation course cost in the form of a tuition scholarship. The maximum reimbursement scholarship is $895. The reimbursement scholarship is only available for USD test preparation courses. The reimbursement scholarship will be issued during the student's first semester. Reimbursement scholarships will only be issued for programs that require a GMAT or GRE for admission.* Students will need to submit a letter of completion from USD Professional and Continuing Education in order to be eligible. Please call Graduate Business Admissions at (619) 260-4860 to learn more and to see if you are eligible for a discount on your USD test preparation course.

*Programs that require GMAT and are eligible for this scholarship include: Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, Master's in Business Analytics, Master's in Finance, Master's in Real Estate. Ineligible programs include: Master's in Accountancy/Taxation.

Unfortunately, we do not. To be considered for admission to the USD School of Business MBA program, your application must be complete, including all supporting documents and required test scores.

Tuition for the MBA program is based on a per unit fee. There are no additional fees for international students or non-California residents, since we are a private, tuition-based institution. USD offers many different opportunities to subsidize or offset the costs. These include low-interest loans to admitted students, thanks to agreements with our partner, Prodigy Finance. You can visit our tuition page for the estimated cost of this school year and to find additional information on financial support.

We generally seek candidates who have a minimum of two years of full-time, post-undergraduate work experience. Exceptions are occasionally made for applicants who exhibit exceptional undergraduate performance and high GMAT or GRE scores.

A minimum of two years’ work experience is preferred for the following reasons:

1. Students learn more effectively in the MBA program if they have prior work experience for a frame of reference and experiences from which to draw examples.
2. Students expect to learn from the prior professional experiences of their classmates.
3. Potential employers of MBA graduates consider pre-MBA work experience alongside MBA degree accomplishments.

No, the USD School of Business does not currently offer this type of program.

While we do not have specific quantitative or business-related prerequisites, the admissions committee strongly prefers a GMAT quantitative section score at or above the 35th percentile. Admitted students who score below this range may be required to complete additional quantitative prep work prior to beginning the program.

If you are already enrolled in an MBA program at another AACSB accredited business school, you may be able to transfer a maximum of six credits of MBA coursework if admitted to the USD School of Business MBA program. Transfer requests are handled on a case-by-case basis, and applicants must complete the USD School of Business MBA application.

Students currently enrolled in a fellow Jesuit MBA Network program are able to transfer all units as long as they are in good standing within their current MBA program. Please work with your current academic advisor in order to complete the Jesuit MBA transfer paperwork, and contact the USD School of Business MBA Programs office for further guidance.

If you were educated outside of the United States, you are required to have your degree evaluated by World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators to ensure that your undergraduate degree is equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree. The degree evaluation must be completed before admission to the MBA program.

Applicants educated in India: Typically, three-year bachelor's degrees earned in Division I and II at institutions accredited by the NAAC with a minimum grade of A are viewed by WES as equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. Applicants with a three-year degree from India that does not meet the requirements above can complete a one-year post-graduate certificate program or a master's program in India to meet the MBA academic entrance requirements.

No, if you were educated outside of the United States, you will need to complete the degree evaluation process as part of your admission to the MBA program.

Students cannot switch between programs due to the cohort nature of the USD School of Business MBA program — meaning that you will begin the program and take the majority of your core classes with the same cohort of students. However, during elective coursework, the program uses a mixed cohort format, meaning that students from different cohorts take classes together in the evenings.

The Part-Time MBA program schedule is very flexible and students have the option to take nine or more credits per semester, which would qualify them for "full-time" student status by the university.

We prefer that full-time MBA students do not work off campus during the first year of the program. The first year consists mostly of core classes, which are offered during daytime hours. In addition, the program utilizes learning teams and group work/projects; full-time students are expected to be available during daytime hours to conduct this group work. You can apply for on-campus jobs or graduate assistantships to help fund your graduate studies. These jobs can have flexible schedules and are easily balanced with schoolwork.

As full-time MBA students move into the second year of the program and enroll in electives, primarily offered in the evenings, they have the opportunity to pursue daytime internships or part-time employment off campus.

Interviews are only scheduled at the request of the admissions committee after the completed review of an application. We prefer you visit campus for an interview, but can arrange a video interview using Zoom if you live outside of Southern California.

You can request to defer admission to the MBA program for one year (Full-Time MBA) or one semester (Part-Time MBA). Requests must be made in writing, and are granted on a case-by-case basis by the admissions committee. If the deferment request is granted, you will submit the $1,500 non-refundable enrollment fee in order to secure your place in the next cohort. Scholarship recipients who defer admission will be guaranteed a scholarship for the following academic year, but the actual amount of the scholarship may change depending on the scholarship allocations for that academic year.

You are welcome to reapply for the following semester if applying to the Part-Time MBA or the following academic year if applying to the Full-Time MBA. Being denied for one cohort does not impact potential admissions decisions for the future. Please contact the MBA Admissions Office for a re-application fee waiver. You can also request feedback on your application by contacting the admissions office. Due to the volume of applications, please contact the office via email at the end of the application cycle.

The TOEFL or IELTS is required for any applicant whose language of undergraduate instruction was not in English.

TOEFL (internet-based test) minimum score = 92 (minimum preferred speaking score = 20)

IELTS minimum score = 7.0 (minimum preferred speaking score = 7)

USD college code = 4849. For a testing center in your country, visit TOEFL or IELTS