Master's in Business Analytics FAQ

GMAT waivers are available. See if you qualify by reading the GMAT/GRE waiver requirements below.

Yes, the GMAT or GRE exam is required and must be taken within the last five years. However, you can submit your application even if you have not yet taken an exam. You will just need to 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. 

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.

Please note that GRE scores are converted to GMAT scores using the GRE Comparison Tool for Business Schools.

Take the GMAT Mini Quiz

Due to the current pandemic, MSBA applicants have the option to submit an MBA Math (https://www.mbamath.com/) transcript in lieu of GMAT or GRE test scores. For more information, contact gradbiz@sandiego.edu.

GMAT/GRE waivers may be granted to MSBA applicants who have a major GPA above 3.5 in an approved field of study (Accounting, Biological Sciences, Economics, Engineering, Finance, Information and Computer Sciences, Health Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Science, and Statistics).

If you have a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5 in a quantitative field, the GMAT/GRE can be waived based on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

Students educated outside of the United States must submit a course-by-course degree evaluation conducted by World Education Services.

Unfortunately, the Knauss School of Business does not offer conditional admission. To be considered for admission to the MSBA program, your application must be complete, including all supporting documents and required test scores.

Tuition for the MSBA 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 opportunities to subsidize or offset the cost of tuition. These include low-interest loans to admitted students, courtesy of our partner, Prodigy Finance. Visit the tuition page to see the estimated cost of this program and for additional information on financial support.

Applications are processed on a rolling basis, which means the admissions committee will begin the review of an application soon after it is complete and all supporting documentation has been received. Application deadlines are listed to help you see how far along we are in the application cycle. We encourage you to submit your application when you feel confident that it is the best representation of your skills and experience. Submitting your application between the deadlines does not have an impact on the admissions decision.

Please keep in mind that the number of seats in the upcoming cohort decreases as the application cycle continues.

If it is after the final application deadline, you are welcome to contact our office to check that there are remaining seats in the cohort.

Students are required to have a semester of college-level statistics with a grade of “B-” or better. This requirement must be completed before starting classes.

You can request to defer admission to the MSBA program for one year. 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 a $1,000 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 year. Getting denied does not impact potential admissions decisions for the future. Please contact the MSBA Admissions Office for a re-application fee waiver.

You can also request feedback on your application by contacting MSBA Admissions Office. Due to the volume of applications, please contact the office via email at the end of the application cycle.

A TOEFL or IELTS exam is required for applicants whose language of undergraduate instruction was not in English.

TOEFL internet-based test (must be taken within the last two years)

• minimum score = 92
• minimum preferred speaking score = 20

• minimum score = 7.0
• minimum preferred speaking score = 7

If you earned a degree from an institution outside the United States, you are required to submit an official international transcript evaluation (also called a foreign credential evaluation) as part of your application. Please note that the evaluation must be a course-by-course evaluation. You must order your official course-by-course evaluation from one of the following evaluation services:

World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. (JSA)
SpanTran: The Evaluation Company (SpanTran)
Foreign Academic Credential Service (FACS)

Yes, some undergraduate USD courses are transferable to the MSBA degree including the following: 

DSCI 300 Perspective Business and ONE of the following 3-unit courses:

MKTG 411 Marketing Analytics

ECON 385 Business Analytics Strategy

FINA 409 Financial Modeling and Analytics

• Undergraduate students must apply and be admitted to the MSBA program.
• Grades of B or better are required to waive MSBA courses.
• Courses are fulfilled in the order listed above.
• Students must fulfill all other requirements for the MSBA degree.