Admissions

Admissions Criteria

Vanderbilt is unique in our mission to create opportunities to discover, grow, and thrive in business and beyond. We seek exceptionally talented individuals who will value our dynamic community, meet the challenges of our rigorous program, and join our collaborative alumni network.

As we evaluate applications, we have a holistic approach and look for success in three main areas of your life:

Academic Potential

• Ideal candidates for the Vanderbilt Master of Marketing program are close to completing a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent or have recently graduated (within 1-2 years). If you apply before graduation, you must complete your degree before enrolling in the Master of Marketing program.
• We rely on your academic records and test scores to assess your ability to succeed academically in the program. Ideal candidates have taken a demanding course load in any field of study and have a consistent record of high performance.

Experience and Goals

• Full-time work experience is not required; however, we strongly recommend internships in marketing or a related field. Most incoming students find that completing a professional internship or job prior to starting the Master of Marketing program allows them to understand new concepts more fully and enable more meaningful contributions in MBA-level classes.
• We highly value student leadership, community service, and extracurricular activities that showcase your leadership skills and your ability to share unique perspectives with the class.
• While the program offers you the opportunity to explore various marketing careers, we expect you to have invested time considering your unique career goals in marketing through research and informational interviews with marketing professionals.

Personal Qualities and Fit

• Vanderbilt Master of Marketing students have a balanced approach to life, a history of accomplishment, a sense of social responsibility, and strong interpersonal and creative skills, all showing their outstanding potential for leadership in business and society.
• We hope your essays, recommendations, and interview will reveal personal qualities that fit the Vanderbilt culture: integrity, self-awareness, professionalism, communication skills, curiosity, open-mindedness, generosity, authenticity, cooperation, motivation, and excellence.