MBA
ADMISSIONS

No. We seek students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Diversity in all forms—academic, professional, cultural, ethnic, gender, geographic, socioeconomic and so on—is an important component of the Vanderbilt MBA experience.

No. Most top business schools do not accept transfer students or transfer credits. If we do admit an individual who is already enrolled in another full-time MBA program, we will not accept transfer credits. The student will be expected to complete all 62 credits required for the Vanderbilt MBA degree.

No, there are no specific prerequisites. However, candidates with little or no business background are strongly urged to review algebra 2, statistics, basic finance, accounting and/or economic principles. Our program is highly quantitative in the first year, so to prepare for this, quantitative pre-work will ensure that you are successful in those classes. The Admissions Committee looks for a variety of abilities in all applicants, including critical thinking and analytical skills, communication abilities and interpersonal and leadership skills. Most students who have successfully completed introductory courses in college-level calculus and statistics find that they are adequately prepared to meet the quantitative demands of the program. Before classes start, Vanderbilt offers optional online reviews for incoming MBA students who want additional preparation. Click here for a detailed explanation of our admissions criteria.

No, Vanderbilt does not admit applicants seeking a second MBA degree or a similar graduate management degree, regardless of where the first was obtained. Exempt from this policy are graduate management degrees that were earned at a college or university outside the U.S. in order to satisfy the four-year U.S. bachelor's degree requirement. Also exempt are master's degrees that focus on a specific functional area of business (such as accounting, finance or management information systems) and do not offer a broad general management curriculum typical of the MBA degree.

The Admissions Committee considers each candidate individually. Admission is always based on individual credentials.

All kinds, but only full-time post baccalaureate work experience is counted in the official statistics we report. When we evaluate your application, we consider all full-time work, military experience, part-time work, internships, co-op assignments, summer jobs and volunteer work.

A three (3) year degree does not meet Owen’s academic admission qualifications/requirements. International students must have a degree from an accredited 4-year undergraduate program, or they must also complete the Charter Accountancy Designation OR at least one year of a Master of Commerce degree program to compliment the three year degree. For applicants educated in Lebanon please contact Kim Killingsworth, Director of International Recruiting & Relations.

Our graduate assistants will try to organize your visit around your individual background, interests and goals. The unpredictability of your travel schedule, the availability of student hosts and the activities of a certain class on any given day prevent us from guaranteeing that we will be able to fulfill everyone's desires all of the time. Regardless of the class you attend, the host you meet or the duration of your stay, we know you will find your visit to Vanderbilt to be a pleasant and productive experience.

Many applicants consider it ideal to complete an admissions interview while visiting campus; however, it is not required. You may skip the evaluative interview during your visit, or you may replace it with an informational meeting with a member of the Admissions Committee. When limited interview slots are available, priority is given to the most competitive applicants.

Click here for directions to Nashville and Vanderbilt. Click here for a campus map.

Our guests usually wear business professional attire when interviewing. Otherwise, most campus visitors wear business casual attire.

No. In general, you are encouraged to visit campus at least once because it is the best way to introduce yourself to members of the Owen community and to learn about the Vanderbilt MBA program, the university and Nashville. If you have not visited campus before receiving an offer of admission, we strongly encourage you to visit before you make a final decision about attending Vanderbilt. Most candidates prefer to visit during the academic year while classes are in session. However, we encourage you to visit at any time.

It depends. The availability of hosts, suitability of classes, number of visitors and other demands on our resources often make it difficult to arrange for you to attend more than one class during your campus visit. Our graduate assistants will work with you to make sure you get the most out of your visit to Vanderbilt.

During a personalized campus visit, you will be introduced to a student host, who will take you to his or her class, introduce you to faculty and fellow students and accompany you to lunch. After lunch, you can participate in a small group discussion with a member of our Career Management Center. You can arrange an evaluative interview or information session with a member of the Admissions Committee as a part of your visit.