Online MBA Admissions

Application Fee

A non-refundable application fee of $75 is required. Please pay by credit card as you submit your application online. We offer application fee waivers for UMD Terp alumni and Military students.

Letter of Recommendation

A recommendation should be solicited from an individual who can objectively comment on an applicant’s performance in a professional environment. Only one recommendation letter is required with your application.

Professional Work Experience

Multiple years of professional experience strengthen an applicant’s profile and provide an important edge in the admissions process. A minimum of three years of work experience is highly recommended for consideration. An application is not considered complete unless it contains the applicant’s resume.

Essays

The admissions committee looks for essays that clearly and concisely answer the assigned question. It is preferred that applicants keep their submission to approximately 300 words, or two pages double-spaced. Be clear about your career goals and why you want to earn your MBA. Before submitting, be sure to check for spelling and grammatical errors.

Quantitative Preparation

Applicants must demonstrate an ability to successfully complete quantitative coursework. Candidates without previous undergraduate or graduate quantitative coursework, strong quantitative skills displayed on the GMAT or GRE test, or quantitative centered professional experience, may be asked to demonstrate their abilities by taking a class (such as calculus) at an accredited institution prior to beginning MBA coursework.

Graduate Admissions Test (GMAT / GRE)

The GMAT or GRE for all MBA applicants are now optional, and no longer a requirement. Please contact an enrollment advisor for additional information.

To submit a GMAT or GRE score report to enhance an application, request an official score report by visiting www.mba.com for the GMAT and www.ets.org/gre for the GRE.  When requesting a score report be sent to the University of Maryland, please use the following institutional code for the Online MBA: GMAT code is SQT-N8-32; GRE code is 5814

Academic History

The online application allows you to upload a scanned official transcript(s) for each college or university attended. If the official transcript where you received your degree does not state the degree was conferred, please also upload an official diploma or official copy of your degree received (most schools already list the conferred degree on the transcript). If you are formally admitted to the University of Maryland, you will be required to submit an official transcript to the graduate school. If your transcript is not in English, please also submit an official transcript translated into English.

The University of Maryland Graduate School requires admitted students to have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0/4.0. Applicants who have a grade point average below 3.0 may still be considered but are required to use the essay to address this.

English Test Scores (TOEFL or IELTS)

Proof of English language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS official scores) is required for non-native English speakers. Those who have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from one of the countries listed here are waived of this requirement. Contact www.toefl.org to request an official copy of your TOEFL test score to be sent to the University of Maryland at College Park, Institutional Code 5814. IELTS information can be found at www.ielts.org.

Campus Requirements / Immigration Documents

All students, including international students, are required to attend two three-day residencies scheduled at the beginning and the end of the program on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Maryland. The University of Maryland, College Park, cannot issue a Form I-20 or Form IAP-66 to students enrolled in the online MBA program for the attendance of the residencies.

Academic Credentials

By the application deadline date, the admissions office must receive:

• A transcript/mark sheets (in the original language) uploaded to the online application. If your transcript is not in English, please also upload a transcript/mark sheets translated* into English.
• A copy of the diploma/degree received (only if this information is not listed on your transcript). If your diploma is not in English, please also submit a diploma translated into English. This documentation should be uploaded to the online application.

Only applicants who have completed the full sequence of preparatory studies and examinations equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree from an approved institution and who have demonstrated high academic achievement will be considered.

*Translations should not be interpretive, and actual names of all degrees, diplomas, and certificates must appear in the translation. If you are in need of a translation service, a list of English translation companies can be found here.

Smith Financial Awards

The Smith School of Business bestows financial awards to a select number of applicants based on scholastic merit, professional accomplishment and evidence of leadership. All applicants whose applications are complete by the application deadline receive automatic consideration.

Double Terp Financial Award

A Double Terp Financial Award is available to alumni of the University of Maryland, College Park who are newly-admitted into the Smith Online MBA program. Be sure to indicate that you are a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park on your application for admission.

Corporate Partnerships

The Smith School of Business has partnered with specific organizations to offer reduced tuition and no application fee or enrollment deposit for their full-time employees and their immediate family members who enroll in the online MBA program. If you are employed by a partner organization and would like to learn more about this benefit, or would like to confirm if your organization has a partnership with Smith, please contact an enrollment advisor.

Federal Student Loans

Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may apply for Federal Student Loans through the Office of Student Financial Aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov; UMD-College Park’s FAFSA code is 002103.

After the FAFSA is received by the Office of Student Financial Aid, additional information specific to the individual student may be requested. When all application materials are received Federal loans are certified, and the student is notified. This notification process typically begins mid to late June. An application for aid has no bearing on the application for admittance to the program.

US Military Members and Veterans

The University of Maryland has a Veterans Program Office to assist military service members and veterans in their educational pursuits. Veteran Award and VA benefit information can be found online

Satisfactory Academic Progress

All students receiving financial aid must maintain certain academic standards during the program or else risk losing eligibility for funding. Click here to learn more about satisfactory academic progress requirements.