Below is a six-step overview of the application process. Be sure to also review our application policies and procedures and application checklist before applying.
NC State MBA’s test-optional admissions policy allows candidates to apply without a standardized test score.
*Jenkins MBA’s test-optional admissions policy allows candidates to apply without a standardized test score.
Review this checklist before submitting your application to make sure you have everything you need.
All applicants must complete The Graduate School’s online application form. You must also complete the section labeled “MBA Supplemental Application.”
$75 non-refundable application fee for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents or $85 USD for non-resident aliens and international applicants. We waive the application fee for those who apply early through the One Day to MBA program.
Application fee waivers may be available for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents with financial need. Please send your request to Dr. David Shafer, Assistant Dean, at dmshafer@ncsu.edu and include an explanation of your economic circumstances. Application fees are waived for all US military members.
Please ensure that you address all of the required the items in the personal statement section of the application.
Supplemental essay responses are optional for Professional Online MBA applicants. Full-time MBA candidates must complete one essay unless applying for our One Day to MBA deadline.
Unofficial transcripts from each college/university attended, where 12+ credits were earned, should be uploaded to the online application. If you attended a university and earned less than 12 credits, you do not need to submit a transcript or note the school in your application. You will be required to submit a transcript for every college/university added to your application in the “Education History” section.
Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for the admissions committee to make a recommendation for admission, and you must submit official transcripts to The Graduate School for official admission to NC State. If your school sends official electronic transcripts, they may be emailed to graduate_applications@ncsu.edu. If you attended NC State, it is not necessary to request official transcripts.
Recommenders must be professional or academic in nature and we recommend that at least one recommendation be submitted by a current or prior supervisor. Applicants will submit their recommender’s contact information through the online application. Please note that the online application allows for three letters of recommendation, but the MBA program only requires two.
International applicants only. Review the waiver policy.
Admissions interviews are invitation only. Learn more in our policies and procedures.
Interested applicants should review all policies and procedures below before submitting an application.
The Admissions Committee will review your application. Interviews are required for all applicants prior to being admitted and we will notify you if you have been selected to interview.
With the exception of One Day to MBA participants, the MBA Admissions Committee will notify Professional Online MBA applicants of their recommendation of admission or denial within eight weeks after their application is placed under review and Full-Time MBA applicants will be notified by the dates listed on our application deadlines page. You will receive a letter from the Dean of the Graduate School with the official decision. For security reasons, we do not give admission decisions over the phone.
All admissions decisions are final. If you are denied admission, you may reapply the following admissions cycle. The MBA Office holds all application materials for one year, so you will not need to resubmit transcripts or GMAT/GRE scores unless your scores or transcripts have changed. If you are reapplying to the program, we recommend that you contact our office to discuss your previous application and candidacy.
You must enroll under the program format (Full-Time, Professional Online) for which you applied. If you need to make a change, you must request approval from the MBA Office.
Interviews are conducted virtually by invitation. Applicants to the MBA program are selected to interview based on the quality of a completed application. We will not offer admission to a candidate until they have completed a personal interview with a member of the Admissions Committee and a completed application has been reviewed.
Interviews usually take approximately 30 minutes and include questions focused on teamwork, leadership, career goals, and professional/academic experience. Applicants are encouraged to ask questions about the program and admissions process. The suggested attire for the interview is business professional.
International students whose undergraduate transcripts are in a language other than English are required to provide an official English translation.
Applicants with a three-year bachelor’s degree are required to request a course-by-course evaluation, as well as a conversion to a GPA on a 4.0 scale.
We accept international credential evaluations from members of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services), AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators) or AACRAO(American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers). Others may be acceptable as well, but please check with the Graduate School if a question as to the appropriateness of the evaluation arises.
General information about being an international student at NC State University is available at Office of International Services.
The Poole College of Management Career Center will diligently work with international students to help them meet their career goals. Post-MBA employment within the United States is sometimes challenging, so we encourage international MBA students to work early on and as closely as possible with the CMC to create a plan of action.
Foreign nationals will not be granted F-1 and J-1 visa documentation (the I-20 and DS-2019 respectively) based on admission to a Distance Education (DE) or Online program. Additionally, it is a violation of status for an F-1 or J-1 student to change curriculum or major from a traditional course of study to a DE or Online program after arrival to NC State University.
Sponsored F-1 and J-1 students may enroll in Professional Online MBA courses, but restrictions apply and must be discussed with Jenkins MBA Academic Advising. Additional questions may be addressed to the NC State Office of International Services.
The Jenkins MBA program can accept up to 12 hours of transfer credit from another AACSB-accredited MBA program for the Professional Online MBA program, but not for the Full-Time MBA program. The grade received for a transfer class must be a “B” or better, and the class must have been taken no more than six years prior to the applicant’s projected graduation date from the MBA Program at NC State’s Jenkins Graduate School. Students must have a 3.0 GPA or higher when they left their previous program in order for transfer credits to be accepted. Once an applicant has been admitted to the program, the MBA program will determine the number of credit hours and which courses will be transferred.
Applicants who have completed more than 12 credit hours of MBA coursework should reach out to the admissions team before applying to determine their eligibility for admission.
Applicants who are granted admission may defer their enrollment for up to one year. If an admitted applicant decides to defer their admission after paying the required $500 non-refundable enrollment deposit, the applicant may also request for that to be deferred along with their admission for up to one year.
All students are required to attend MBA orientation prior to the start of classes. Specific dates and details are posted on the incoming student website as they become available. Full-Time MBA applicants should plan to attend the entirety of a two-week orientation at the beginning of August each year. Professional Online MBA applicants should plan for a virtual orientation prior to the start of classes.
The Jenkins MBA program requires that all students own or have access to a laptop computer. For more information about minimum specifications and details on purchasing a laptop, please see NC State Computer Recommendations.
The Jenkins MBA program restricts enrollment in graduate management courses to students who are enrolled as degree candidates in graduate programs at NC State University. The rationale for this policy includes: