Admissions: Full-Time MBA

Upon Provisional Admission to UC San Diego

All admitted applicants who have earned a degree(s) from an institution(s) outside of the United States are required to complete and submit a Course-by-Course evaluation for each degree earned. Please select one of the following companies to complete your Course-by-Course evaluation:

• WES Course-by-Course ICAP evaluation
• TEC Course-by-Course evaluation

Step by step instructions for completing the evaluation process can be found in the Checklist Items tab of your applicant portal. Choose only one evaluation company to complete your evaluation. Please do not send official documents to the Graduate Admissions Office. You must submit a Course-by-Course evaluation once you have been admitted for your admission to UC San Diego to be finalized. 

Your evaluation must include your completed degree. The Graduate Admissions Office does not accept evaluations that state you are currently enrolled in a program or state your anticipated completion/graduation date. If you have in-progress coursework at an institution outside of the United States, do not submit the request for your Course-by-Course evaluation until you have completed your coursework and your degree has been conferred. If you request your evaluation prior to your degree conferral, your evaluation will be incomplete, and you will be required to pay an additional fee to have the evaluation amended.

Your resume should highlight the professional and extracurricular activities that make you a good candidate for the Full Time MBA program. Resume length should not exceed 1 page.
Resume Template

We require two letters of recommendation. Your recommenders should provide specific examples of your performance and contributions to an organization. One of these letters should be from a current supervisor or manager; however, if you are unable to ask your current supervisor, please use the optional essay to explain why. Your recommenders will be sent a personalized link to complete your recommendation. PLEASE NOTE: an application will not be considered complete until both recommenders have submitted their letters.

We require one written essay and one video essay.
The Rady School of Management embraces the use of generative AI technology and sees it as an important tool for future business leaders. However, the use of AI in your admission application should strictly be limited to brainstorming, proofreading, and refining structural clarity. All work within this application should be your own, and AI should only be used as a supplementary tool, not a replacement for your own thought process, creativity, and effort.

Written Essay
We don’t expect that you have your whole career figured out, but we do want to understand how you are thinking about the next two years and beyond as it relates to your career goals and how the MBA fits in.

From your resume, we understand your career path and experience to date. Please share your specific career goals: include your MBA internship, short-term and long-term plans after graduation (consider including information such as desired job title, responsibilities, company, impact, and/or industry). What gaps or areas of development do you need to address to achieve these goals? How do you intend to leverage the opportunities and resources of the Rady MBA to bridge these gaps and ensure a successful career outcome? 500 words max

Video Essay
The Rady Full-Time MBA program attracts a small cohort of ambitious, curious, driven professionals who understand that an MBA is more than an academic program. It is an immersive, team-oriented experience. Your written essays and your resume have given us detailed information about where you have been and where you want to go professionally. The video essay is an opportunity to showcase the real human behind the written application. It gives the admissions committee a more personal glimpse into your personality, presence, and communication style. Be thoughtful; be creative; be you! Your video should not exceed 90 seconds.

The video essay includes two components:

1. Please introduce yourself to your classmates. Tell us something we would not otherwise know from your application. (30 secs)
2. What would be your dream vacation and who would you go with?  (60 secs)

Our Full-Time MBA application is test optional. However, if you do not meet the criteria below, a competitive score on the GMAT or GRE can provide additional evidence showing preparedness for the quantitative rigor of the program.

• have a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution in the United States;
• have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher;
• have a minimum of 36 months of full-time post-undergraduate work experience by program start date;
• have completed coursework in calculus, statistics, or other highly quantitative coursework at the undergraduate or graduate level and earned at least a B grade or higher.

If you are considering submitting a test score, please refer to our class profile for the average GMAT & GRE scores.

Applicants should be aware that only a GMAT score from a single test sitting will be considered in the evaluation of their application. Applicants are welcome to submit a GMAT Superscore as supplemental information.

Demonstrated proficiency in the English language is required for all international applicants.  International applicants may be exempt from this requirement if they have earned or will be earning a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree with grades of B (3.0) or better from either:

• A regionally accredited U.S. college or university where English is the sole language of instruction, or
• A foreign college or university which provides instruction solely in English. You may verify whether your institution meets this requirement by looking up your institution in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED). If English is not the sole language of instruction listed, if no language is listed at all, or if the institution does not appear on the WHED website, you are required to submit English proficiency exam scores. No other documentation (e.g. letters, language certificates, school websites) may be used in place of WHED as a means to obtain an exemption from the English proficiency requirement. 

UC San Diego accepts the following English language proficiency exams listed below.   UC San Diego has no preference on the English language proficiency exam that is taken and submitted. 

Duolingo English Test (DET)

 UC San Diego accepts the Duolingo English Test (DET) as one of the approved options to meet the English language proficiency requirement for graduate admission.

• Minimum Total Score: 120 (out of 160)
• Score Validity: Scores are valid for two years from the test date
• Official Score Submission: Scores must be sent electronically to UC San Diego Rady School of Management directly from Duolingo.

To send your Duolingo English Test scores to UC San Diego Rady School of Management, follow these steps:

1. Log in at englishtest.duolingo.com
2. Go to "My Tests" and click "Share Score" on your certified result
3. Select "university" and search for "University of California – San Diego – Rady School of Management”
4. Check the box next to "University of California – San Diego – Rady School of Management” in the dropdown menu

For more information or to register, visit the Duolingo English Test website.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

• Minimum Total Score: The university-wide minimum TOEFL score required for consideration for graduate admission is 85 for the internet-based test (iBT), or 4.5 for the new TOEFL scoring scale. Competitive scores for the Rady School of Management will be above 100.
• Score Validity: Scores are valid for two years from the test date
• Official Score Submission:  When ordering your TOEFL score reports, use UCSD's institution code 4836. TOEFL score reports are sent to the university four to six weeks after the test is administered. 

At this time, UC San Diego does not accept TOEFL MyBest Scores offered through ETS. Consult the TOEFL website for further information.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

• Minimum Total Score: The university-wide minimum IELTS Academic Training exam score required for consideration for graduate admission is Band Score 7.
• Score Validity: Scores are valid for two years from the test date
• Official Score Submission:  To submit official test scores to UC San Diego Rady School of Management, applicants must contact the IELTS test center where they took the test to request their official test results to Rady/UC San Diego. UC San Diego does not accept unofficial copies of IELTS Test Report Forms from students. An institution code is not required.

IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. Arrangements for taking the IELTS Academic Training exam may be made through the website.

The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE)

• Minimum Total Score:  The minimum PTE Academic score required for graduate admission is Overall Score: 65.
• Official Score Submission:  PTE test takers must select the University of California, San Diego as a score recipient, then submit a copy of your scores directly to our Graduate Admissions office at: Rady School of Management, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive #0553, La Jolla, CA 92093-0553. Include your registration ID number and exam date on your application. Official scores will be verified online.

PTE Academic is a computer-based academic English language test benchmarked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF). For registration and test information consult the PTE website.

Fellowships are available for each program and are awarded to the most qualified applicants in terms of merit and alignment with the mission of the institution. Applicants are automatically reviewed for fellowship by the Admissions Committee when an admissions decision has been reached.

The application fee is $200 for both domestic and international MBA applicants.

The non-refundable fee is payable by credit card through the online application upon submission of your application.

PLEASE NOTE: an application will not be considered complete until the application fee is paid.