Admissions: Full-Time MBA

Upon Provisional Admission to UC San Diego

Beginning with the Fall 2023 admissions cycle, all admitted, international applicants are required to complete and submit a WES Course-by-Course evaluation. Please go to wes.org to create your account. You will be prompted to input your academic history, and will then be provided with a list of documents required for the completion of your evaluation. Applicants with academic work in progress who expect to complete a degree program before the intended date of enrollment at UCSD must provide evidence of degree conferral and a final academic transcript as soon as they are available.

Please do not send official documents to the Graduate Admissions Office. As an international applicant, you must submit a WES Course-by-Course evaluation via WES once you have been admitted for your admission to UC San Diego to be finalized.

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:

From your resume, we understand your career path and experience to date. Please share your specific career goals for both your internship and long-term plans after graduation (consider including function, industry, and companies of interest). What gaps or areas of development do you need to address to achieve these goals? Additionally, what specific opportunities and resources within the Rady MBA program will you pursue to bridge these gaps and ensure a successful career outcome? (PDF only. 500 words or less.)

Optional Essay:

This is an opportunity to address a GPA below 3.0 from your undergraduate institution, explain an employment gap of 3 months or more and provide any additional information you feel would be helpful for the admissions committee as we make our decisions. Do not use the optional essay to provide additional content to address the required essay. (PDF only. 250 words or less.)

Video Essay:

Additionally, you will be required to upload a 1-minute video introducing yourself to the Admissions Committee.

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.

IELTS scores are to be sent directly from the British Council or test-taking institution. The minimum IELTS score is 7. Select University of California, San Diego as the institution and have scores released electronically to Rady/ UC San Diego.

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. The minimum PTE score is 65.

Demonstrated proficiency in the English language is required for all international applicants whose native language is not English. Non-native English language speakers 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. 

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.