Admissions Requirements
Have a quick 15 min. question? Our admission team is available for questions during online drop-in office hours. Click the link below to join our Zoom meeting room. (Mountain Time)
Summer online drop-in hours:
Monday: 1 – 3 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 – 11 a.m. (Note: Drop in hours are not available on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Our office is closed for a team retreat.)
Drop-in office hours will be unavailable on these dates:
July 4, July 24 (Utah state holiday), Sept. 2, Nov. 28-29, Dec. 25
Application Components
Please complete the MSBA online application to be considered for the program. In the Academic Program section of the application, select Business Analytics MSBA from the dropdown list.
The application for both spring and fall opens for the coming year on August 1st. Applications for spring enrollment will be evaluated during the months of August through December. Applications for fall enrollment will be primarily reviewed during the months of January through July.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early and at least two weeks prior to the final deadline. Once your application is complete, your application will be included in a committee review for a program admissions decision. We define a complete application as having received all application requirements including, two letters of recommendation from a professional or academic source, and if applicable, a completed transcript evaluation from WES and an official English language proficiency exam score that meets the program requirements. You will receive email confirmation once your application is considered complete and ready for review. Committee reviews are typically held every two weeks.
The University of Utah Residency Office will evaluate whether you meet the criteria for residency in the state of Utah and eligibility for in-state tuition. Apply for reclassification to qualify for in-state tuition. Please follow their instructions and deadlines for reclassification. Note you must reclassify before you start the program, as reclassification will no longer be an option for you once you begin the program.
The David Eccles School of Business seeks candidates who are professional and ethical. These behaviors are considered when making admission decisions. Candidates are expected to demonstrate professional and ethical conduct and disposition in their interactions with program staff, fellow students, and faculty.
Applicants must have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. International applicants can find more details pertaining to this requirement in the International Applicants- Additional Requirements section.
Applicants must have earned a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA in their undergraduate degree.
International Applicants must complete additional admissions requirements.
Transcript Evaluation
You must obtain a course-by-course evaluation from one of these NACES-approved transcript evaluation companies:
- International Education Evaluation (IEE)
- Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
- World Education Services (WES)
This is a crucial admission requirement to confirm that you meet the University of Utah’s bachelor’s degree and minimum GPA requirements. Please ensure that the University of Utah, David Eccles School of Business, Graduate Programs is added as a recipient, enabling us to access your transcript through the company’s portal.
To ensure timely receipt of your course-by-course evaluation, it is advisable to complete this step at least four weeks before the final deadline.
While we only require a course-by-course evaluation of your bachelor’s degree, it’s possible that you have completed a three-year degree with a one-year post-baccalaureate degree. If this applies to you, it is mandatory to include the one-year post-baccalaureate degree in your course-by-course evaluation. Please note that international applicants holding a three-year degree do not qualify for the program.
Upon admission to the program, you must submit your official transcript(s) from the institution(s) you attended and from which you earned a bachelor’s degree. Official English translations must be provided if the transcripts are in another language.
English Language Proficiency
International applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency and the ability to contribute to classroom discussion and interact with faculty and peers. You can find more information about this requirement, as well as a list of countries where English proficiency may not be required here.
We accept the following English language proficiency exams with minimum scores.
- TOEFL (iBT or computer version only): 90
- IELTS (IELTS Academic only): 7.0
- Duolingo: 115
While you may meet the minimum score requirements, this does not guarantee admission into the program. If you score below the minimum, you must re-take the exam before the final deadline.
It takes approximately 2-4 weeks for Utah Admissions to receive and mark the official TOEFL and IELTS scores as having been received. It takes approximately 7 business days for Utah Admissions to receive and mark the official Duolingo scores as having been received. Please account for this timeline when scheduling exams and sending official score reports.
Make sure to send your electronic official English language scores the right way to avoid delays.
- TOEFL– You can either use the school code, 4853 or select the University of Utah to send your test score. Do not select the David Eccles School of Business.
- IELTS– During or after the exam, select the University of Utah to repost your score electronically.
- Duolingo– Log into your Duolingo account, select the “Send Results” button next to your test results and choose the University of Utah as the receiving institution.
I-20 Documentation for F-1 Visa
If you are admitted into the program, you are required to submit I-20 documentation by the appropriate I-20 deadline. The minimum financial amount that you must provide for the I-20 is not equivalent to the program’s tuition and fees. The program cost is lower than the I-20 cost. Without an F-1 Visa, you cannot start the program. Learn more here.
If you are on another visa, it’s in your best interest to consult with an immigration attorney and confirm you can enroll in a graduate program. Note you can only do OPT if you are on an F-1 visa. If you decide to switch to an F-1 visa, you will need to complete this step prior to starting the program.
The annual cost of living can fluctuate. Please refer to the University’s projected cost of living (located at the bottom of the page for estimated expenses related to graduate programs). Keep in mind that these estimates only cover two semesters, while your program may span a minimum of three semesters or more. It is essential to plan for additional expenses beyond the figures provided.
Applicants are required to obtain two letters of recommendation that demonstrate their unique abilities and experiences pertinent to the graduate program. The Admissions Committee would like to see details about your relevant abilities and experiences, especially those related to the field of study.
- Choose recommenders who can effectively assess the quality of your work. If you possess full-time professional work experience, it’s preferable to include at least one recommendation letter from a professional. Additionally, we welcome letters of recommendation from faculty, academic advisors, volunteer supervisors, and internship supervisors.
- We do not accept letters of recommendation from family or friends.
- We may verify your recommenders by phone. Falsified application materials will disqualify your application to the program.
Applicants must complete four short essays. Please ensure that you review your essay for any misspellings, grammatical errors, or formatting issues before copying and pasting it into the designated essay text box in the application.
Short Essay 1 (200 words)
Why are you interested in studying data analytics in Utah’s MSBA program? Discuss the previous education and work experiences that have influenced you to seek this degree.
Short Essay 2 (100 words)
What are your professional long and short-term goals after completing the MSBA degree?
Short Essay 3 (200 words)
The MSBA program is academically challenging and demands a significant commitment of time and resources. What personal characteristic will help you succeed in this program? Tell us about a real experience in your work or personal life that demonstrates the characteristic.
Short Essay 4 (200 words)
The MSBA courses are statistics-based. Familiarity and success with basic statistical concepts are important to success in the program. Tell us about your experience with statistics. If possible, include a specific example when you have used statistics: what was the task and what statistical processes and tools did you use?
Optional Essay
You have the option to upload an additional essay to address any perceived weaknesses in your academic transcripts or application. We highly recommend completing this optional essay if your GPA falls below the requirement or if there are instances of failed and/or repeated courses on your transcript.
Imagine you’re at the MSBA orientation. In 60 seconds, introduce yourself to your peers and faculty members. Include any personal and/or professional aspects that you believe are significant. Additionally, include one interesting thing about yourself that is unrelated to your work/field of study. Your video should not exceed 60 seconds.
In the application, please upload your video in one of the following video formats: 3g2, .3gp, .avi, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .mxf, .webm, .wmv. We will not accept audio, slide, document formats, nor links (even though these are listed as options).
- Submit a current, chronological resume. (Resume Guide)
- Only include professional work experience. The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission defines professional jobs as those that usually require a college degree.
- You may include internship experience if it is related to your graduate program of study.
In your application, you are required to list all higher education institutions you’ve attended and provide unofficial transcripts for each institution. While we can accept unofficial transcripts during the admissions stage, the unofficial transcripts must include: the name of the school, your full name, semesters, course numbers, course titles, course grades, semester GPAs, and cumulative GPA.
International applicants please see the International Applicants- Additional Requirements section for transcript details.
Application Fee Details:
- You’re required to pay a non-refundable application fee to submit your online application. Domestic applicants must pay $55.00 and international applicants must pay $65.00.
- Applicants who apply during the rolling deadline will pay an additional $30.00. This charge will be applied after Nov. 15 for spring submission and after April 1 for summer and fall submission.
- We only provide a limited number of application fee waivers per cohort. We will raffle a couple of application fee waivers to those who attend an Information Session.
Seat Fee Details:
- Paying a seat fee secures your position in the program cohort.
- Domestic applicants must submit a non-refundable seat fee of $185, while international applicants must submit a non-refundable seat fee of $300.
- If you submit and complete your application by the priority deadline, the non-refundable seat fee is waived. We consider an application complete when all the admissions requirements mentioned on this webpage have been fulfilled.
Before applying to the program, applicants must complete a college-level statistics course with a grade of B or higher.
In certain instances, professional work experience may fulfill this prerequisite requirement. For inquiries regarding whether a specific course satisfies the prerequisite or if work experience exempts you from this requirement, please fill out: https://eccles.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3dzlrUJqjVvMY1E.
Applicants who feel they have weaknesses in their application, can take either the GMAT or GRE. Please know this is optional and not a requirement. Do not submit official scores to us if you didn’t perform well. A composite score of 600 in the GMAT or 315 in the GRE is considered strong. If you would like your GMAT or GRE to be included as part of your admissions decision, we must receive them in time for a committee review, as well as before the final deadline.
We do not accept at-home proctored exams. You are required to take the GRE or GMAT at an exam center. Official scores can take 2 – 4 weeks for the university to receive them. Request ETS to send the official GRE score using either the school code, 4853, or the school’s name, University of Utah. Request GMAC to send the official GMAT score either using the school code, K0R-S3-78, or the school’s name, University of Utah.
Fall 2023 Class Profile
Employed at Start of Program
80%
Non-Business Majors
69%
Countries Represented
6
Class Size
51
Average GPA
3.53