FAQs
Program Characteristics
- How long will it typically take to complete the Professional MBA Program?
- How many credit hours are required of Professional MBA students?
- When and where are classes held?
- Do I get to choose what electives I take?
- Are career services offered to Professional MBA students?
- Do you offer a joint degree program?
Tuition and Fees
- What is the cost of the Professional MBA program?
- What is the admission deposit and when is it due?
- Are there scholarships offered for the Professional MBA program?
- Is financial aid available to Professional MBA students?
Admissions
- How do I apply for the Professional MBA program?
- When are your application deadlines?
- What are the application requirements for the Professional MBA program?
- What weight is placed on the various elements of the application?
- Do you have a required minimum GMAT/GRE, GPA, or work experience?
- What are the topics of the essay questions and how long should the essay be?
- Does my undergraduate degree need to be in business?
- Is an interview required for admission?
- How many students are accepted into the program?
- Do you accept transfer credit hours?
Information Requests and Campus Visits
- How can I get a brochure and an application?
- How can I make arrangements for a classroom visit?
- Can I make an appointment to speak with someone in admissions?
PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS
Q: How long will it take to complete the Professional MBA program?
A: The Professional MBA program takes 24 months to complete
Q: How many credit hours are required of Professional MBA students?
A: The program is 48 credit hours with 60% core business courses and 40% business electives.
Q: When and where are classes held?
A: Classes are held twice a week in the evening from 6-10 p.m. All classes are located in the David Eccles School of Business on the University of Utah main campus.
Q: Do I get to choose what electives I take?
A: Yes. 40% of your curriculum is electives which allow you to personalize your education. You can select from courses in accounting, finance, information systems, management, marketing, and operations.
Q: Are career services offered to Professional MBA students?
A: Yes. We have two full-time career services staff members who can assist you throughout the program.
Q: Do you offer a joint degree program?
A: No. The Professional MBA does not offer a joint degree option. If you are interested in a joint degree please contact the Full-Time Traditional MBA office.
TUITION AND FEES
Q: What is the cost of the Professional MBA program?
A: The Professional MBA program offers its students a large return on investment for their education. Recently, a survey was conducted on the Professional MBA classes that graduated in the last two years. Those students reported:
- During the two years they were in program their salaries increased by 25%
- Assuming the entire cost of the program was paid by yourself, the average estimated payback period, considering salary increases, was 4.2 years
- Assuming the entire cost of the program was paid by your employer, the average estimated payback period, considering your additional value to the organization, was 1.9 years.
Please visit http://fbs.admin.utah.edu/index.php/tuition for a tuition rate schedule.
Q: What is the admission deposit and when is it due?
A: Upon notification of your acceptance into the program, you are responsible for a non-refundable seat deposit of $685 in order to reserve your seat in the class. $500 will be applied directly to your first semester tuition. The deposit is due within two weeks of receiving the admission offer.
Q: Are there scholarships offered for the Professional MBA program?
A: Currently scholarships are not available through the Professional MBA program.
Q: Is financial aid available to Professional MBA students?
A: There are sources of financial aid available to meet the needs of Professional MBA students, including Stafford Federal loans and private loans through the University of Utah. For more information please visit http://www.sa.utah.edu/FINANCE/or www.fafsa.ed.gov.
ADMISSIONS
Q: How do I apply for the Professional MBA program?
A: In order to make applying to the Professional MBA program easier our application process has been streamlined. If you have any questions about the application process please contact our office at (801)581-6836. The application is available online, and you can apply by filling out our online application.
Q: When are your application deadlines?
A: The Professional MBA program uses a rolling admissions process. We will evaluate completed applications as they are received. Therefore, there is an added benefit to those applicants who apply early. Our applications will open October 1, 2009 and remain open until all the seats are full. While applications are accepted through July, we strongly suggest that you have all of your materials submitted by our priority date of December 15, secondary date of February 15, or tertiary date of April 15.
What are the requirements to apply to the Professional MBA program?
A: Your applications will be complete once the following items are submitted:
- University of Utah Graduate Application
- Includes previous school transcripts and $45 application fee (late fee of $25 assessed after April 1 st)
- Professional MBA Application
- Letters of Recommendation (2)
- Current Resume
- Applicable Essay Questions
- GMAT
- GRE will be accepted in lieu of GMAT if previously taken for another graduate degree
Q: What weight is placed on the various elements of the application?
A: The admissions committee takes a look at the full application package. All components of the application GMAT/GRE, previous academic coursework, work experience, essays, and letters of recommendation are important.
Q: Do you have a required minimum GMAT/GRE, GPA, or work experience?
A: While there are no minimum requirements for these elements, our applicant pool is highly competitive. The class admitted fall 2008 had an average of 580 on the GMAT, 3.4 GPA, and 4 years work experience. Due to the recent acceptance of the GRE current statistics are not available. We encourage students to score around the 60 percentile in both the quantitative and verbal reasoning sections. Remember, the admissions committee looks at all application materials before making a decision.
Q: What are the topics of the essay questions and how long should the essays be?
A: The Professional MBA application has 2 required essays and 1 optional essay. Essays should be kept within 500 words. The topics are as follows:
- How will your background contribute to the learning environment of the Professional MBA program?
- Why did you decide to get your MBA at this juncture of your life?
- OPTIONAL: What other information about you is important in considering your application? (If a GPA is below a 3.0, the David Eccles School of Business must appeal to the University of Utah on behalf of the applicant. These applicants are strongly encouraged to address their GPAs in this essay)
Q: Does my undergraduate degree need to be in business?
A: No. In fact 60% of the students admitted in fall 2008 did not have an undergraduate business degree.
Q: Is an interview required for admission?
A: Personal interviews are not a requirement for the majority of applicants but may be conducted in select cases. The admissions committee does consider phone calls, information session attendance and all application materials in the admissions decision
Q: How many students are accepted into the program?
A: We estimate 160 to 175 students will be admitted for the fall 2009 start date.
Q: Do you accept transfer credit hours?
A: No, the Professional MBA program does not accept graduate transfer credits from other institutions or programs.
INFORMATION REQUESTS AND CAMPUS VISISTS
Q: How can I get a brochure and an application?
A: If you would like to receive a brochure please use our online information request. You can apply to the program by filling out our online application.
Q: How can I make arrangements for a classroom visit?
A: If you would like make a campus visit to sit in on one of our evening PMBA classes please contact us at 801-581-6836 or email us at pmba@utah.edu.
Q: Can I make an appointment to speak with someone in Admissions?
A: Please contact us at 801-581-6836 or email us at pmba@utah.edu.
