Admission Requirements

Detailed information about admission is provided in the Admission-Graduate  section of this catalog. The following are specific requirements for application to the MBA degree program:

• A bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university; if the degree has not yet been awarded at the time of application, the successful applicant must be nearing completion of the bachelor’s degree
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work
• Three letters of recommendation, at least one each from academic and professional references, submitted on graduate-school reference forms 
• A resumé which demonstrates the applicant’s potential for leadership and academic achievement as evidenced by activities during their professional career or undergraduate business studies 
• Official copy of scores from the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)

Applicants to the MBA degree program who meet certain provisions will be considered for admission without submitting the results of a GMAT or GRE. The following provisions qualify an applicant to be considered for the GMAT waiver:

• An advanced degree (e.g. master’s, doctorate, JD, etc.) from a regionally accredited institution.
• A professional business-related certificate or license in the United States that requires a test of field-specific knowledge, work experience and at least a baccalaureate degree [e.g. Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or Certified Financial Planner (CFP)].
• An earned undergraduate degree within the last 10 years, with a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.2. Degree field must have included a significant amount of course work in business, mathematics or quantitative analysis.
• An earned undergraduate degree within the last 10 years, with a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.0 and a minimum of five (5) years of professional (non-clerical, non-support) managerial work experience including supervisory roles, with increasing responsibility during that period. Degree fields considered must have included a significant amount of course work in business, mathematics or quantitative analysis.
• An earned Graduate Certificate in Business Foundations from Bridgewater State University with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 and no course grade below a “B-“.

NOTE: The College of Business reserves the right to request a GMAT score from an applicant even if these conditions are met.

Applicants for whom English is a second language will be required to submit an official copy of results from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System), unless they have at least two years of experience in an American college or university. Students taking the TOEFL must receive a total score of 213 from a computer-based test, 550 from a paper-based test or 79-80 on the internet-based test. Students taking the IELTS must receive a total score of 6/6.5.

Early Acceptance Program Requirements

The Early Acceptance program is for undergraduates at Bridgewater State University who wish to take up to four (4) graduate MBA courses for undergraduate credit, and thereby accelerate the completion of their graduate degree once matriculated into the MBA program. Students interested in this opportunity should contact the DGCE graduate program chair as early as possible in their academic career. Students in this pathway may earn an undergraduate degree and an MBA in five years.

If accepted, students will be granted special status to enroll in graduate courses for undergraduate credit. Tuition for these courses will be at the undergraduate course rate.

• Applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA at the time of application.
• Students may apply at any time after the completion of their second semester of sophomore year and have earned a minimum of 54 credits. (This timeframe is a year prior to when students can begin taking graduate courses to allow for graduate school advising to begin.)
• Accepted students can begin taking graduate courses as soon as they receive senior status and have earned a minimum of 84 credits.
• Accepted students are eligible to take up to four graduate courses that can be applied to both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs. A minimum grade of “B” is required for graduate credit.
• Students are required to take certain preparatory courses. See required courses below.

Detailed information about admission is provided in the Admission-Graduate section of this catalog. The following are specific requirements for application to the MBA degree program:

• Enrollment in a BSU bachelor’s program
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work
• Three letters of recommendation, at least one each from academic and professional references
• A resumé which demonstrates the applicant’s potential for leadership and academic achievement as evidenced by activities during their undergraduate business studies or professional career
• Official copy of scores from the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or GRE, unless waived

Applicants to the MBA degree program who meet certain provisions will be considered for admission without submitting the results of a GMAT or GRE. The following provisions qualify an applicant to be considered for the GMAT waiver:

• A cumulative minimum GPA of 3.2. Degree field must have included a significant amount of course work in business, mathematics or quantitative analysis.

NOTE: The Ricciardi College of Business and the College of Graduate Studies reserve the right to request a GMAT score from an applicant even if these conditions are met.

Program of Study

The MBA requires students to complete courses that develop skills in business analytics, managing people and organizations, and managing the environment. Depending on the student’s undergraduate courses, the requirements for the degree range from 30 to 39 credit hours.