Admissions

Fall 2024 application open.

Applications are submitted online and reviewed on a rolling basis. The round deadlines listed should be used as a guideline for applying. It is your responsibility to ensure all parts of your application are completed for your application to be reviewed. If you have any missing items by the deadline, your application will be considered in the next round. We encourage applicants to submit as early as possible.

After submitting a completed application, you will receive a decision upon the careful review of your application within two months. All applicants are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships and applying early generally maximizes the chances of receiving a scholarship.

Admission to graduate standing in The Paul Merage School of Business is accorded to those possessing an undergraduate degree with an acceptable level of scholarship from an institution of recognized standing. Applicants for admission will be evaluated on their academic record and potential for leadership as demonstrated in submitted application materials including:

• Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended to obtain undergraduate degree (with English translation if needed)
  • Official transcript of degree granting institution will be required if given admission to the program
• GMAT or GRE: The GMAT or GRE are not required but strongly recommended for applicants with GPA’s under a 3.3. While these tests are not required, the admissions team is looking for evidence of strong verbal and quantitative skills. GMAT and GRE scores are good for up to five years.
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Two prompts (written and video)
• Résumé
• Official TOEFL or IELTS (if institution’s primary language of instruction is not English)
• $150 application fee
• A personal interview, by invitation only

Transcripts from all institutions attended (with English translation if needed)

Please upload unofficial copies of transcripts for each college and university attended with your online application. Transcripts scanned and uploaded to your application will be used to conduct the initial review. If you are admitted and have decided to attend UCI, you will be asked to submit official transcripts.

Send official transcripts to:

Graduate Division
120 Aldrich Hall
Irvine, CA 92697-3180
grad@uci.edu

Candidates may apply to the program if they hold the equivalent of a four-year US Bachelor's degree. Transcripts from non-US universities should include evidence of degree conferral (proof of graduation). International applicants should refer to the International Applicant page for more specific requirements.

Résumé

Submit a copy of your résumé that includes your educational background, work experience, internships and volunteer activities.

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required for your application. References can be either academic and/or professional. Letters of recommendation are submitted through the online application system.

Prompts

Two essays are required. The specific prompts can be found on the application.

Official TOEFL or IELTS - (International applicants – Scores valid for two years)

All graduate applicants, except those who have earned an undergraduate or master's degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database (WHED), are required to demonstrate English proficiency for admissions consideration. Please see WHED's instructions on how to search for your institution. If English is not the sole language of instruction listed or if no language is listed at all, the waiver does not apply and the applicant is required to take and pass an approved English proficiency test. We accept both the TOEFL and IELTS exams. The scores from either exam are valid for up to two years from your test date. The minimum score for TOEFL (Internet-based) is 80. For the IELTS, the minimum required score for admission is 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module. Exam results should be sent to UC Irvine institution code: 4859. Review the English Proficiency requirement.

GMAT or GRE

The GMAT or GRE are not required but strongly recommended for applicants with a GPA under 3.3. While these tests are not required, the admissions team is looking for evidence of strong verbal and quantitative skills.

There is no advantage to taking one exam over the other. While there is no minimum GMAT or GRE score to apply, we do expect that applicants will have an overall competitive profile.

GRE scores are valid for up to five years from your test date. Exam results should be sent to UC Irvine institution code: 4859. For more information on the GRE, visit: ets.org/gre.

GMAT scores are valid for up to five years from your test date. Exam results should be sent to UC Irvine institution code: 0DP-7R-40. For more information on the GMAT, visit: mba.com.

Application Fee

Application Fee: $150. The non-refundable application fee is payable by credit card when you apply online. We offer fee waivers for Military and Veterans.

Personal Interview 

Interviews are required for admission. The interview is a way for us to evaluate your interpersonal and communication skills.

How it works:

1. Online Video Assessment: Select candidates will receive an email invitation from Kira Talent asking them to participate in a brief online video assessment. Candidates will have one week from receiving the email to complete and submit the video by invitation only.
2. Receive Decision: If all application materials were completed by the Apply By date, candidates will receive admissions decision according to the corresponding decision date listed above.

Minimum coursework to apply: The following courses must be completed or in progress at the time of application submission:

• Financial Accounting
• Managerial Accounting

We recommend these courses are taken at your 4-year university, university extension, or community college program. You are responsible for demonstrating how you will meet the above requirements as part of the application process.

Fall Applicants

The following courses will need to be completed before the program begins in fall:

• Intermediate Accounting I
• Intermediate Accounting II
• Taxation
• Auditing

Applicants who do not meet the entrance requirement to begin the program in the Fall quarter will have the opportunity to enroll in an intensive summer pre-session to satisfy all of the coursework requirements. Students must successfully complete all of the pre-session coursework to meet the course prerequisites of the MPAc program in order to enter the program in the Fall quarter. Pre-session coursework is done over the two designated Summer Sessions: two courses in Summer Session I and two courses in Summer Session II.