Executive MBA | Admissions

2024 - 2025 Deadlines:

December 1

March 1

May 1

July 1

Transcripts

An overall GPA of 3.0 is preferred. If your overall GPA is lower than a 3.0, the Admissions Committee will take into consideration your undergraduate institution attended and major as well as additional degrees and licenses/certificates obtained.

Please upload unofficial transcripts from every college and university attended with your online application, including any transfer colleges. These will be used to conduct the initial review. You will be asked to submit official transcripts only if you are admitted and then decide to attend UCI. At that time, only send the official transcripts for the institution(s) where a degree was earned.

The preferred and quickest method for sending official transcripts to UCI Graduate Division is to send your electronic transcripts via email to gradtranscripts@uci.edu.

If sending by mail, please send to the following address:

UCI Graduate Division 
120 Aldrich Hall
Irvine, CA 92697-3180 

Candidates may apply to the program if they hold the equivalent of a four-year U.S. Bachelor's degree. Applicants submitting transcripts from non-U.S. universities should include evidence of degree conferral (proof of graduation: please upload your diploma if not referenced on the transcript) as well as all transcripts or marksheets to the application. Follow up with the admissions office to find out what will be needed to fulfill the official requirement if you are unable to order official transcripts from your university in a timely manner. International applicants should refer to the International Applicant page for more specific requirements.

Recommendations

Two recommendations are required. Current or former supervisors are the most suited to provide clear evidence of your managerial experience or potential for advancement. In your application, you will be asked to provide an email address for each person from whom you are requesting a recommendation. Once you submit your application, the system will automatically email our online recommendation form to your recommenders.

Essays

Essays are the primary means for you to share with us your career goals and professional accomplishments. One essay is required. The specific essay prompts are listed below for first time applicants.

1. What do you want to achieve in your professional life? What have you already done to get there and how do you think the Merage School can help you achieve your goals?
2. Optional: Please provide any additional information you would like the Admissions Committee to consider in evaluating your candidacy.

Employment History (Resumé)

Submit a copy of your resume and include company name, job title and professional accomplishments. A minimum of eight years of professional work experience is preferred. Five years of managing staff, teams and/or large projects is required. The admissions committee considers the quality of work experience more than the quantity.

Interview

An on-campus interview invitation may be sent to you once your application has been reviewed. An interview is a required step in the admission process.

International Students

In business today, a global perspective is paramount. About 20% of EMBA students at the Merage School are international students who contribute their experience in the classroom.

• Citizens/permanent residents with undergraduate degrees from outside the U.S
• Non-U.S. citizens/permanent residents who obtain a U.S. work visa on their own
• Non-U.S. resident students commuting into the program for class weekends with F-1 student visas

Some international students joining the EMBA program reside in the United States. We encourage students living abroad to speak with an immigration professional if considering moving into the U.S. for the program, as it may not be possible to rent an apartment, lease a car, obtain a job, and receive UCI health insurance. If you are interested in the F-1 student visa option, consider that EMBA students must have active employment while in the program.

Official TOEFL Score

The minimum score required for admission is 80 for the Internet-based test. TOEFL scores are valid for up to two years from your test date. Exam results should be sent to UC Irvine institution code: 4859. For more information on the TOEFL, visit toefl.org.

As an alternative to the TOEFL, you may submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For the IELTS, the minimum required score for admission is 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module. Scores are valid for two years. UCI Graduate Division only accepts scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper Test Report Forms will be accepted. An institutional code is NOT required. Please contact the test center where you took the IELTS test directly and request that your test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system. All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to our institution.

Applicants are waived from the English Language Proficiency requirement if they have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database (WHED). Please see WHED's instructions on how to search for your institution.

Testing

The Executive Assessment, GMAT and GRE are optional. You may voluntarily submit your GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment score(s) along with your application if you believe the information will help the Admissions Committee better understand your academic readiness for the program. We encourage you to contact us with any questions at 949.824.4565 or emba@uci.edu.

Reapply

Contact Kristin Dalton, Sr. Recruitment & Admissions Associate, and she will assist you with the steps to reapply. You will be asked to send the following items:

• An updated copy of your resume.
• An essay describing your professional activities and accomplishments since you last applied. Include your reason for re-applying to The Paul Merage School of Business.