Application Process

Overview

Choosing graduate business studies at Oregon State University is an exciting and promising venture, and we are honored to be a part of your future. We are on the quarter system, which means you have four opportunities a year to start your graduate program: January, April, June or September.

We’ve compiled resources below to help with your questions and expectations so that you can organize and prepare. Please do not hesitate to connect with a graduate ambassador or graduate recruiter to chat or sign up for an application workshop held routinely throughout the year, if you need additional assistance.

Application Process

Application Process
1. Application Form

 

  • Applying to Oregon State Univesity College of Business graduate programs require the following documentation, along with an application fee ($75 domestic, $85 international), payable by credit card.
  • If you are a U.S. Citizen: Domestic Applicant, you can apply for our graduate business programs using the Oregon State University Graduate School’s online application form here. Note: Portland Hybrid applicants should select “Ecampus Distance Education (Online Degrees)” as their campus when starting a new application.
  • If you are a non-U.S. Citizen: International Applicant, you can apply for our graduate business program through the Office of International Admissions online application form here.

 
2. Transcripts
  • Please provide academic records from each institution attended, showing graded coursework for all academic work attempted or completed.
  • For institutions outside the United States, both an original-language version and a certified English translation of all academic records and degree statements are required. Please include certificates/diplomas for all degrees earned.
  • Unofficial transcripts may be scanned and uploaded to your online application. An unofficial transcript is a copy of the front and back of an official transcript. Grade slips and/or web-generated transcripts are not accepted. Applications will be reviewed with unofficial transcripts; however, admitted students will be required to submit official documents at the time of admission.
  • If you are admitted while finishing your undergraduate degree, please submit your most up-to-date transcript at the time of your application. You will be required to submit an official final transcript showing degrees awarded and dates earned before you will be permitted to register for your first term of graduate business studies.
  • You may be able to submit your official transcripts electronically from the website of your academic institutions. Please select “Oregon State University – Graduate Admissions” as the recipient. If the request form asks you to submit an email address for the recipient, please enter Graduate.Admissions@oregonstate.edu 
  • Official transcripts may also be mailed to:

Graduate School
Oregon State University
Heckart Lodge
2900 SW Jefferson Ave.
Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
3. Resume

Your résumé should be detailed and current. You may wish to include full-time positions as well as part-time jobs, relevant internships, volunteer service and professional associations or affiliations. Please upload your résumé in the “Document Upload” section of the online application.
4. Short Answer Questions

Within the online application, you will be required to answer several short essay questions detailing your motivation for admission and goals upon completion of the program.
5. References

 

  • Both the MBA and the specialized master's program applications require two professional (or academic) references. If you have completed your undergraduate studies within the last two years of applying to our graduate business programs, at least one of your references should be academic. Otherwise, professional references are required.
  • References can be managed through the online application’s reference system. By including the names and email addresses of your reference providers on your application form, your providers will automatically receive an email with an electronic reference form once you submit your application. Electronic references are typically added to your application file within one business day of receipt.
  • Reference providers who prefer to write letters may email their references directly to OSUMBA@oregonstate.edu or send them as hard copy through the mail in sealed envelopes with the reference provider’s signature written across the envelope flap (refer to mailing address in Transcripts section above). Reference letters received via email should be sent by the reference provider and emailed as attachments on professional letterhead.

NOTE: We will not accept letters uploaded by applicants to the document-upload section of the online application form, emailed by applicants, or submitted as hard copy by applicants unless still in a sealed envelope with the reference provider’s signature across the envelope flap.
6. Test Scores

Specialized master's program applications do NOT require test scores.

For MBA applications, we accept GMAT, GRE and EA online/at-home exams, and we will consider waiving the exam requirement for candidates who demonstrate strong quantitative skills in their academic and/or professional background. Testing exceptions are not guaranteed and may be subject to change at any time. For more information, please contact a recruiter.

For information about GMAT/GRE waivers see the section below.

GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment (EA) Test Requirement

What is the Executive Assessment (EA)?

  • The Executive Assessment (EA) is an alternative to the GMAT or GRE for experienced, working professionals applying to the College of Business at Oregon State University.
  • The EA is designed to evaluate business school readiness in the context of your work experience. The assessment focuses on skills that are critical both at work and in a graduate business program: higher-order reasoning, critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving.
  • Because it was designed specifically for experienced professionals, the EA requires modest preparation, takes only 90 minutes to complete, and includes flexible rescheduling options.
  • The EA is administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), creators of the GMAT exam.

TOEFL/IELTS

  • All international applicants who did not receive a degree in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ghana, New Zealand, Nigeria or the United Kingdom are required to submit scores from either the TOEFL or IELTS.
  • Scores must not be more than two years old and must be from one exam date. The most recent test date is the score considered with your application. Please visit Selection Criteria for minimum requirements.
  • Score reports should be sent electronically by the testing agency using OSU’s ETS institution code: 4586. See the official TOEFL website or IELTS website for more information on these exams.

 
7. Informational Interview

 

  • The admissions interview is a conversation between you and a member of the College of Business Admissions Committee. The purpose is for you to gain further insight into our programs, and for us to learn more about your background, interests and goals.
  • Admission interviews are by invitation only. If you are selected for an interview, an admissions representative will contact you to schedule. If you do not reside locally, we will be happy to speak with you over the phone or by Skype.

 

Selection Criteria

Selection Criteria

We seek to admit hard-working students who are ready to earn success and who want to learn how to lead by example as innovative, socially responsible and globally minded business people.

Strong candidates will exhibit leadership and problem-solving abilities, communication and interpersonal skills, and capability to excel in team-based settings. We look for students whose interests and goals align with our program offerings and who demonstrate the drive and motivation to succeed in a challenging academic environment. 

Admission decisions are based on the collective strength of all parts of your application as assessed through a holistic review process. While you will see that some components of the application have minimum requirements, meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission.

1. Academic Profile

Your academic profile is assessed through quality of and performance in your prior academic program(s) as evidenced in your transcripts and general aptitude (as measured by the GMAT or GRE for MBA applicants). Successful candidates are not required to have studied business previously. Oregon State graduate business students have a variety of academic backgrounds, including engineering, science, social sciences, liberal arts and business. 

Our admission process adheres to the university’s minimum academic requirements for admission to a graduate degree program. These requirements pertain to previous degrees earned and prior academic performance.

Please review the Graduate Admissions Minimum Academic Requirements page for more detailed information and contact us if you have any questions about your background in relation to these requirements.
2. Test Scores

All MBA applicants must submit GMAT or GRE scores unless they qualify for a waiver. (Please see the GMAT/GRE Waiver section below for information about waivers.) There is no preference between the two scores, and scores are valid for five years.

Specialized master's applicants are not required to take GMAT/GRE.

  • For more information regarding the GMAT, call 1-800-717-GMAT or visit the GMAT website.
  • For more information regarding the GRE, call 1-866-473-4373 or visit the GRE website.

 
3. Professional Experience

Professional experience is not required for admission to Oregon State’s graduate business programs.

When reviewing your résumé we are looking for evidence of leadership, initiative, commitment and accomplishment. Please include full-time positions as well as part-time jobs, relevant internships, volunteer service, and any professional associations or affiliations.
4. Short Answer Questions

Your short answer questions will be evaluated for evidence of your motivation for admission and overall fit for the program. We seek to understand more about how your background and experience will help you contribute to the learning environment at Oregon State.

We also look for a clear articulation of your professional aspirations and how earning an MBA or specialized master's at Oregon State can help you achieve them.
5. References

If using the online reference system, your reference providers will be asked to evaluate you in the following areas: creativity, intellectual ability, maturity, self-motivation, work ethic, and written and verbal communication.

Your references will also be asked to comment on your strengths and weaknesses as they relate to your ability to be successful in a graduate program. Reference providers who submit letters should use these points as guidelines to inform their evaluations as well.
6. English Language Proficiency

If you are required to demonstrate English proficiency by submitting scores from the TOEFL or IELTS, then please review the following minimum score requirements:

  • TOEFL iBT: 91 total score with a subscore of at least 22 on each section
  • TOEFL PBT: 575 and a separate interview to assess speaking will be required
  • IELTS: 7

The College of Business graduate programs do not offer conditional admission. If you are required to submit TOEFL/IELTS scores, then you must meet the minimum requirements to be admitted. For more information on who is required to submit TOEFL/IELTS scores, please read more details on the Application Process.

GMAT/GRE Waiver & Requirements

GMAT/GRE Waiver & Requirements

Applicants to the master's program do not require GMAT/GRE test scores.

For MBA applicants, we will consider waiving the exam requirement for candidates who demonstrate strong quantitative skills in their academic and/or professional background. Testing exceptions are not guaranteed and may be subject to change at any time. For more information, please please contact a recruiter.

Deadlines

Deadlines

A complete application, including all supporting materials, needs to be received by the deadline for the term in which you are applying.
International applicants should visit Graduate Admissions for specific details.

Fall 2022

  • Priority scholarship deadline: February 1, 2022 (all applicants)
  • Final application deadline: June 21, 2022 (international applicants)
  • Final application deadline: August 21, 2022 (domestic applicants)
  • Classes begin: September 21, 2022

Winter 2023

  • International application deadline: July 1, 2022
  • Domestic application deadline: December 7, 2022
  • Classes begin: January 9, 2023

Spring 2023

  • International application deadline: October 1, 2022
  • Domestic application deadline: March 1, 2023
  • Classes begin: April 3, 2023

Summer 2023

  • International application deadline: January 1, 2023
  • Domestic application deadline: May 24, 2023
  • Classes begin: June 26, 2023

Fall 2023

  • Priority scholarship deadline: February 1, 2023 (all applicants)
  • International application deadline: April 1, 2023
  • Domestic application deadline: August 22, 2023
  • Classes begin: September 27, 2023