Applying to the MBA

Thank you for your interest in the Lerner MBA. We look forward to receiving your application. We read every application individually and use a portfolio approach. This means that we consider your whole application and no single factor will guarantee or disqualify you from admission.

Our typical applicant has:

  • The equivalent of a 4-year U.S. bachelor’s degree.
  • Strong analytical and quantitative skills through their prior academic work and/or recent professional experiences. GMAT/GRE scores are not required.
  • Five years of professional work experience. However, all applicants are considered even if they have limited work experience.

Begin assembling your required application materials as electronic documents before completing the online graduate application. Do not mail any documents.

Applicants are considered for admission on a rolling basis.

Suggested Application Dates
Applications are accepted at any time. You may begin in the fall, spring, or summer. Applicants are considered for admission on a rolling basis.
 
We recommend full-time program applicants interested in merit-based funding consideration apply early as those awards are distributed on a rolling basis typically at or close to the time of admission.

Fall Semester

Domestic applicants: August 15
International applicants: June 1

Spring Semester

Domestic applicants: January 15
International applicants: November 15

Summer Session

Domestic applicants: May 15
International applicants: Admission is not generally granted for this term.

Admissions Requirements

1. Online Application

Begin assembling your required application materials as electronic documents before completing the online graduate application. Do not mail any documents.

2. Application Fee

A $75 application fee is due when you submit your online application.

3. Bachelor’s Degree

A four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree in any academic field from an accredited college or university is required. If you have a three-year non-U.S. degree, you may request a review for determination as to equivalency by emailing mbaprogram@udel.edu after you have submitted your application and uploaded your transcripts, resume, GMAT/GRE scores (optional) and TOEFL/IELTS scores (international applicants only).

4. Transcripts

An unofficial transcript is required with your application. You should visit the registrar’s page of your home institution (post-high school institutions only) to print an unofficial copy to create your scan. If your home institution does not provide this service, ask for a student copy to create your scan. Do not mail official transcripts during the applicant stage.

Please visit http://grad.udel.edu/apply/transcripts/ for more detailed information.

5. Personal Statement / Essay

Responses to the following prompts. We are looking for insightful, specific and brief essays.

  1. Outline your educational plans and career goals and discuss how your proposed plan of graduate study relates to them. What are the specific attributes of the program at UD that lead you to believe that this degree is appropriate to help you achieve your professional objectives? Within the area of study you have selected, are there areas of special interest to you?
  2. Getting your message across to prospective customers is a key element of a business plan. Please critique our effort to market the University of Delaware MBA programs by using specific examples of where and how you heard about our program and honestly assess how effective that vehicle was in drawing you to apply for admission. What are some strengths of these marketing efforts and what could be done better? What is the best way to reach prospective students like you?

6. Resume

A resume, or curriculum vitae, that documents your prior work experience, publications, honors and awards received, and a summary of your educational credentials.

7. Two Letters of Recommendation

You provide names and email addresses for your recommenders, and recommendation forms are emailed directly to them from the online application. Instructions are included as to how to return the completed forms electronically.

8. GMAT/GRE Optional

If you are not submitting a GMAT/GRE score, please select that you request a waiver on the Test Score Waivers page of the application.

If you wish to take the GMAT/GRE, application fees are waived for candidates who achieve a total score of 600+ on the GMAT Classic, 555+ on the GMAT Focus Edition or 310+ (Verbal Score + Quantitative Score) on the GRE. After receipt of official GMAT or GRE scores, the application fee will be automatically waived.

9. Work Experience

The typical applicant has five or more years of experience (work experience, volunteer work, community service, internships, significant academic projects, etc.) but all applicants are considered even if they have limited professional experience.

10. Math Requirement

To be successful in the MBA program, you must demonstrate strong analytical and quantitative skills through prior academic work and/or recent professional experience. Applicants who are otherwise qualified for admission but lacking successful coursework in non-introductory statistics, calculus, linear math classes or work experience, may be asked to complete at their expense an MBA Math course in order to be admitted to the program. This will be communicated upon the completion of the Admissions Committee’s review of the full application.

Tuition & Fees
All tuition rates and fees are for 2023-2024.

Tuition

Delaware residents* $920/credit
Non-residents $1,028/credit
Online MBA $950/credit

* Visit the registrar’s website for residency requirements.

Fees

All graduate students are responsible for mandatory fees in the Fall and Spring semesters. These fees vary based on whether a student is taking the program on a full-time or part-time basis. There are no registration fees for the online program. Please visit the Graduate Fees and Financial Aid page in the Graduate Catalog for full details.

Financial Aid & Loans

Awards

The merit-based opportunities listed on this page are available to full-time MBA students.
Please Note: students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for any type of funding.

Graduate Scholarships

The graduate scholarships (unassociated with graduate assistantships) are available for exceptionally qualified full-time applicants. These scholarships may be up to 25% of tuition and would be awarded for up to two years. No additional application is required.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are offered to exceptionally qualified full-time applicants. No additional application is required.

A graduate assistantship is an opportunity to assist business faculty while earning your degree and to receive compensation (a stipend) and a tuition scholarship in return.

Most assistantships are partial in nature and require 10 hours per week. The stipend is $5,375 per term (Fall: September 1 – December 31; Spring: February 1 – May 31) for a 10-hour assistantship. The exact working days are determined by the department to which you are assigned. For the Fall and Spring semesters during which you serve in an assistantship, the Lerner College will also provide a 50% tuition scholarship.

Graduate Internship Program

The Graduate Internship Program is an elite internship program for full-time students that gives top Lerner College graduate students an opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job experience with a corporate sponsor.

These positions pay a stipend of $11,000 per term and include a 50% tuition scholarship in exchange for working 20 hours/week for the employer. The positions are awarded based on interviews with the employer. The program is coordinated through the Lerner Career Services Department.

International students must be on an F-1 visa for at least 9 months prior to applying for a position due to visa regulations.

Funding Resources

International Students
The University of Delaware is an ideal place for a great education in a global atmosphere. As an international student, you’ll join fellow students from over 100 countries. Nearly 30% of all the University’s graduate students and approximately 44% of the Lerner College graduate students are internationals.

International Application Requirements

As an international applicant, you must:

  • Fulfill all the admissions requirements for domestic students.
  • Provide translation and other supporting documents for transcripts.
  • Demonstrate English proficiency by doing one of the following:
    • Submit a TOEFL score of 100 or higher,
    • Submit an IELTS score of 7.5 or higher,
    • Provide proof of having earned a college degree in a country where English is the primary language, or
    • Apply through the Conditional Admission Program (CAP)
    • The Graduate & Professional Education office provides more detailed TOEFL information on its test scores page.

  • Please note World Education Services (WES) evaluations are no longer accepted.

Conditional Admission Program (CAP)

The MBA Conditional Admissions Program (MBA-CAP) provides international students acceptance into the program without the need to take the TOEFL exam. After completing CAP at the University of Delaware’s English Language Institute (ELI) you begin your MBA coursework.

The length of time you will need to study in the ELI depends on your English skills when you enter the program. Please see the Graduate CAP Business Track page on the ELI website for more information.

Graduate Pathways

Graduate Pathways is a one-semester preparation program for international students whose language proficiency approaches the admission requirement (85-99 on the TOEFL iBT or 7.0 on the IELTS). You will take classes in English for graduate studies plus one MBA course with language support from the English Language Institute (ELI). Please see the Graduate Pathways page on the ELI website for more details.

Services for International Students

UD and the Lerner College offer many services to help you, both in class and out.