Master of Business Administration (MBA) Apply - Cal Poly OCOB Graduate Programs (2024)

Fall 2024 Application Period:

International Applicants: October 1, 2023 to April 1, 2024 (by 11:59 p.m. PST)

Domestic Applicants: October 1, 2023 to May 1, 2024 (by 11:59 p.m. PST)

Round 1
Application Deadline: February 1st, 2024
Estimated Decision Release Date: February 28th, 2024

Round 2
Application Deadline: March 15th, 2024
Estimated Decision Release Date: April 15th, 2024

Round 3
Application Deadline: May 1st, 2024
Estimated Decision Release Date: May 31st, 2024

Decisions will be made after the application deadline of each round. In some instances, an application may be deferred for consideration to a subsequent round. Only complete applications can be reviewed for admission. Please ensure you have no outstanding tasks on your Admission checklist if you would like your application to be reviewed by a given deadline.

Degree / Coursework:
Prior to the program start date, an applicant must have completed a baccalaureate (Bachelor’s) degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association. The MBA program is open to students of all undergraduate majors and disciplines. No specific undergraduate coursework is required to apply.

GPA:
A minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 U.S.A. scale) is required to be admitted. Particular emphasis is placed on the last 90 quarter units (60 semester units). Admission is competitive and most successful applicants will have a GPA above 3.0.

Work Experience:
Professional experience is strongly preferred. Applicants whose resume does not clearly document one or more years of full-time work experience should explicitly quantify short-term (e.g., internships), part-time and significant voluntary experience in an addendum to your resume.

English Proficiency:
Evidence of English proficiency is required for international applicants. More information can be found HERE on the Graduate Admissions website.

Statement of Purpose (Personal Statement):
Your statement of purpose should be 500-750 words, and should include answers to the following questions:

• Why do you want to get an MBA from Cal Poly?
• How have your experiences prepared you to (a) reach your goals as an MBA student and (b) to be a constructive member of your MBA cohort?

Resume:
Include education, professional experience, volunteer work, etc.

Letters of Recommendation:
You will provide email addresses for two (2) supervisors or professors. Recommenders will be able to upload their confidential letters through Cal State Apply.

Test Scores:
GRE or GMAT scores are optional for Fall 2024 admissions. They are strongly encouraged for applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0.

Undergraduate Transcript(s)*:
Official transcripts arerequiredfrom the degree granting institution and they must be sent directly from the institution. Additional information on how to send transcripts can be foundHEREon the Graduate Admissions website.

*Official transcripts are not needed from students who received their undergraduate degree from Cal Poly SLO.

Step 1: Complete Application on Cal State Apply
The application is submitted via the Cal State Apply web site. A fee of $70 (USD) is required at the time of submission. This fee cannot be waived. We accept applications for fall quarter admission only.

Once you create an account, you can select the MBA program on the “Add Programs” page. You can find our program by filtering the campus to “Cal Poly San Luis Obispo” and searching for the name of your program (“Business Administration”).

Check the prerequisites and requirements to ensure that you are eligible to apply. For detailed descriptions of required items, please click HERE. The Cal State Apply application will require you to submit the following:

• Resume
• Letters of Recommendation (email addresses for two recommenders)
• Statement of Purpose (“Personal Statement”)
• Test Scores (optional)

To ensure your application deadline is correct, please select “No” when answering question “1a. Returning” within your extended profile in your Cal State Apply account. Only applicants who have previously been enrolled in this graduate program at Cal Poly should select “Yes”.

Step 2: Activate Your MyCalPoly Portal
After your application has been received by Cal Poly Admissions, you will receive an email with instructions to activate your MyCalPoly portal. If you do not receive an activation email within two weeks of applying, follow these instructions to activate your portal.

Please contact Cal Poly Admissions if you are experiencing issues with your MyCalPoly portal.

Step 3: Submit Transcripts Directly to Cal Poly
Official transcripts are required from the degree granting institution and they must be sent directly from the institution. Transcripts should be sent after submitting your application through Cal State Apply and before the application deadline. Please click HERE for more details on how to submit transcripts.

You can verify if your transcripts have been received by checking your “To-Do List” within your Student Center in your MyCalPoly portal. If your degree is still in-progress at the time of applying, please note that final transcripts will also need to be sent upon degree completion.

Official transcripts are not needed from students who received their undergraduate degree from Cal Poly SLO.

Step 4: Submit Proof of English Proficiency (international students only)
An English proficiency exam such as the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo is required for all applicants whose native language is not English. Please click HERE for more details on requirements.

Step 5: Decision Posted on MyCalPoly Portal
After submission of your application and receipt of all required items, an admissions decision will be posted within your Student Center in your MyCalPoly portal and you will be notified via email by Cal Poly Admissions. To view application deadlines and estimated decision release dates, please click HERE.

The tables below outline program costs for academic year 2024-2025, excluding books, room and board, laptop computers** and other personal expenses, and optional activities.
Fees are estimates and are subject to change.

Accelerated 10-Month MBA Program (total program cost*)

* Reflects total program cost, including Intersession

Traditional Two Year MBA Program (total program cost)

** To support a portable learning environment, every Orfalea College of Business Graduate Students must bring a laptop to class. We recommend a laptop computer with these specifications. Note: Many graduate instructors at the Orfalea College of Business require students to run various Windows-based applications that do not have Mac equivalents.

Financial aidis available to qualified individuals. Questions regarding financial aidincluding how to apply for aidshould be directed to Cal Poly’sFinancial AidOffice. TheGraduate Education Resourcepage is another excellent sources of information.

We are pleased to offer MBA Access Grants, a new opportunity for need-based financial aid that is available for both new and continuing MBA students. Applicants and continuing students must complete the FAFSA application to be considered for this and other sources of support. There is no additional application for MBA Access Grants. We are also pleased to offer continuing MBA students the opportunity to apply for several scholarships including the APWA – Herbert E. Gerfen Scholarship, the James R. Landreth Cal Poly VP Emeritus and Esther A. Landreth Scholarship, and the Larry Ratner Scholarship.

Application Period for Fall 2024 Opens

Oct 1, 2023

MBA Applicants - Round 1 Application Deadline for Fall 2024

Feb 1, 2024

MBA Applicants - Round 2 Application Deadline for Fall 2024

Mar 15, 2024

MBA Applicants - Final/Round 3 Application Deadline for Fall 2024

May 1, 2024