Admissions

General Requirements

Applicants for admission to the MBA and M.S. programs must have a U.S. bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or its foreign equivalent before registering at the Leavey School of Business.

Commitment to Excellence Through Diversity

The Leavey School of Business actively shares the University’s commitment to excellence through diversity. SCU is dedicated to increasing the ethnic and cultural diversity of the student and faculty community, and to activities and actions that will lead to a more just and humane society. Therefore, SCU strongly encourages applications from individuals with non-traditional backgrounds with high potential and aptitude.

Application Procedure

Applicants for the Evening MBA and Online MS Programs in Marketing, Finance & Analytics, and Business Analytics may apply to study in the fall or spring quarters. Applicants for the Online MBA may apply to study in the fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters. MSIS applicants may apply to start studying in the fall and winter quarters. Executive MBA, MSBA, and MSFA applicants may apply to begin in the fall quarter only.

MBA and M.S. program information and additional details are available in the Graduate Business Programs Admissions Office and by phone at 408-554-4539.

Applicants must complete and submit the following items before the Admissions Committee will render an admissions decision:

  • Application form, resume, and essay responses (completed online)
  • Two completed Letters of Recommendation
  • Official transcripts from all higher education institutions attended or presently attending (including all junior/community colleges and extension programs). All applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from outside the United States are required to have their official transcripts evaluated by WES <https://www.wes.org/> using their ICAP evaluation. We also accept evaluations from any NACES organization. We require course-by-course, cumulative GPA, and U.S. degree equivalency evaluation CAPS (electronic delivery). Exceptions are made for applicants with an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited U.S. university.
  • Admissions interviews are scheduled at the discretion of the Admissions Committee but are required for the Evening MBA, Online MBA, Online MS Programs, and Executive MBA Programs.
  • Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score. Scores are valid for five years. We accept the Executive Assessment exam for Executive MBA only. Waivers are available for qualified applicants.
  • Official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo, if required. Scores are valid for two years. Applicants who attended universities outside the US, UK, Canada, and Australia are required to take the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exams. Applicants whose first language is not English must achieve a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL (internet-based test), a 7 on the IELTS, or 125 on Duolingo. This requirement also may be met by scoring at or above the 50th percentile on the verbal portion of the GMAT or GRE or if the applicant has a degree from an accredited U.S. university. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to fulfill the language requirement, even if their language of instruction is English.
  • Non-refundable application fee. The online application fee must be paid by credit card and submitted electronically at the time of application submission.

Foreign-born admitted students requesting student visas must submit, after being accepted for admission and placing their deposit, a current financial statement (no more than 90 days old) showing adequate funds for tuition, fees, and living expenses for the first year of study, and they must be enrolled in at least eight units each quarter. Santa Clara University is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.

  • Official transcripts are submitted to be sent electronically to gradbusiness@scu.edu.  
  • GMAT/GRE and TOEFL/IELTS scores are sent directly to the Graduate Business Admissions Office from the test center.

The Admissions Committee will only review applications once all materials have been received. In addition, Evening MBA, Executive MBA, and all Online Programs provide an SCU Alumni Expedited Pathway Opportunity for SCU Alumni.

International Students

The Global Engagement Office issues official immigration Form I-20 for students who need a “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status” to international students who do not hold U.S. passports or Lawful Permanent Residence and wish to reside in the U.S. in F-1 student immigration status.  Online Programs and Executive MBA cannot admit students on an F-1 visa.

Submission Deadlines for I-20 Request Packets

To make sure we can process your I-20 in enough time for you to get your visa stamp, enter the U.S., arrive at SCU, and complete your check-in and ISW before classes start, your I-20 Request packet must be submitted by the following deadlines:

Students requesting Initial or Change of Status I-20:

  • Fall Quarter - July 1
  • Winter Quarter - November 1
  • Spring Quarter - February 1

Students transferring their F-1 SEVIS immigration record from another U.S. school or university:

  • Summer Start - Select Programs Only, June 1
  • Fall Quarter - August 1
  • Spring Quarter - March 1

SCU Alumni Pathway

The SCU Alumni Pathway provides an expedited application process for SCU alums.  The Alumni pathway waives the application fee, letters of recommendation, and in some cases the GMAT/GRE scores (waiver must be approved),  if alum applicants achieved a 3.0 GPA or above from the Leavey School of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education and Counseling Psychology, School of Law, School of Theology, or 2.5 or above from the School of Engineering or a STEM program.  

Admissions Contingencies

Applicants may be admitted with one or more contingencies. All contingencies are documented on the student’s Program Plan Card or acceptance letter and provided to the student at admission. All contingencies must be fulfilled by the timeline indicated on the student’s Program Plan Card or acceptance letter (some contingencies are required to be satisfied before enrollment or by the end of the student’s first term in residence, refer to your admission letter for required completion dates.) Students who do not fulfill their contingency requirements by the requested date(s) will not be permitted to register for classes until the contingency is fulfilled or will have their acceptance rescinded.

State Authorization for Online Programs

Santa Clara is approved and welcomes applications for enrollment into online programs from residents in the following states:

Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

For more information, refer here: https://www.scu.edu/student-right-to-know-act/online-education-information-for-students/

Application Deadlines

The completed application package should be sent as early as possible. The deadlines are:

On-Campus Programs

  • Fall Quarter (All programs) Round 1: April 1; Round 2: MBA Programs June 1; MS Programs May 1
  • Winter Quarter (MSIS) - October 15
  • Spring Quarter (Evening MBA, MSIS) - January 20

Online Programs

  • Fall Quarter (Online MBA): August 30 and (Online MS Programs): September 5
  • Winter Quarter (Online MBA): December 15
  • Spring Quarter (Online MBA): March 15 and (Online MS Programs): March 15
  • Summer Quarter (Online MBA): May 25

Program Requirements

MS Programs Applicants also must have completed the following areas before enrollment:

  • One (1) course in college-level calculus
  • One (1) course in college-level statistics

Additionally, candidates must complete the following areas before enrollment.  Completion of these courses may be from online sources designated by the program:

  • One (1) course in linear algebra
  • One (1) course in R programming
  • One (1) course in Python programming

MS Information Systems applicants also must have completed one (1) college level course in a programming language before enrollment:

  • Python, Java, C, C++ or C#.

Admissions Decisions

Admissions decisions are made throughout the year on a rolling basis. Applicants are admitted based on academic ability indicated by college records and GMAT/GRE scores, demonstrated management potential (including work experience and recommendations), and motivation to complete a demanding academic program. Once accepted, a non-refundable tuition deposit is required prior to registration. The deposit is applied toward the student’s first-term tuition. Tuition deposits are not required for online programs.

Deferment

Candidates admitted to the MBA and MS programs may petition for an admission deferment to the next subsequent term.  Acceptance of the deferment request is at the discretion of the Admissions Committee and requires submission of the non-refundable deposit.

If a deferment request is granted, candidates may be given a deferment of up to one year beyond that for which they were originally accepted (MBA only). Otherwise, they must formally re-apply. In addition, official transcripts of coursework taken in the interim must be submitted for review prior to the first quarter of enrollment.

The candidate must meet the curriculum requirements at first enrollment, not that of the admitted quarter.

Reapplication

Students admitted to the program who cease registering for classes and do not apply for a leave of absence, who never register or take a leave of absence for longer than 4 consecutive quarters, must formally re-apply for admission. If the original application is on file, re-application requires only a completed application form, updated resume, and paid application fee. If the original application is no longer on file, essay responses, recommendation letters, official GMAT/GRE scores, and updated transcripts must be resubmitted.

Re-admission is not guaranteed. Applicants re-admitted must meet the curriculum requirements in effect at the time of readmission and must enroll for the respective quarter. Credit is not guaranteed for previously completed coursework. Deferrals are not permitted.

Veterans and Veterans Dependent Assistance

Santa Clara University has been certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs as qualified to enroll students under applicable federal legislation and regulations, including Chapter 35 (child of a deceased or 100 percent disabled veteran, widow of any person who died in the service or died of a service-connected disability, or wife of a veteran with a 100 percent service-connected disability), Chapter 31 (rehabilitation), Chapter 30/1606 (active duty Montgomery G.I. Bill®), Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill®), and Yellow Ribbon. Individuals interested in attending any of the veteran assistance programs should contact the Veterans Administration and the University Office of the Registrar. GI Bill® is the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) registered trademark. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.