Frequently Asked Questions

The Online MBA, MS in Finance and Analytics, and MS in Business Analytics programs each operate on a quarterly schedule. Current application deadlines for all four programs can be found here.

The GMAT or GRE is a required component of all our online graduate business programs. However, waivers are available for qualified applicants to the Online MBA, MS in Finance and Analytics, and MS in Business Analytics. For more information, contact an Admissions Outreach Advisor at 844-554-2425.

The GMAT/GRE must be taken prior to the deadline for which you are applying, and we do not allow for conditional acceptance while applicants prepare for the exam. We recommend that you plan to take the GMAT/GRE at least one month prior to the application deadline to allow time for scores to arrive.

An admission interview is required, and you will be contacted to schedule one once your application materials have been received. Because applicants to our online programs are located across the country, we do not require that interviews be conducted in person. Interviews may be conducted via the web-based video conferencing application Zoom or by telephone if you are not local to the Bay Area.

We do not offer conditional acceptance under any circumstances.

A completed application includes:

• Online application form complete with resume and essay question responses
• Online application fee paid by credit card
• Official GMAT or GRE exam results* (waivers available for qualified applicants)
• TOEFL or IELTS test score results (if required)
• Official transcripts from each college or university-level institution attended, including extension programs. A World Education Services International Credential Advantage Package evaluation is required for international institutions*
• Two confidential letters of recommendation

An application will not go into final review with the Admissions Committee until all admissions materials are submitted through the online application portal.

Please note that hard-copy official transcripts should not be sent directly to the university unless absolutely necessary. We strongly prefer electronic official transcripts delivered by your institution to gradbusiness@scu.edu.

^{*Unofficial GMAT or GRE scores and unofficial/in-progress transcripts are acceptable for the initial admissions process. However, should you decide to enroll in our program, official documents are required before the first day of class.}

While the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is often considered the standard entrance exam used for business schools, the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is also accepted. We do not prefer one exam over the other. Scores from either test are valid for five (5) years. Applicants are welcome to take either exam more than once; we will only consider the highest score.

We prefer that applicants to the Online MBA program have at least three years of professional work experience. However applications are evaluated holistically, and all interested students with a bachelor's degree are eligible to apply.

There is no required minimum work experience for the MS in Finance and Analytics and MS in Business Analytics programs.

The Online MBA program features a unique Silicon Valley Professional (SVP) dashboard, which is designed to help students monitor their development in four domains of expertise, facilitate self-reflection of individual strengths and weaknesses, and track their participation in eight required co-curricular activities. Students can also use the dashboard to solicit feedback from faculty and peers, and comments provided are automatically archived within the dashboard for future reference.

Upon completing the program, the SVP dashboard provides Online MBA students with a comprehensive e-portfolio of research artifacts, professional development experiences, faculty and peer reviews, and more. This differentiating feature is available only through the Online MBA program.

Learn more about the SVP dashboard here.

No. Your Santa Clara University diploma will specify that you have completed a Master of Business Administration or a Master of Science Finance and Analytics or Business Analytics. There will be no indication that you completed the degree program online.

While our online programs do not offer an international immersion experience, ongoing opportunities for peer-to-peer networking, professional development events, and regional company tours are available to all students.

Santa Clara’s online graduate business programs provide extensive opportunities for students to network with each other, faculty, Silicon Valley-area professionals, and program alumni. These opportunities include quarterly company tours, case study competitions, student clubs, and other activities. “Leavey News & Notes,” which is a monthly newsletter distributed to all Leavey students, provides an overview of upcoming events, specialty courses, company visits, and student development organizations.

To learn more about networking opportunities associated with our online programs and to download the “Leavey News & Notes” newsletter, please visit the networking page here.

According to data sourced directly from our current online student population, our Online MBA program includes the following demographics:

• 46% female
• 54% male
• 29% earned an undergraduate degree in business
• 18% earned an undergraduate degree in a liberal arts field
• The average student age is 29 years
• 81% specified career advancement as their primary reason for pursuing the program
• 27% are currently employed in the technology sector
• 14% are currently employed in the finance sector
• 11% are currently employed in the manufacturing/automotive/aerospace sector

For Online MBA students, the first three-day residency weekend will take place immediately before you begin your first course, and the second will take place during your final quarter.

For Online MS in Finance and Analytics and MS in Business Analytics students, the three-day on-campus residency weekend will take place immediately before your first term begins.

Learn more about the Online MBA, Online MS in Finance and Analytics, and Online MS in Business Analytics residency weekends.

Our online graduate business programs are considered part-time programs and thus require approximately 20 hours of work per week, which includes time spent with lectures, research, and coursework.

All of the online graduate business programs have been designed with working professionals in mind. Course content is delivered asynchronously, which allows you to log in, view lectures and assignments, and submit required work as your schedule allows.

Online MBA courses at Santa Clara include a combination of 4-unit, 10-week courses and consecutively taught 2-unit, 5-week courses. Students should expect to complete 12 units in their first quarter and 8-10 units in each quarter thereafter.

The Online MS in Finance and Analytics consists of 6 core courses totaling 20 units, 12 units of electives, and a four-unit experiential learning course. It can be completed in as little as one year.

The Online MS in Business Analytics includes 8 core courses totaling 32 units and 10 additional elective units. It can be completed in just over one year.

View the complete list course descriptions for each program:

• Online MBA
• Online MS in Finance and Analytics
• Online MS in Business Analytics

Leveraging key features in our online learning management system, students in our online programs can expect to collaborate and converse with their cohort peers primarily through video conferencing, live chat, discussion boards, and email messages related to course assignments. Similarly, faculty will communicate with students through these same venues, with scheduled phone conversations available upon request.

In addition to these ongoing interactions, students will have the opportunity to interface with their cohort peers during their program’s on-campus component.

Online MBA students who reside in or are visiting the Bay Area also will have the opportunity to participate in company tours, which are hosted by their cohort peers and available exclusively to Online MBA students.

The university wants to make sure that ALL of our students are healthy and safe. Online students can come to campus anytime to enjoy the gym, bookstore, library, study rooms, faculty office hours, career fairs, networking events, access to Evening MBA courses, etc. It was intentional when we launched our Online programs, that we offered the same curriculum, same faculty, same networking opportunities, same access to campus, and the same degree as our on-campus counterparts.

Unfortunately, we cannot track who comes to campus and who does not come to campus, so the University made it a requirement that all students have to be vaccinated. There is a medical exemption available. Please take a look at the vaccine faqs page if that option is one you want to pursue; the details are laid out there. We wish you continued good health.