Can One Pursue MBA Without GMAT?
By: Ashwini Jain
Tags: Study, Higher Education, Education, Study Abroad, Students

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is usually a fundamental part of the application process to land a spot on any MBA course, especially for students who wish to pursue it abroad. The process of application and preparation can, indeed, be grueling. Most aspiring candidates are well aware that scoring in the GMAT will significantly enhance their chance of getting into a top business school. However, very few sources mention MBA programs that don’t require you to take a GMAT. While a majority of MBA courses in top business schools do require a GMAT score, several countries house prestigious universities that don’t demand a GMAT score for admission. Given below are a few of them:

USA

Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics — University of Delaware

The MBA program at Alfred Lerner College of Business can exempt applicants from taking the GMAT exam if they possess four or more years of full-time professional work experience (in a relevant field). The candidate also must have completed a Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 2.8 GPA. The student must have a high score in an upper-level math course in statistics or calculus. Applicants can request these waivers on their application while filling in their details in the ‘test’ section.

College of Business — Florida International University

Florida International University does not require applicants who pursue a Healthcare Management MBA to take the GMAT or GRE. However, the admission committee may recommend taking it to strengthen your application. For the Professional MBA program, applicants who have more than four years of professional work experience are eligible for a waiver exempting them from taking the exam.

Hult International Business School

The Hult International Business School in Boston, New York City, and San Francisco allows applicants to take the Hult Business Assessment Test instead of the GMAT to prove they have the required skills to succeed in the program.

Kellogg School of Management — Northwestern University

For the course at the Kellogg School, most students do not require GMAT scores for application. But if the admission committee of the institution sees any problematic areas in your application, they may request you to send them your GMAT score.

Lubin School of Business — Pace University

For an Executive MBA program at Pace University, the application does not require GMAT scores. Students can still send their GMAT scores if they wish to, but their admission will not use the scores as a primary basis for the final decision. An MBA program in Financial Management is specifically designed for graduates who have a good GPA from an AACSB-accredited US business school. Applicants who have a 3.50 GPA or higher for their Bachelor’s degree do not need to send their GMAT or GRE scores.

Marshall School of Business — the University of Southern California

Standardized tests are optional for all applicants to the Executive MBA program at the University of Southern California. They are not required to submit a GMAT or GRE score. But there is a possibility that providing your GMAT/GRE score will strengthen your application and benefit you with that extra edge over your fellow candidates.

Sawyer Business School — Suffolk University

Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School does not require the GMAT or GRE scores for an Executive MBA program. However, applicants are required to have seven or more years of professional experience to gain admission in the course.

Canada

Lakehead University

The Faculty of Business Administration of Lakehead University offers applicants a Business Skills Development Program. A student completing this program is eligible to join the MBA program without providing a GMAT score. The duration of this program is one year which further comprises three terms. Enrolled students learn comprehensive and integrated knowledge of business and management, and the program teaches students skills such as communication, decision making, and analytics. Students are advised to read all the requirements for an MBA before applying.

New York Institute of Technology

The New York Institute of Technology, Vancouver, offers a Finance and Management MBA. Both these programs don’t require the applicant to provide a GMAT score. The Management MBA is an AACSB-accredited degree where enrolled students learn leadership skills and gain professional experience in the course duration. For admission to the Finance MBA program at the university, a candidate must have an undergraduate degree from a recognized college and a minimum of 3.0 GPA to be eligible for it.

Queen’s University Smith School of Business

The Queen’s University Smith School of Business does not require you to provide your GMAT scores if you are pursuing an Accelerated MBA for Business Graduates. Instead of the GMAT scores, greater importance is given to your application, resume, cover letter, and interview. This program is available in cities like Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, and Ottawa. Applicants must necessarily have two years of working experience and an undergraduate degree in Business, Marketing, Accounting, or any other field of relevance.

Schulich School of Business — York University

The Schulich School of Business offers flexible study options and several specialization choices. If a candidate meets the specific criteria set by the institution, the authorities consider overlooking the applicant’s GMAT requirements. A student who has graduated from the Schulich BBA or iBBA programs doesn’t need to provide a GMAT score. Also, the institute does not require candidates with a GPA higher than or equivalent to B+ to submit a GMAT score.

Thompson Rivers University Business and Economics

Providing a GMAT score is entirely optional for an MBA degree at the Thompson Rivers University Business and Economics. Instead, more weightage is given to a candidate’s quantitative and computing skills. The university offers a two-year full-time program as well as a five-year part-time MBA course. It also provides an option for enrolling in an accelerated MBA program where, instead of GMAT, candidates are required to show their TOEFL scores.

UK

Cranfield School of Management

The Cranfield School of Management organizes its own entrance test for admission to a full-time MBA program. After clearing the entrance examination, shortlisted candidates have to participate in an interview round. The institute conducts two tests to evaluate the candidate’s problem-solving skills.

Durham University Business School

For admission to the Durham University Business School, the applicants are required to have at least three years of previous work experience and an eligible IELTS score. The duration of the full-time MBA program is 15 months.

Henley Business School — The University of Reading

The Henley Business School does grant admission to applicants of its full-time MBA program without a GMAT score, provided they demonstrate outstanding grades and have a minimum work experience of three years.

Lancaster University Management School

The Lancaster University Management School provides aspiring students with a one-year full-time MBA course without the GMAT requirement. The criteria for enrollment is based upon the candidate’s work experience, academic performance, and interview.

Middlesex University

The Middlesex University considers candidates with an undergraduate degree in any relevant discipline and a minimum of three years of work experience for admission to its full-time MBA course without a GMAT score.

University of Liverpool

The University of Liverpool offers an online MBA course with no requirement of a GMAT score. The selection of eligible candidates is based on their prior work experience. For admission to the course, candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree along with at least three years of relevant work experience. Applicants need to provide their TOEFL/IELTS score for entry to the program.

Australia

Macquarie Graduate School of Management

The Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) does not require a candidate’s GMAT score for admission to its MBA course. The enrolled applicants have to complete the course within a year. The candidates also have an option to take a part-time MBA course, which can be completed over three to four years. A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline, proficiency in the English language, and a GPA of 5.0 out of 7.0 are mandatory criteria that a candidate must satisfy to get admission into the MBA course.

University of Canberra

The University of Canberra provides MBA admission to candidates who possess a relevant degree at the undergraduate level. Work experience is not mandatory for these applicants. Candidates applying to the MBA program with an undergraduate degree in any discipline must have a minimum of three years of work experience.