MBA

You may apply for admission for the Fall, Spring or Summer semesters. Students admitted before the semester starts may take classes in either of the two eight-week terms (term A or term B) offered that semester. If you miss the semester deadline, you will be considered for admission in the following semester. Application deadlines are July 1 for the Fall semester, November 1 for the Spring semester, and April 1 for the Summer semester.

Bachelor’s Degree, 3.0 GPA Recommended
Provide unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended. Official transcripts will be required for admission.

GMAT or GRE Score Optional
We utilize a holistic approach in our admissions decisions that values a mix of backgrounds and professional experience and considers previous academic record and length of work experience. A GMAT, GMAT Focus Edition or GRE is not required but is optional to submit. You will not be disadvantaged for not submitting a GMAT/GRE score, but it may be advantageous if you want to strengthen other elements of your application, such as years of work experience.

Three Reference Names and Contact Information
All three references must be former or current supervisors or professors. Nebraska will contact your references only if the committee deems it necessary. You do not need to include letters of recommendations.

Personal Statement
All applicants are required to submit a personal statement of 750 words or less through the graduate application. The statement is evaluated on content, sentence structure and grammar. Your personal statement should include the following:

• Briefly describe your past professional experience and relevant skills.
• What would you contribute to our MBA program?
• What are some of your short- and long-term professional goals?
• How would a University of Nebraska–Lincoln MBA assist you in achieving your goals?

Professional Resume
A professional resume should be submitted through the graduate application. Please include the following: relevant work experience, skills and involvement and education.

Three Years of Accumulated Work Experience
Applicants for MBA@Nebraska are recommended to have at least three years of accumulated professional work experience. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For those with three or fewer years of work experience, we recommend you improve your chances by submitting GMAT scores or enrolling in one of our online graduate certificates. To find out which graduate certificate you should pursue to round out your current education and experience, please contact businessgrad@unl.edu.

TOEFL Exam (Required for International Students)
TOEFL score (minimum score of 550 written, 213 computer based or 80 iBT)

Alternatively, international students may submit IELTS scores. A score of 6.5 is required.

Prerequisites for MBA Program
You must have completed college-level statistics before you take the required economics and finance courses. If you have not taken statistics, you can fulfill this prerequisite at any accredited undergraduate school.

Founded in 1964, the MBA began offering online courses in 2001. This shift online happened due a relationship with military personnel at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. To serve our deployed military students after 9/11, we became one of the first online MBA programs. Today, the MBA@Nebraska remains a leader in providing students with flexible options to complete their degree.

The online MBA@Nebraska is currently the only MBA program offered at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The on-campus M.A. in Business programs are no longer offered.

While the program can be completed remotely from anywhere in the world, we do strive to provide optional opportunities for in-person academic, professional, and social networking opportunities, however. We currently have two elective courses with in-person components: MGMT 966 – Adaptive Leadership and a new study abroad program departing for Spain in Spring 2025—you can find further details about these electives in our course previews. Additionally, Business Graduate Programs, the Business Career Center, College of Business, and UNL Alumni Association all invite current students and alumni to grow their networks through engagement at events like the College’s annual alumni tailgate, local alumni associations’ Husker Bar football watch parties, and the Business Career Center’s spring career expedition.

Please note for international applicants: as an online program, the MBA@Nebraska does not meet residency requirements to sponsor student visas for study in the United States.

The MBA@Nebraska program welcomes applications from prospective international students wishing to study remotely from their country of residence. However, as a fully online program, the MBA@Nebraska does not meet residency requirements to sponsor student visas for study in the United States. The Office of Graduate Studies manages English proficiency requirements, transcript handling, and international degree equivalency matters. You can find more detailed information about these requirements at their website for international applicants.

As a fully online program, the MBA@Nebraska program does not offer graduate assistantships; but graduate courses are eligible for federal financial aid (FAFSA). While the MBA@Nebraska program does award fellowships in June of each year, these are typically competitive, one-time awards and should not be counted upon as a source of funding.

The priority application deadline is July 1 for the Fall semester, November 1 for the Spring semester, and April 1 for the Summer semester. We will continue to accept applications until the final application deadline posted each semester (variable based on the term’s starting date).

Applications submitted by the priority deadline will be considered for fellowships and should receive an admission decision prior to course registration opening. As core courses do fill quickly, it is highly recommended that you submit your application by the priority deadline if you wish to start in Term A.

Note: fellowships are typically one-time awards and should not be counted upon as a regular source of funding.

You must complete a college-level statistics course before you take the required economics or finance courses. If you have not taken statistics, you can fulfill this prerequisite at any accredited undergraduate school. However, you can start with other core required courses before completing your statistics course.

Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded directly into the application. Official transcripts can be sent electronically to graduate@unl.edu or to the Office of Graduate Studies, 1100 Seaton Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588.

Once applications have been submitted and test scores are verified, the admissions committee will review the application. Decisions are typically made within two weeks.

If you have met the prerequisite requirements for the intended course you wish to take, we will allow up to 12 credit hours completion prior to admission to the MBA program.

Students may transfer in up to 12 credits from an AACSB accredited school. Students may transfer in up to 6 credits from a regionally accredited school. Total credits transferred in cannot exceed 12 credits. Requests for transfer credits will be evaluated at the time of admission. Courses must be graduate level, completed in the last 5 years with a grade of B or higher and in a career/MBA related area. Courses cannot have been used in another graduate degree.

UNL allows visiting students who are in good standing in another graduate program to take classes in our program, as well.

All online students - including Nebraska resident, Nebraska non-resident and international students - are all charged our flat-rate tuition.

There is a 15% discount for all active duty, retired or honorably discharged military students.