How to apply to the UVic MBA

Admissions

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Next intake: September 2023

Applications open: September 1, 2022

Applications close: April 30, 2023

Here are the steps to start your MBA application today:

  1. Apply to UVic.
  2. After you have applied you can regularly check the status of your application at My UVic Application.
  3. We will assess your application as soon as we receive it. We will contact qualified applicants for an in-person, online or telephone interview as the final stage of the admissions process.

Admission criteria

Education

  • You have completed the equivalent of a Canadian Bachelor's degree from an academic institution recognized by the University of Victoria.
  • You have earned the equivalent of a “B” average over the last two years (or equivalent of 30 UVic units) of your degree.
  • If you do not have a “B” average, you may be admitted as a mature student, provided you have four years of relevant professional experience after completing your undergraduate degree. Submission of a detailed résumé is required to determine eligibility as a mature student. Such recommendations must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

For information on how GPA is calculated, please visit the UVic Graduate Admissions page. 

In exceptional cases a student may be admitted with lower formal qualifications when there is significant experience relevant to the program. For more information, please visit the UVic Graduate Admissions page.

Professional Experience

Work experience prior to joining the MBA Program is required. Due to the intensive nature of the MBA program, we prefer 2 years or more of full-time work experience for the Daytime MBA, and 6 years or more of full-time work experience for the Weekend MBA. Strong applicants with less experience will also be considered.

A work history which demonstrates increasing levels of responsibility over time, such as leading people or projects or being responsible for budgets or resources, will be more competitive than a work history where the level of responsibility remains at an entry level.

Students entering the program with less than three years of full-time, professional work experience are required to complete a Co-op work term.

Résumé

Your résumé should outline your work experience and other experiences that may be of interest to the committee, including volunteer experience and community involvement. Please make sure you include the following details for each experience:

  • start and end dates, including month and year (i.e. November 2019 – August 2020)
  • whether the position was full-time or part-time
  • whether the position was an internship or co-operative education experience

Please also calculate your total months of full-time work experience (excluding internships and co-op positions), and include that number on your resume. This will ensure the committee can accurately determine your cumulative work experience.

GMAT/GRE/EA Score

GMAT

Minimum GMAT requirement: 550

GMAT score needed to be Competitive: 620+

All four sections of the GMAT are taken into consideration, but it’s most important to have well-balanced scores across all sections.

The institutional code for GMAT is C2H-GB-55. 

For more information on the GMAT, visit the GMAT website.

GRE

The GMAT is the preferred test for MBA. However, you may submit a GRE score in place of the GMAT. To calculate your equivalent GRE score, you can use the GRE Comparison Table for Business Schools. The institutional code for the GRE is 0989.

Executive Assessment (EA) for applicants with 10+ years of experience

Minimum EA requirement: 150

EA score needed to be competitive: 153+

Applicants with 10 or more years of professional experience may submit an Executive Assessment (EA) score as an alternative to GMAT. All three sections of EA are taken into consideration, but it’s most important to have well-balanced scores across all sections.

The institutional code for EA is C2H-GB-55. 

For more information on the Executive Assessment (EA), visit the EA website.

References

Assessment Reports are required from a minimum of two academic or professional references who are familiar with your work. Your references should be individuals who can provide a candid assessment of your abilities; professional or academic referees are acceptable. The names and email addresses of your referees are required when you fill out your on-line application. Once you submit your application, your referees will automatically receive an email.

It is important that you contact your referees before providing their name in the online application, in order to confirm their willingness to provide you with an assessment.

You may also upload a letter of reference to your online application in addition to the Assessment Report.

For more information on how to submit your Assessment Reports, please visit the UVic Graduate Admissions page and scroll down to the ‘Assessment Reports’ section.

Personal Submissions

You must prepare and submit two personal submissions:

  • Tell us about your career goals and how the UVic MBA in Sustainable Innovation will help you achieve them. 
    • Connect these goals to what you have already accomplished in your life, and what impact you hope to make in the future.
    • The format of this submission must be a standard written document, 500 to 700 words in length.
  • Tell us why the UVic MBA in Sustainable Innovation is a good fit for you and why you are a good fit for our program. Show us your understanding of the values and culture of the UVic MBA.
    • Give us insight into who you are and what contribution you will make to the program.
    • The format of this submission must be a video, must include you speaking, and should be approximately 3 minutes in length.
    • You may submit your video by uploading it as an "unlisted" video to YouTube or another digital platform. Then include the link to access your video as a pdf document in your application.

English Language Requirements for International Students

If your first language is not English, and you have lived in Canada or another English-speaking country for less than three years, you must provide evidence of fluency in English. The following minimum test scores are accepted:

TOEFL (Internet Based Test of English as a Foreign Language)

Minimum overall TOEFL requirement: 90

Competitive overall TOEFL requirement: 95

Applicants must score a minimum of 20 in each section of the test (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).

The TOEFL code for the University of Victoria MBA is 0989.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

Minimum overall IELTS requirement: 6.5

Competitive overall IELTS requirement: 7.0

Applicants must score a minimum of 6.5 in each section of the test (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).

 

More information on UVic's language proficiency requirements.

Note: tests taken more than two years prior to application will not be considered.

Application Deadline and Fees

The next intake: September 2023

Seats in our MBA in Sustainable Innovation are limited. The application portal opens September 1st each year to start the following September. Our admissions team reviews applications as they are received.

Early Submission Date: December 1st
Recommended especially for:

  • International applicants.
  • Students who have an existing graduate degree.
  • Mature student applicants (non-degree).

Final Submission and Supporting Documents Date:  April 30th
Admission is continuous and considered applicants will be interviewed.

We recommend that international students submit their application as early as possible to allow sufficient time to obtain a Government of Canada Study Permit (and Temporary Resident Visa if necessary) if they are selected.

Learn more information on application fees.

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