3-Year Bachelor Degree Holders, Take Note!

In my recent MBA application experience, I was notified that I was not qualified to apply by virtue of my Australian 3-year bachelor's degree; nevermind that I have 12 years working experience on my back. In fact, some of the US schools require you to complete 4 years of study which they equate to their US 4-year degree.

Many Malaysians completed our twinning (2+1, 1+2) or distance learning/external program (3+0) from Australian, New Zealand or British universities. The Australian and New Zealand bachelor's degree are typically a 3-year study. To do a 4th year, you must do the Honors Year which is by invitation of the faculty. British bachelor's degree are 3-year study with honors.

After this experience, I hope MBA aspirants will take note of their undergraduate degree and particular attention to the admission requirements especially where the international undergraduate degree is concerned.

I have complied a list of Top 10 International and Top 10 US Business Schools based on FT 2008 MBA Ranking:

Business Schools that Accept International 3-Year Bachelor's Degree:
University of Pennsylvania: Wharton [1]
Columbia Business School (case-by-case basis) [2]
Stanford Graduate School of Business (UK bachelor's degree with honors [3])
Northwestern University: Kellogg School of Management [4]
Dartmouth College: Tuck School of Business [5]
New York University: Stern School of Business [8]
Yale School of Management (case-by-case basis) [9]
INSEAD [10]
University of Cambridge: Judge Business School [11]


Business Schools that Do Not Accept International 3-Year Bachelor's Degree:
University of Michigan: Ross School of Business [6]
University of Chicago: Chicago Graduate School of Business [7]


Harvard and MIT do not specify the years of study for your non-US bachelor's degree but they demand excellent academic performance. Please check with the respective admission office.


For other business schools, please write to the Admission Office or check their Frequently Asked Questions. Do not be caught off guard when you are about to submit or finding out after you have submitted.

Best of luck!



Jimmy Low

Notes
[1] http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/admissions/faqs/index.cfm#Q10
[2] http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/learnmore/faqs#1
[3] http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission/application_requirements.html. For Australia/New Zealand bachelor's degree, please write to Stanford Admission Office
[4] http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/Programs/FullTimeMBA/FAQs.aspx
[5] http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/admissions/faqs/index.html
[6] http://www.bus.umich.edu/Admissions/Mba/MbaFaqs/Applying.htm. Although FAQs stated India 3-year bachelor's degree, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia 3-year bachelor's degrees do not qualify for admission to Ross MBA/GMBA.
[7] http://www.chicagogsb.edu/fulltime/faq/index.aspx#in1
[8] http://w4.stern.nyu.edu/admissions/fulltime/applyingtostern.cfm?doc_id=100346#Recommended_Degrees
[9] http://mba.yale.edu/MBA/admissions/apply/faq.shtml#INTERNATIONAL
[10] http://www.insead.edu/mba/meet_us/FAQs-AdmissionsGeneral.cfm#no_degree
[11] http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/mba/apply/requirements.html