Exploring No-GMAT Online MBA Programs

A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at AIU will not necessarily lead to the featured careers. This collection of articles is intended to help inform and guide you through the process of determining which level of degree and types of certifications align with your desired career path.

If you’re looking into traditional or online MBA programs, you’ve probably heard of the GMAT and GRE. In general, business programs at the graduate level often list these standardized tests among their prerequisites to pursue a Master of Business Administration. They can cost hundreds of dollars to take, not to mention the costs of test prep courses if needed, plus the hours spent studying for them. These standardized tests could even sometimes be a barrier for students depending on their unique financial, work, or personal circumstances.

But is it possible to pursue an MBA without GMAT or GRE scores? As it turns out, the answer is yes. Not all schools necessarily require these standardized tests for admission. Certain schools offering traditional and online MBAs may have a GMAT waiver option available to those students who meet certain criteria. And still others, such as American InterContinental University’s online MBA program, goes one step further and offers a no-GMAT online MBA. Depending on your unique circumstances, you may determine that the best online MBA option for you comes with no GMAT or GRE requirement.

But is an MBA without the GMAT or GRE the right decision for your business education? Read on to learn more and possibly help you decide whether or not the best online MBA for you is one with no GMAT requirement.

GMAT and GRE—An Overview

The GMAT is required by most business schools, while the GRE is required for most graduate schools in general and a growing number of business school programs.¹ The GMAT and GRE exams both test verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing skills, while the GMAT also tests a student’s integrative reasoning abilities and is designed to measure those skills considered necessary to succeed in a graduate level business degree program.² After completing the exams, test takers can expect to receive numerical exam scores.³

GMAT Waivers

If you’re looking to avoid taking a graduate entrance exam, an online MBA GMAT waiver might be available—for example, if you have professional experience in the real world, GMAT waivers could be available to you if you meet certain other criteria as well. Requirements for GMAT waivers differ among schools, but common criteria for these waivers tend to include a candidate’s work experience, whether or not a candidate already possesses one or more graduate degrees, and a candidate’s undergraduate GPA.⁴ You would have to research a given online MBA’s requirements to find out if and how you may qualify.

AIU’s No-GMAT Online MBA Program

Instead of trying to qualify for a waiver in order to pursue an online Master of Business Administration, some candidates may feel that a better option for their particular circumstances might be an online MBA program with no GMAT requirement. Online MBA programs with no GMAT requirement such as AIU’s do not base acceptance on standardized test scores. Instead of requiring applicants to take the GMAT or GRE, AIU has developed a Management Competency Assessment (MCA) that, in conjunction with the intellipath® learning tool, tests students on a series of core business content educational modules. The MCA modules focus on topics such as accounting, finance, economics, marketing, and quantitative analysis, among others. Your MCA results can help you see where your strengths and weaknesses lie based on your existing knowledge, allowing you to focus more of your attention on the topics that need it, and less on the ones that don’t. Although the MCA is required of all students who do not possess a bachelor’s degree in business, all students participating in AIU’s no-GMAT online MBA program are welcome to take the assessment to help tailor their education to their needs.

AIU offers an online MBA with various specialization options, such as

• Accounting
• Finance
• Healthcare Management
• Human Resource Management
• Management
• Marketing
• Operations Management
• Project Management
• Technology Management

After deciding which of these business specializations you want to pursue, you can begin AIU’s streamlined application process, which conveniently does not require any letters of recommendation or application fees. After completing the application process and meeting all admission requirements, it’s time to start preparing for classes.

AIU’s no-GMAT online MBA program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The ACBSP requires regional accreditation for U.S. institutions as a condition for membership and accreditation eligibility,⁵ which can be important for a number of reasons, but particularly important when it comes to applying for federal financial aid,⁶ which should be done soon after being accepted into the program.

¹ Princeton Review, "GMAT vs. GRE: Which Test Is Right for You?," available at https://www.princetonreview.com/business/gmat-vs-gre (visited August 27, 2019).
² Graduate Management Admission Council, "The GMAT Exam Advantage," available at https://www.gmac.com/gmat-other-assessments/about-the-gmat-exam/the-gmat-advantage (visited August 27, 2019).,br> ³ Graduate Management Admission Council, "The GMAT Exam Advantage," available at https://www.gmac.com/gmat-other-assessments/about-the-gmat-exam/the-gmat-advantage (visited August 27, 2019).
⁴ Ilana Kowarski, "What MBA Applicants Should Know About Test Waivers," available at https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/articles/2017-06-05/what-mba-applicants-should-know-about-test-waivers-test-optional-programs (visited August 27, 2019).
⁵ Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), "Accreditation," available at https://www.acbsp.org/page/accreditation (visited August 27, 2019).
⁶ Federal Student Aid, An Office of the U.S. Department of Education, "Not sure what college or career school might be right for you?," available at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/students/choosing-schools#finding-right-school (visited August 27, 2019).

AIU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.
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