MBA Requirements at AIU

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.

Whether you’re in the early stages of exploring traditional or online MBA programs or in the later stages trying to narrow down which business schools to apply to, it’s important to learn about the MBA requirements for admission and enrollment for every program sooner than later. Why? The reason is simple. Requirements vary from business school to business school, even among those offering online MBAs. You wouldn’t want to choose one program only to discover that you don’t meet the minimum MBA admission requirements for applicants, or that you’re lacking documentation required for admissions decisions, such as standardized test scores or letters of recommendation.

But applicants also need to think beyond the admissions process and consider what is required of enrolled students. You should be asking yourself questions about a school’s requirements for its MBA program: Are the business school’s online MBA programs fully online, or are students expected to attend an in-person component as part of the MBA requirements for program completion? Are there any MBA GPA requirements? What types of support are available to enrolled students?

Below we discuss AIU’s MBA admission requirements as well as the MBA program requirements for students so that you can learn more about what to expect.

MBA Admissions Requirements for Applicants

MBA program requirements are typically determined by admissions committees and tend to vary by school. However, because an MBA is a postsecondary degree, MBA admissions departments require that students possess a bachelor’s degree before entering any MBA program, and AIU’s accredited program¹ is no exception. AIU MBA applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution. Additionally, you must have earned a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.0 as part of AIU’s MBA GPA requirements for prospective applicants.

After submitting the online application, your college transcripts will be requested and verified as part of the application review process. Any international students whose transcripts are in a foreign language must have those transcripts translated into English as part of the admissions process.

AIU’s Streamlined MBA Admissions Process

GMAT scores, application essays, application fees, interviews, and letters of recommendation are often among the other preexisting requirements for an MBA degree that are set by admissions committees. But AIU offers a streamlined, more convenient application process that has been designed in the same spirit of flexibility offered by our online MBAs—which is why no GMAT, essays, application fees, or recommendations are necessary. And because AIU values work experience over official scores on standardized tests, you can see if you qualify for education credit for job education or eligible military experience.²

Once enrolled, students should meet with the financial aid department again to discuss financial aid options. Then, after taking AIU’s virtual campus tour and completing orientation for new students, students can be ready to start their classes. And if you have any questions while moving through the admissions process, you can always chat with an AIU Admissions Advisor who is there to help you.

Enrollment Requirements

Much like MBA admission requirements, MBA program requirements tend to vary by school. As part of AIU’s MBA program requirements, students must earn 48 credits in order to graduate. AIU’s online MBA degree requirements include a set of core courses, which are the mandatory classes students complete for every online MBA offered by AIU regardless of specialization. The core MBA course requirements are: Global Financial Management, Business Research for Decision Making, A Managerial Approach to Marketing, and Strategic Management. Beyond these core MBA course requirements, the specializations differ in what courses are required for graduation.

But, regardless of the program requirements for an MBA in a given specialization, all of AIU’s online MBA programs are designed to be completed in one year or less. Because AIU values work experience, one of the ways in which AIU makes this accelerated degree possible is through its intellipath® learning tool, which allows students to focus their attention on the subjects they need to study most, instead of on things they already know. And even though another school of management may require real-time or in-person components that can conflict with students’ busy schedules as part of their online programs, AIU’s online MBA programs do not.

In addition to all this flexibility, AIU offers support to students through its faculty, who can provide individualized attention to students when requested, as well as through its vast online library, Academic Advising Team, and round-the-clock technical support.

1. AIU’s business programs are programmatically accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
2. Transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. Not all credits are eligible to transfer. See the University Catalog for transfer credit policies.

AIU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states.
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