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Admission Criteria

To be considered for the Professional MBA program, you must 1) meet requirements for admission to the University of Tennessee Graduate School, and 2) meet requirements for our individual program.

Graduate School Admission

Admission to graduate school for Professional MBA candidates includes (but is not limited to) the following requirements:
  • A four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited institution or foreign equivalent.
  • A minimum grade-point average of 2.7 out of a possible 4.0, or a 3.0 during the senior year of undergraduate study (U.S. degree holders). Foreign degree holders must have earned a minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or other equivalent to a 'B' average. If you have completed previous graduate course work, you must have a grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4-point scale or equivalent. However, a strong record of professional or educational accomplishment may be considered as part of a GPA waiver request. Contact the Professional MBA program office if your GPA doesn’t meet the minimum requirements.  
  • Proficiency in spoken and written English. International applicants whose native language is not English must have taken the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) within the last two years. This requirement may be waived if you’ve been conducting business primarily in English for a number of years, so please contact the Professional MBA program office if you have questions. For information on the TOEFL, including schedules, visit www.TOEFL.com.   
For a complete set of guidelines from the Office of Graduate Admissions, see the Admissions Requirements and Procedures page.

If you are an international applicant, please note that the graduate school has a special set of guidelines and deadlines that apply specifically to you. Refer to the Admission Guide for Graduate International Students for detailed instructions.

Professional MBA Admission

The ProMBA admissions committee looks for the following criteria when reviewing your application:
  • Evidence of a career track with significant professional achievement and increasing scope of responsibilities
  • Five years of professional work experience (preferred but not mandatory)
  • An academic record that demonstrates the academic aptitude and commitment to complete and succeed in a rigorous MBA program while continuing to work
  • Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores, unless you already have a graduate degree or you have more than 10 years of professional work experience. *
  • Evidence of the business acumen to contribute actively to the learning process
  • Evidence of professional positioning that will allow you to apply learning quickly to your organization
  • Strong recommendations and robust employer support for time spent earning your ProMBA degree

*Contact the ProMBA program office to discuss whether your work experience warrants waiving the GMAT requirement. For information on GMAT tests, including schedules, visit www.mba.com.