Early Career MBA Admissions Process

Research the Early Career MBA to see if it’s right for you.

1. Attend a Graduate Open House.
2. Attend an Online Info Session.
3. Schedule a meeting with our Senior Recruiting Specialist.
4. Schedule a campus tour.
5. Prepare and register for the GMAT or GRE (Optional).
   • GMAT and GRE scores are now optional, except for international applicants with a three-year undergraduate degree. Applicants are still encouraged to submit a GMAT or GRE when possible. Choosing to include either score can make your application more competitive and give the admissions team more information about you.
     • Seattle University's code for Early Career MBA candidates’ GMAT scores is OTM-56-59.
     • Seattle University's code for GRE scores is GRE 4695.
6. Review Admissions Dates and Deadlines.

Once you start an application you will be able to save your progress and will not have to complete it all at once.

The ECMBA application includes the following elements:

1. Bachelor's Degree.
   • Evidence of four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or U.S. equivalent completed before the program starts.
   • Applicants must have a non-business degree to be eligible to apply. International 3-year degrees in Commerce are accepted.
2. Minimum of 3.00 GPA.
   • Cumulative GPA from the most recent 90 graded quarter (60 semester) credits, including transfer credits and post-baccalaureate coursework.
   • If your GPA is below a 3.00, please include a “GPA Explanation” (one to two paragraphs explaining the reason for your GPA and your plan to succeed academically in future graduate coursework) and upload under the "Essay/Letter of Intent" tab.
3. Official Transcripts.
   • Submit official transcripts, degree certificates, and exam score reports from all schools attended in the last five years, including where your degree was earned, to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
     • Transcripts must note your degree conferral if you have completed your degree.
     • Seattle University will assume responsibility for an evaluation of your required academic records for applicants who completed coursework outside of the United States. The evaluation is not an English translation of the academic records, but a separate document determining if the degree received outside the U.S. is equivalent to a U.S. degree and a GPA is recalculated in a 4.00 scale.
   • Upload unofficial transcript(s) for your institution(s) within the Academic History tab of application or upload transcript(s) following submission of your application via your Status Page.
   • If admitted, official transcripts are required within your first quarter of enrollment.
   • Official transcripts may also be mailed as paper copies or submitted electronically to grad-admissions@seattleu.edu.
4. Prerequisite Courses.
   • Basic Accounting, Statistics, Math for Management, and Excel Certificate.
     • These courses are not required to apply, and depending on undergraduate coursework some or all prerequisites may be waived. Courses will need to have been completed with a grade of B– or higher to be waived. Your transcript(s) will be evaluated during the admissions process, and we will specify in the acceptance letter what, if any, preparatory work you will still need to complete.
     • Once admitted, you will be provided with links to register for these online, self-paced prerequisites. These are non-credit Harvard Business Publishing Education courses. Completion is a condition of beginning fall classes.
     • The prerequisites have been chosen to assure that all incoming students will have some experience with the quantitative areas listed above, and ensure they have the knowledge and skills to succeed in the program.
5. Résumé.
   • Résumé reflecting any work, volunteer, and/or internship experiences. Applicants must have non-business degrees and under three years of professional work experience to be eligible for this program (work experience is not required). Exceptions considered on an individual basis.
6. Required Essay.
   • A 500-word essay outlining why you wish to join the Early Career MBA program.
7. Personal statement or letter of intent (Optional).
   • A one page personal statement or letter of intent is optional but encouraged. This personal statement can be used to expand upon topics covered in the required essay or add new information to share with the application review committee to help make themselves a competitive candidate. Suggestions include but are not limited to: why are you interested in the program, how this program complements your career goals, and why you believe you would be a good candidate. Please upload under the "Essay" tab.
8. Recommendation Forms (Optional).
   • If interested in this optional section, applicants are encouraged to include professional references who can speak to their interest in the program and applicable skillset for the program.
   • Once the application is started, applicants may add the email addresses of recommenders in the “Recommendations Tab” and they will receive a link to the evaluation form. The form should only take them 15 minutes to fill out.
     • The form submission is the required section once added to the application, however recommenders are encouraged to submit a letter as well, if possible.
     • Once added to the application, the application will remain incomplete until each recommender has submitted the necessary form. This means application review will not begin until forms are submitted even if all other application materials are complete and submitted.
9. Scholarship Form (Optional).
   • The Albers Early Career MBA Scholarship is available for applicants to our Early Career MBA program. The scholarship form is within the program application and MUST be submitted with your program application to be considered.
   • Seattle U Undergraduates: If you apply for the ECMBA and submit the scholarship form by May 1, have a minimum 3.00 GPA or higher, and are admitted to the Early Career MBA program, you will automatically receive a scholarship of $4,800. Applications received after May 1 will be considered based on funds available.
   • Any scholarship form submitted after an admission decision has been issued will not be considered.
   • The ECMBA Scholarship is divided equally over all four quarters.
   • Visit the Albers Graduate Scholarships webpage for more information about award amounts and additional instructions.
10. English proficiency.
    • Graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants who received a baccalaureate degree or higher from Seattle University or a recognized college or university in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Bahamas, Jamaica, Kenya, Singapore, Belize, Nigeria, and Trinidad and Tobago will not be required to submit English proficiency test scores. Students earning a degree in a country other than those listed above may provide official documentation from the degree- granting institution verifying that all instruction was in English. A minimum of three years of enrollment at the university is required. English proficiency may be met with an official TOEFL score of 86 (IBT), or the IELTS exam with a minimum score of 6.5; PTE score of 63%; or Duolingo score of 120.
11. GRE/GMAT Scores and Three-Year Degree Policy.
    • A GRE or GMAT test score is optional* but can make an application more competitive.
    • *Exceptions:
      • It is Seattle University policy to require a test score if applicant’s degree is 1) ungraded, or 2) applicant’s degree is not equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. Graduate Admissions will evaluate all transcripts to ensure equivalency during the review process. If any non-equivalency is found after submission, applicant will be contacted to add a test score for an application to continue review. You can read additional details in our three-year degree policy. Seattle University's GRE & TOEFL code is 4695, GMAT code is OTM-56-59 and MAT code is 2287.

Submit your application and $60 fee.

• Make sure you hit “Submit” on your application.

1. Check Your Status.
   • You can login to the Graduate Application to check the status of your application anytime. 
   • Submitted applications are only considered complete once all application materials have been received, including your official transcripts and recommendation forms and letters if included.
2. Monitor your email. 
   • Make sure to regularly check the email you listed on your application for updates, including your admission decision. Completed applications generally take three to four weeks to be evaluated and reviewed by the department. When a decision has been made, a notification will be sent via email asking you to check your application portal.
3. Interview. 
   • Selected applicants will be invited to an interview as the final step in the admissions process.