Frequently Asked Questions

The Early Career MBA program is specifically designed for students who have recently completed their bachelor’s degrees (within 0-3 years of graduation), who come from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds (non-business undergraduate majors), who have less than three years of professional, post-graduate work experience, and who wish to broaden their knowledge base and expand their career options.

The Early Career MBA is a one year, full-time, accelerated, in-person, cohort program. The program delivers the strong academic foundation of a graduate degree and the business knowledge of an MBA. It requires the completion of 48 credits including 14 three-credit courses and a six-credit capstone course and includes hands-on experiential learning through classroom activities, group projects and an internship, and yearlong co-curricular activities including a carefully crafted career guidance program. To learn more about the degree requirements, see the Course Catalog.

The Early Career MBA cohort begins once a year in the fall (September).

The Early Career MBA program takes one year (four quarters) to complete. It begins in fall quarter and ends at the conclusion of summer quarter the following year.

Yes, the Early Career MBA program at Seattle University is an accredited MBA program.

Fall, Winter and Spring quarters you will attend classes in the mornings (one class per day), Monday-Thursday from approximately 9am to noon. During summer quarter, classes are switched to the evenings, so that students can participate in internships during the day.

Students take 14 three-credit courses (4 per quarter, fall winter and spring quarters) and 2 three-credit and 1 six-credit capstone course summer quarter. To learn about the classes you will take, see the Course Catalog.

Yes. Designed specifically for individuals who are early in their careers, the Early Career MBA includes a year-long program of co-curricular activities. Activities include a week-long orientation before the start of Fall quarter, participation in career development seminars and career center activities to help with career planning, attendance of the Executive Speaker Series, participation in the Albers Mentor Program, and completion of an internship.

The Early Career MBA is an in-person, cohort program.

The Early Career MBA is a lockstep, cohort program, meaning that you and your classmates will begin the program together in the Fall (September), attend your classes and participate in the co-curricular activities together throughout the year, and graduate at the same time the following August.

The Early Career MBA cohort typically averages 25-30 students per year.

Visit Graduate Cost of Attendance for program cost information. For reference, the program is 48 credits and students take 12 credits per quarter.

The Early Career, MBA program is on a 10-week quarter system for fall, winter, and spring, and on an 8-week quarter system for summer. For more detailed information visit the academic calendar.

The Early Career MBA is a full-time, accelerated program. Because of the sequence of classes and cohort system, it is not possible to complete the program on a part-time basis.

The Early Career MBA program is comprised of 48 credits. We do not offer waivers.

Transfer credits are not accepted towards the Early Career MBA.

No, the Early Career MBA is not a STEM designated program.

See the Admissions page for information about the application process or if you are ready, you can start your application.

Round 1: March 1 (Priority Review)

Round 2: May 1

Round 3: July 1 (Final Deadline)

The priority deadline for international students is March 1 and the final deadline is April 1.

Applications submitted for Round 1 are given first consideration for early admission to the cohort.

Applications will be received and reviewed on a rolling, space-available basis. Any applications received after July 1 will be reviewed on a space available basis.

Note: Applications for the Albers Early Career MBA Scholarship will only be considered for the March 1 and May 1 submission dates and requires a separate application.

For most applicants, GMAT or GRE test scores are optional, but they can make an application more competitive. Exceptions to this policy are if an applicant’s degree is 1) ungraded, or 2) not equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. See International Graduate Admissions for information about GMAT/GRE requirements for international students.

There are no specific courses required for admission. Depending on undergraduate coursework, newly admitted students may be asked to complete online preparatory work before the start of the program. Information on preparatory work can be found on the Admissions page. Individual requirements will be included in offer of admissions letters.

See the Admissions page.

See International Graduate Admissions for information about English language requirements for international students

Each applicant is viewed holistically. The admissions committee assesses each application individually, looking for people who have the desire, motivation, prior academic success, and maturity to be successful in the program. As the Early Career MBA program is a cohort program, they look for individuals who can work collaboratively and contribute to a positive learning environment. Applications are carefully evaluated based on a combination of prior academic performance, accomplishments, work experience (when applicable), the essay/personal statement, letters of recommendation, and GMAT/GRE scores (when available).

Yes, an interview with the Program Director is required and is one of the final steps in the application review process. You will be contacted by admissions to schedule an interview. Interviews are conducted via video call and typically last 30 to 45 minutes.

Completed applications generally take three to four weeks to be evaluated and reviewed by the Graduate Admissions team. When a decision has been made, a notification will be sent via email. You can login to the Graduate Application to check the status of your application anytime. 

Yes, you can apply to more than one graduate program. Your admission to each program is separate. Scholarships awarded by each program are separate and can’t be transferred.

No, the Early Career MBA program is designed specifically for students who do NOT have an undergraduate degree in business. Students who have a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration are not eligible for the program.

No, the Early Career MBA program only accepts students who do not have an undergraduate degree in Business. If you have a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, we suggest you consider one of Seattle University’s other graduate business degrees, which may better fit your needs and qualifications.

Yes, you can apply to the Early Career MBA program if you have a 3-year undergraduate degree. However, with a 3-year degree, you may need to submit GMAT or GRE scores. Please see International Graduate Admissions or contact the graduate admission office at albersgradinfo@seattleu.edu for more information.

No, the Early Career MBA Program is specifically designed for students who have 0 to 3 years of professional working experience.

No, the Early Career MBA program is specifically designed for individuals who are in the early stages of their careers. If you have more than three years of post-undergrad, professional work experience, we suggest you consider one of Seattle University’s other graduate business degrees, which may better fit your needs and qualifications.

For information on scholarships and financial aid, visit Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Domestic students can apply for federal financial aid by submitting a FAFSA. International students finance their education through a combination of personal funds, an employer, government, or familial sponsor, and/or loans. For international students, it is recommended that they consider scheduling an appointment with Student Financial Services or our  International Student Center to learn more about opportunities to finance their graduate education.

Yes, applicants are eligible to apply for the Albers Early Career MBA scholarship. Scholarship recipients are selected based on a personal essay, prior academic excellence, perceived level of need, special circumstances and GMAT or GRE scores (if available). Over half of our Early Career MBA students apply for and are granted a scholarship to assist with their education. The Albers Early Career MBA scholarship is designed to assist with, but not cover the full cost of tuition. The average scholarship ranges from $3,600 to $4,800 and is divided equally over all four quarters of the program. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer full ride/100% scholarships to any student at the graduate level. Scholarship applications must be completed and included with your initial program application. For additional information on the Albers scholarship, see the Admissions page.

Please note: Applications for the Early Career MBA scholarship will only be accepted during Rounds 1 and 2 of Admission deadlines. Applications for scholarships received after May 1 will only be considered if funds are still available.

Yes, all Seattle University undergraduates who apply by the May 1 deadline, who have GPAs of 3.0 or above, and who are accepted into the program will automatically receive a $4,800 Albers Graduate Scholarship.¹ Applications received after the May 1 deadline will be considered based on funds available.

^{1. To be considered for a scholarship amount above $4,800, complete the scholarship application as part of your regular application.}

Yes, see the Admissions page.

Yes, the Graduate Admissions staff can arrange for you to attend a class. Please contact albersgradinfo@seattleu.edu to schedule.

Students often choose to work part-time during the program, and all students participate in internships. The Early Career MBA program is a rigorous, accelerated, full-time MBA program, however, and working full-time while going to school is not recommended.

Yes. On campus opportunities for current students are posted on Handshake as they become available.

Most Early Career MBA students live off campus and choose to find their own housing. For information on campus housing, please visit Graduate and Law Student Housing and for suggestions for finding off-campus housing visit Seattle University Off- Campus Housing.