GMAT Waiver Online MBA Programs
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A master of business administration (MBA) is considered to be an important qualification for those looking to pursue a career as a business-owner, executive, or manager. This graduate-level degree can provide students with a vital skill-set applicable throughout their working lives. By illustration, the author of a report in the Harvard Business Review (July 2017) broadly declared that completing an MBA helped her learn about leadership, authenticity, and people, among other ideas integral to being successful in the business world.
Of course, MBA programs can be difficult and time-consuming, especially for students required to travel to and from a college campus. That said, a growing number of MBA programs are now available online, established to meet the needs of working professionals who seek a more flexible schedule. Because an MBA program can be grueling, some graduate students find solace in the face-to-face support provided by other students in the class. Distance-based MBA students, by contrast, must be highly self-motivated and comfortable receiving support virtually rather than in person.
For some students, one of the most difficult parts of the application process is preparing for or taking standardized tests, either because said students don’t test well, or because they don’t have the time to prepare properly. Conveniently, these days there are several online MBA programs with “GMAT waiver” options. A program that offers a GMAT waiver is offering a conditional waiving of the GMAT requirement for qualified applicants. Consider, for example, East Carolina University, which offers a GMAT waiver; in this case, the school waives the GMAT requirement for applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- If they have completed an advanced degree which required an entrance exam (GRE, LSAT, etc.)
- If they have completed seven years of full-time professional experience and earned an overall GPA of 2.7 or greater
- If they have been inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma
- If they are a graduate of ECU’s Honors College
Should an applicant meet one or more of the criteria above, they will not have to provide ECU with their GMAT scores as part of the application process. For all practical purposes, this means they would not need to sit for the GMAT exam at all unless other business schools to which they were applying required it. Note that not every school offering a GMAT waiver will have the same criteria as ECU. Some, for instance, allow students whose undergraduate grade point average (GPA) meets or exceeds a certain threshold to apply without submitting their GMAT scores. Students are advised to check the specific GMAT waiver criteria for each program to which they are applying.
Note that a GMAT waiver should not be confused with a “GMAT fee waiver,” which waives the GMAT exam fee for eligible students, but does not waive the requirement to submit GMAT test scores when applying.
What follows is a list of select online MBAs with GMAT waivers, as well as three reputable professors who teach in such programs.
Featured Online MBA Programs with GMAT Waivers
GW University, as well as its School of Business and online MBA program have all been ranked among the top of their kind by U.S. News & World Report. The business school is also ranked as a top college for veterans. The healthcare MBA program is designed for those who want to work on the business side of the healthcare industry.
Students complete all 55.5 credits online on topics that include business ethics and public policy, microeconomics for the global economy, strategic management, and more. Students can customize their education through one of seven graduate certificates in healthcare quality, health sciences, regulatory affairs, integrative medicine, clinical research administration, clinical research practice, and clinical and translational research.
Students must have at least three years of work experience to apply, preferably in healthcare. A GMAT or GRE score is required but is waived for U.S. board-certified physicians and applicants with five or more years of relevant professional work experience. Applicants may also request a waiver if they have between three and five years of relevant work experience. Waiver requests involve submitting a resume, academic transcripts, and a summary of why one believes that he or she is qualified for the waiver.
| Location: Washington, D.C. |
| Tuition: $1,765 per credit-hour |
| Time to Completion: Two years to 30 months, and up to five years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
The flexible MBA at Johns Hopkins can be completed part-time with a mixture of on-site, online, and hybrid classes so that students can complete the program according to their needs while continuing to work. Concentrations include financial businesses, healthcare management, and leading organizations.
Students take 30 credits of business foundations classes, including business communications, negotiation, business law, economics for decision-making, statistical analysis, investments, and marketing management, among others. Electives include fixed income, cybersecurity, data analytics, design thinking, and global strategy, among others. While most of the program can be completed online, students must attend three weekend residencies.
| Location: Baltimore, MD |
| Tuition: $1,330 per credit |
| Time to Completion: Three years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
The Seton Hall MBA is mostly online, other than a two-day campus orientation for new students at the beginning of the program. Students take 25 credits of core courses and 15 credits of electives, for a total of 40 credit hours. The core classes include corporate social responsibility, market decision making, internet technology management, and other fundamental concepts for modern-day business; elective courses vary according to concentration. Concentration options include marketing and accounting.
While work experience is not required for admission, applicants must have had at least a 3.0 GPA in their previous schooling. Applicants must also submit a GRE score of at least 152 in both quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning, or the equivalent of a 500 on the GMAT. However, applicants can waive this requirement if they have a 3.4 GPA, a graduate degree from an accredited university, a graduate certificate from the Stillman School of Business within the last five years (with a 3.3 GPA or higher), a professional certification such as CPA or CFA, or five years of work experience.
| Location: South Orange, NJ |
| Tuition: $1,305 per credit-hour |
| Time to Completion: 24 to 36 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
The online MBA@Syracuse program has made it onto several national rankings by the Financial Times and The Military Times for its excellence. Most of the coursework is online; however, students must take part in three in-person residencies throughout the 54-credit program. Core classes include data analysis and decision making, microeconomics, managerial finance, and the legal and ethical environment of business, among others.
Applicants must have at least one year of professional work experience and a minimum 3.0 GPA in previous education. GMAT scores are necessary with an application; however, a waiver is available for applicants with more than five years or professional work experience in a corporate setting or the military. More details about the university’s GMAT waiver requirements can be found on its website.
| Location: Syracuse, NY |
| Tuition: $1,500 per credit-hour |
| Time to Completion: Two years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
In the online MBA@Denver, students learn about economics, finance, management, entrepreneurship, and data analytics through a combination of live online classes, self-paced coursework, and in-person immersions. The program can be completed over seven terms and 60 credits (68 for the marketing or finance concentration). At the end of the program, students complete a final capstone project, where they analyze a problem within a local company and work with them directly to offer a solution.
Applicants must have worked in a professional setting for at least two years, preferably three. Undergraduate transcripts, grades, and GMAT test scores are required with admission. However, a waiver is available for applicants with a graduate degree; ten years of work experience (with eight in a management role); three years of work experience and a 3.2 GPA; five years of work experience and a written essay or resume that shows excellent academic, professional, or military experience; or for those who have completed at least two quantitative courses through the Daniels Continuing Education program with at least a “B” grade.
| Location: Denver, CO |
| Tuition: $1,250 per credit-hour |
| Time to Completion: 21 months |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
The online MBA program at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is ranked among the best online MBA programs in 2017 by U.S. News & World Report. Students enjoy a 15-to-one student-to-professor ratio for online classes, ensuring the size of each remains small enough to allow for stronger connections between students and faculty. Students also have the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning experiences connected to the online MBA that are hosted in cities throughout the world. Indeed, while much of the program is online, two in-person global immersion programs are required of all students in order to graduate. The program consists of 66 credits, and can be completed in 18 to 36 months, depending on the plan of study. Students can also specialize in one of eight fields: corporate finance, entrepreneurship, global supply chain management, marketing, investment management, sustainable enterprise, management consulting, and data analytics and decision making. Applicants with seven years of full-time professional experience can qualify for a GMAT waiver.
| Location: Chapel Hill, NC |
| Accreditation: AACSB |
| Expected Time to Completion: 18 to 36 months |
| Estimated Tuition: $114,078.36 |
The Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary, which has been ranked among the top graduate schools in the nation as of 2018 by U.S News & World Report, offers an online MBA program for aspiring business students. This two-year accredited program consists of 48 credit-hours of coursework and a one credit-hour residency; although the rest of the program can be completed online, the one-credit-hour residency experience requires students to travel to the campus. Students in the program take courses on finance, marketing, integrated technology, and strategy, among a number of others, and will follow the curriculum of William & Mary, which centers around the concept of a “wicked problem”—a problem with an unknowable set of potential solutions, no necessary agreement on the nature of the problem itself, and no way to know with absolute certainty that the chosen solution is the best. To be considered for a GMAT waiver, applicants must have at least five years of professional experience demonstrating increasing responsibilities and proof of quantitative competence.
| Location: Williamsburg, VA |
| Accreditation: AACSB |
| Expected Time to Completion: Two years |
| Estimated Tuition: $56,350 |
Students studying at the Lebow College of Business at Drexel University can pursue an online MBA that has been ranked among the top 20 online MBA programs in the world by Financial Times. This program consists of 49 credit-hours that can be completed over two years, covering courses on leading in dynamic environments, essentials of financial reporting, business problem solving, and many others. Students also have the opportunity to specialize in a number of concentrations, such as marketing, accounting, business analytics, entrepreneurship and innovation management, finance, and supply chain management and logistics. Though nearly all of the program is conducted online, students are required to participate in a four-day on-campus residency at the start of their studies. Please visit Drexel’s GMAT waiver conditions to determine eligibility.
| Location: Philadelphia, PA |
| Accreditation: AACSB |
| Expected Time to Completion: 24 months |
| Estimated Tuition: $63,994 (for new students) |
The College of Business at East Carolina University offers an online MBA program that consistently ranks as an affordable program for online education. This 54-credit-hour program can be completed entirely on campus, entirely online, or a mixture of both. Students have the option to fully customize their study experience. In addition to the MBA, students at East Carolina also have the chance to obtain certificates in a number of fields, including business analytics, development and environmental planning, finance, healthcare management, hospitality management, international management, management information systems, marketing, project management, and security studies, among others. Please check the introduction for ECU’s GMAT waiver conditions.
| Location: Greenville, NC |
| Accreditation: AACSB |
| Expected Time to Completion: Two years |
| Estimated Tuition: up to $55,016.28 for nonresidents |
Students at the College of Business at Missouri State University have the option to complete an online MBA entirely online. The program consists of 33 credit-hours of graduate credit, although students without certain prerequisites may be required to take an additional 18 credit-hours of foundational coursework, as well. The school also offers a number of graduate certificates in fields including computer information systems, cybersecurity, data analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, financial analysis, forensic accounting, international business, leadership, management, marketing, and tax accounting. Please note that the GMAT (or GRE) requirement is waived for students who have a 3.25 or higher GPA; graduated from a Missouri State COB or an AACSB-accredited school in the previous five years completed at least 80 hours at time of applications, and met all English proficiency requirements.
| Location: Springfield, MO |
| Accreditation: AACSB |
| Expected Time to Completion: Two years |
| Estimated Tuition: $10,890 |
At the College of Business at New Mexico State University, students can complete an online MBA in 24 months. This program is delivered in a hybrid method, and courses are delivered online and include a synchronous component in which students are able to engage at a distance on one evening each week. Students are also required to participate in a face-to-face orientation on the Las Cruces campus at the beginning of the program, and studies conclude with a three-day meeting in Las Cruces, as well. In addition to the general curriculum, students are able to specialize in certain concentrations, including agribusiness, finance, information systems, and public utility regulation. Again, please check the introduction for NMSU’s GMAT waiver conditions.
| Location: Las Cruces, NM |
| Accreditation: AACSB |
| Expected Time to Completion: 24 months |
| Estimated Tuition: $10,921.50 per semester for nonresidents taking 15 credits or more |
The Sam Houston State College of Business, located in Huntsville, Texas, offers an accredited online MBA program that can be completed in four semesters (including the summer), although the school recommends that working students realistically plan on finishing their degree in two years. This 36-credit-hour program requires students to take traditional courses on accounting, statistical analysis, and operations management, among others, as well as general business electives and one course on economics. In addition, students have the option to complete the entire program online, although certain electives may only be available to students on campus. To be considered for the GMAT waiver, students must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher, or have a GPA of at least 2.5 and three years of qualifying professional experience.
| Location: Huntsville, TX |
| Accreditation: AACSB |
| Expected Time to Completion: Approximately two years |
| Estimated Tuition: $30,585 for a non-resident taking six credits per semester |
The online MBA at Pepperdine was ranked in the top 25 best online MBA programs by U.S. News & World Report. Students can continue to work while taking classes so that they can immediately apply their new knowledge to their professional endeavors. The 52-credit curriculum is divided into 15 courses taken over six 14-week trimesters. These courses include behavior in organizations, integration in business operations, prices, profit, and the market economy. Students also complete a personal and leadership development course that is held on-campus over a weekend.
Applicants must have at least two years of work experience and a bachelor’s degree with an acceptable GPA. A GMAT score is required with application; however, it may be waived in some instances, such as three years of full-time work experience, a quantitative bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree.
| Location: Malibu, CA |
| Tuition: $1,715 per credit-hour |
| Time to Completion: Two years |
| Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) |
Professors to Know in Online MBA Programs
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Larry Pulley, PhD
Dr. Larry Pulley is the T.C. and Elizabeth Clarke Professor of Business Administration at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary, where he also serves as the dean—a position he has held now for two decades. Prior to being appointed dean in 1998, he was the associate dean of the business school from 1993 to 1996, and before that, he worked at Brandeis University. His areas of expertise include banking industry structure and regulation, international payments, and portfolio managements.
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Stanley G. Eakins, PhD
Dr. Stanley Eakins is the dean of the College of Business at East Carolina University, where he also had served as the associate dean and as chair of the Department of Finance. Dr. Eakins is the co-author of Financial Markets and Institutions, 7th Edition, published by Pearson Education, which is currently the best-selling markets and institutions text. He is also the author of Corporate Finance Online. Prior to his career at East Carolina University, he served as the comptroller and vice president of the First National Bank of Fairbanks, as well as a real estate and commercial loan officer.
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Michael Christian, PhD
Dr. Michael Christian is the Sarah Graham Kenan Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior within the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina, where his research focuses on understanding the mind-body connection at work. Specifically, Dr. Christian examines how somatic states such as sleep, pain, and sickness affect energy, work engagement, and self-control at work. As of this writing, his research has been published in various journals, including Administrative Science Quarterly, The Academy of Management Journal, The Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Personnel Psychology, and The Journal of Management.
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KENNETH D. BUTTERFIELD, PHD WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Kenneth Butterfield is an associate professor and chair of the WSU Carson College of Business Department of Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship. His current research focuses on the management of ethics, moral awareness, and restorative justice in the workplace. He has worked on the editorial review boards of the Academy of Management Learning and Education and Business Ethics Quarterly, and his research has been featured in an array of media outlets, including the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Economist, among others. During his time as a professor, he has led courses on managerial leadership and general management at the undergraduate, MBA, and PhD levels.