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Your admission to Thunderbird's MBA in Global Management program is a comprehensive process.

Admission Standards and Program Prerequisites

Acceptance requires academic excellence, professional work experience, satisfactory test scores and good recommendations. However, there is no single factor that hinders or ensures your acceptance. Your admissions portfolio is reviewed as a whole. All documents submitted are considered in a complete review of your credentials.

Admission Documents

To be considered for the MBA in Global Management program you must complete and submit:

  1. A completed online application form
  2. Two personal essays responding to application questions
  3. GRE Revised Test (taken after August 1, 2011) or GMAT, and TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE test scores (if applicable)
  4. A minimum of two evaluations completed and sent to Thunderbird through the "Personal Potential Index", preferably from a professional colleague or supervisor
  5. All official transcripts, validating completion of a four-year degree or equivalent
  6. A current, sequential resume of educational and professional accomplishments

For the accelerated program, applicants must have the above requirements and the following additional requirements:

  1. An undergraduate degree in business OR completed coursework in statistics, accounting, finance and management, OR a minimum of five years work experience with managerial and budget responsibilities.

Note: Qualified applicants will be invited to interview after an initial review of their completed application. All interviews are conducted by invitation only and will be part of the final admissions decision.

Educational Requirements

Prior to the beginning of the traditional or accelerated MBA program, all students must have completed coursework in:

  1. Microeconomics
  2. Macroeconomics

Thunderbird offers an on-line economics bootcamp prior to the beginning of Foundations Week that will satisfy the micro- and macro-economics requirement.

Waivers for micro- and macro-economics are evaluated and granted during the admission review. You are notified of any waivers granted in your admission offer documents.

While there are no prerequisite requirements for statistics, accounting and finance in the traditional program, if you lack coursework, expertise or knowledge in these subjects, Thunderbird recommends the online GMAT Business Ready courses, which are offered through the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC).

English Language Proficiency

Thunderbird courses require that students whose native language is not English have an excellent proficiency in reading, writing and speaking English. Waivers are not granted.

Applicants whose native language is not English, and who didn't receive a qualifying degree in a country where English is the native language, are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic exam.

Exam scores are valid up to two years (from program start), and must be sent directly to Thunderbird from the exam administrator.

Exam requirements:

 
TOEFL
  
 
IBT
CPT
PBT
IELTS
PTE
Direct entry 100+ 250+
 600+ 7.5+ 68+
English Boot Camp 98-99 247 597 7.0 67
Pre-MBA/Masters Intensive English Program 79-97 213-243 550-593 6.5 53-66
GMAT verbal score is also considered and certain scores may require enrollment in English programs.

Work Experience

A large portion of Thunderbird coursework is project/case-driven, using teaching strategies that involve direct participation in current business issues through work inside companies. Students with work experience provide relevant, real-world insight into these issues. The Thunderbird MBA program requires a minimum of two years post-baccalaureate work experience (by the time of program entry) and a resume indicating:

  1. A chronological account of work experience from the time you received your undergraduate degree.
  2. Titles of positions held, brief descriptions of responsibilities, employers, dates of employment and reason for departure.
  3. Reasons for breaks in employment.

Students with less than two years of experience are encouraged to apply for the Master of Science in Global Management or Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management degree programs.