• The University of Texas at Austin requires graduate school applicants to have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.
• All students in the Executive MBA should be fully employed during the course of the program. 
• Foreign nationals who apply should be living in the U.S. and fully employed. 

To prepare to apply for your Executive MBA:

• Obtain copies of your official transcripts and have official test scores sent to UT Austin, or submit a test waiver petition.
• Get to know MBA program details and culture by meeting staff, students, and alumni at an MBA event.
• Review the Texas McCombs MBA Insider blog for tips on the application process.
• Connect with current students to gain additional insight from someone who has successfully gone through the process.
• Email us with any questions.
  
  

Submit your Texas McCombs MBA application by the deadline for the round in which you are applying. This includes all relevant application components - essays, transcripts, self-reported test scores, letter of recommendation, resume, etc. If you submit your application before or between deadlines, the admissions committee will move forward with the evaluation and render a decision within four to six weeks.

• Pay the application fee. Your application fee invoice will be available 1-2 business days after application submission. If you received an application fee waiver, please allow up to three business days for the waiver to be processed.
• Complete your video assessment within 7 days of invitation.  All applicants are required to complete the video assessment.
• Complete your file with UT's Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) on the MyStatus portal. GIAC is responsible for verifying the validity of your test scores, transcripts, and degrees. 1-2 business days after application submission, upload copies of official transcripts and confirm receipt of official test scores.

Every Executive MBA candidate will complete an interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. Interviews last 30 minutes including time for your questions. Expect to receive an email with a link to the online schedule after your application fee is reconciled.

Once you've submitted your application, you can monitor your application status via the Applicant Community page for updates. While we review your application, we encourage you to watch your check your email inbox for any application updates.

Did you receive a promotion, or did you re-take the GMAT or GRE exam since you submitted your application? If you have a substantial update to your application, please upload them to your application using the Submit an Update link, and contact us. Please note that there is no guarantee that your update(s) will be considered for evaluation of your candidacy.

Applications are reviewed in rounds. The Admissions Committee will render a decision by the date published during the round in which you submit your application. Applications submitted between rounds will be reviewed in the order they’re received and completed.

Once a decision has been released on your application, you will receive an automated email to view your admissions decision. All admissions decisions are final for the application cycle.

All Executive MBA applicants are required to submit a GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment (EA) score. We will waive the testing requirement if:

• Expired (taken 5+ years ago) GMAT, GRE, or EA score is submitted or
• General Test Waiver (merit-based) petition is approved

The MBA Admissions Committee does not have a preference on which test you take, and there is no minimum score. More details on how to submit test scores or petition for a test waiver can be found below.

Current Test Scores (taken within 5 years)

For current scores (taken within 5 years), you must self-report your test scores in your application as well as have official score reports sent directly to UT Austin by the testing agency.

Send official scores to UT through the testing agency. Use the school codes for the Texas McCombs Executive MBA program below

• GMAT and Executive Assessment: 396-44-75
• GRE: 6882

Expired Test Scores (taken 5+ years ago)

For expired test scores (taken 5+ years ago) you must self-report your score and upload proof of the test score in the application. 

Examples of proof for expired test scores include:

• a score report you previously received from the testing agency OR
• documentation from another educational institution that previously received the score (e.g. for another graduate/terminal degree application).

General Test Waiver (Merit-Based)

A merit-based test waiver is available by request prior to submitting your application. Waivers are not available for applicants who have already sent scores to UT.

For candidates who would like to request a merit-based test waiver:

• Submit the General Test Waiver petition form prior to submitting your application. 
• The General Test Waiver form can be accessed directly (UT EID login required) or via the test scores section of the application.
• General Test Waiver approval is merit-based and takes into account your work experience and academic history. Your resume and transcripts are required for consideration. 
• A decision on your test waiver request will be shared within 5-10 business days after submission.
• Waivers are not available for applicants who have already sent scores to UT.

Learn more about the General Test Waiver.

TOEFL or IELTS Waivers

A waiver of the TOEFL or IELTS is automatically granted if you are an international applicant and have earned an undergraduate degree in a country where the only official language is English. Please visit GIAC's country list.

Applicants who meet one of the following criteria may also be eligible for a TOEFL/IELTS waiver:

• You have lived and worked full-time in the U.S. or in a country where English is the only official language for at least two of the past four years (refer to the country list linked above).
• You hold a master's degree from a college or university located in the U.S. or from a country where English is the only official language (refer to the country list above).
• You were educated solely in English for your undergraduate and/or prior graduate degree in a country where English is not the only official language. 

If you do not meet any of these conditions, you are required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS exam without exception. Waivers are processed 7-10 business days after application submission. 

Evaluating your academic history is a two-step process.

1. Transcript Evaluation - Evaluation is completed by the admissions committee to ensure you can manage the academic rigor of the program. You will be asked to upload copies of your official transcripts/mark sheets to Texas McCombs prior to application fee payment.
2. Transcript Validation - This step is completed by UT-GIAC. During the validation process, your degree is verified and GPA is calculated using upper division courses and Master's/PhD. You will be asked to upload copies of your official transcripts/mark sheets to GIAC after application fee payment. 

Domestic transcripts must have been produced by the issuing institution within the past calendar year. If documents are written in a language other than English, complete and official English translations must be uploaded together with the original language transcripts/mark sheets. It is critical that you block out social security numbers on all documents before uploading. 

Please read these instructions prior to uploading your transcripts to GIAC. 

Tip: Don't want to wait for a copy of your transcripts to reach you in the mail? Ask your registrar if they are able to email you directly with a pdf copy of your official transcripts. 

Within your application, you will provide your professional resume. Although Executive MBAs typically have around ten or more years of experience, eight years of full-time post-bachelor's work experience (not internships) is required for the program. Full-time work experience is calculated up until the time of enrollment (the start of classes). This encompasses all work completed since your bachelor's degree, including teaching, military service, and government experience (e.g. the Peace Corps). Other types of experience can be explained fully in the application essays.

Your MBA application essay is an important part of sharing your unique story with the Admissions Committee. The most successful essay will thoughtfully address the prompt, clearly communicate why you want to attend Texas McCombs, and authentically share who you are. 

There is one required essay for the Executive MBA. Additionally, you can provide an optional statement essay if there is something you wish to explain about your candidacy that is not addressed elsewhere in your application. 

Essay Prompt 

1. Take time to reflect on your MBA journey and the direction you want to take in your professional career. Explain how the Texas McCombs MBA program will help you realize your professional goals, and how you will contribute to the McCombs MBA community. (500 words)

Optional Statement 

Please provide any additional information you believe is important or address any areas of concern that you believe will be beneficial to MBA Admissions in considering your application (e.g. gaps in work experience, choice of recommender, academic performance, or extenuating personal circumstances). If living outside of the metro area that the program is held in, please provide an explanation regarding your plans to commute or relocate to the program location. (250 words)

We require one recommendation from a person who has supervised your work and/or assessed your performance. 

While completing your application, you will be able to send your recommender an invitation to submit their recommendation. Professional recommendations are strongly recommended (i.e. direct supervisor, indirect supervisor, or a client). If you are unable to request a letter of recommendation from your direct supervisor or feel that another recommender would be more appropriate, please explain why in your optional essay statement.  Once your letter of recommendation is received, you will receive an automated email.

While completing the recommendation form, your recommender will be asked to assess specific compentencies and traits, and they will also be asked to answer the following three questions:

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant, and if applicable, the applicant's role in your organizations. (50 words)
   
   
2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? For example, what are the applicant's principal strengths? (Recommended word count: 250 words)
   
   
3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and applicant's response. (Recommended word count: 250 words)

Your recommender will also have the option to upload a response to the optional question: "Is there anything else we should know about the applicant?"

Tip: Give your recommender plenty of time to submit their recommendation by senbding them an invitation via the application. Once you start your application, you can save your progress.

Payment of the non-refundable $200 application fee is required. Accepted forms of payment are Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, a U.S. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), or a U.S. eCheck.

Application Fee Waivers

MBA applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria may qualify for an application fee waiver:

• Veteran or current U.S. military service member
• Teach for America participant (current or alumnus)
• Forté MBA Launch participant (current or alumnus)
• Fulbright participant (current or alumnus)

We are unable to offer application fee waivers based on financial need.

Payment of the application fee prior to processing a waiver will not be refunded.

If you apply to more than one Texas McCombs MBA program during the same admissions cycle, you are required to pay only the first application fee.

If you are a U.S. permanent resident, after you have submitted your application and paid the application fee, you will be required to upload a copy of the front and back of your permanent resident card. This option is only available after you have paid your application fee in full. Applicants who have applied for U.S. permanent residency but who do not yet have the card in hand, must apply to Texas McCombs as an international applicant. Should your card arrive after, you may notify GIAC to update your status.

All Executive MBA applicants will complete a Video Assessment as part of the admissions process. Through the Video Assessment, the Admissions Committee will have a chance to hear from you, beyond a resume, test scores, and transcripts.

Applicants will receive an email notification containing the Video Assessment instructions and links shortly after submitting their application and paying the fee. Applicants have 7 days to complete the assessment upon receiving access to the video submission platform. There will be 4 question prompts and applicants will have 30 seconds to a minute to prepare, and 2 - 3 minutes to answer each prompt.

Every Executive MBA candidate will complete an interview with a member of the admissions committee. The interview format is behavioral-question based, and lasts 30 minutes including time for your questions. Expect to receive an email with a link to the online schedule after your application fee is reconciled.