Admission to the University's Graduate School of Business program is selective. An admission decision is based on a balanced appraisal of the applicant's total academic and professional record, his/her Graduate
Management Admissions Test score or Graduate Record Examinations score, and overall excellence. While the Admissions Committee looks for responsible academic performance and excellence on test scores as evidence of the applicant's ability to do well in graduate study, it also looks for qualities of personal development, which are relevant to career success. Extra-curricular involvement and leadership in college, useful assignments in military service, or substantial work experience will strengthen the application.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Persons wishing to apply for admission to the Graduate School of Business Programs should request application materials from the Office of Graduate Admissions, or additional information can be found on the Graduate School of Business Admissions website http://www.gardner-webb.edu/gsb. No single criterion will be decisive, but each item will be considered in relation to the applicant's total qualifications. Gardner-Webb University seeks to enroll students from a variety of economic, occupational, racial, social, religious, and geographic backgrounds. To apply for initial admission to a graduate business program, the applicant should complete the following:
1. Submit an application form to the Office of Graduate Admissions along with a $40 nonrefundable processing fee.
2. Submit a detailed resume of professional experience.
3. Arrange for an official transcript of all previous academic work beyond high school to be sent directly from each institution attended. The Privacy Act requires that each student request in writing that transcripts be released and sent to Admissions. Photocopies might help to expedite the admission process, but full admission will not be granted until original documents have been filed.
to Graduate School of Business Admissions: (1) current or past professor, (2) current or past supervisor, (3) academic or business professional, or any combination thereof.
5. Arrange for submission of an official report of graduate admissions test scores. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is preferred, but the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is acceptable (See GMAT and GRE section for details). Photocopies might help to expedite the admission process, but full admission will not be granted until original documents have been filed.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ REQUIREMENTS
International students are strongly encouraged to apply for admission to Gardner-Webb University's Graduate School of Business. In addition to the standard application procedure several additional steps must be taken. 1. TOEFL - A TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of at least 500 must be submitted for a
paper-based test, or Minimum 173 for computer-based, or minimum 61 for internet-based. Required for international students only if English is not first language.
2. WES - (Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials) Transcripts from institutions outside the United States must first be submitted to World Education Services, Inc. for a course-by-course evaluation before being mailed to the Director of Admissions.
3. PASSPORT - International students must provide to the office of admissions a copy of their passport as part of their admission material. ONLY international applicants planning to immigrate to the U.S.A. need to submit the following documentation in addition to items listed above:
4. VISA - International student must provide to the office of admissions a copy of their current Visa status as part of their admission material. Acceptable Visas eligible to study at GWU graduate business programs include: F1 student visa and H1B work/employment visa. Permanent Residents need to supply a copy of their permanent residency card.
5. Documents to Support Sponsor Financial Responsibility - Provide a copy of the most recent Bank Statement and one of the following: Recent tax return OR copies of the last three pay stubs.
6. I-20 Request Form - International applicant will need to complete this form and submit with other required documents before an I-20 can be issued. Once received, the I-20 will enable the student to apply for a visa with the embassy.
7. International Student Transfer form (if coming from another U.S. institution, a copy of I-94 and I-20 are required)
International student forms such as the I-20 Request Form and the International Student Transform Form, may by found online at http://www.gardner-webb.edu/academics/areas-of-study/business/school-of-
business/resources/forms/index
PREREQUISITES FOR ADMISSION FOR ALL MAJORS
An undergraduate business degree is not required for admission to the graduate business programs, but specific course material is required. The School of Business offers 500-level prerequisite courses (or Foundation
Courses) each semester for students with prerequisite deficiencies. These courses earn undergraduate credit and will not count towards the graduate GPA. Students who have already taken the prerequisites must demonstrate mastery of the material normally taught in the following prerequisite courses either by offering a transcript demonstrating that the course has been completed with a grade of “C” or better, or through a waiver by successfully passing an exam.
MWTM PREREQUISITES Credit hours Principles of Accounting I 3 Principles of Accounting II 3 Financial Management 3 Principles of Marketing 3 Microeconomics 3 Macroeconomics 3
CISS 300 (or Excel proficiency) 3
Income Tax 3
The following courses satisfy the MWTM prerequisites:
BADM501 Foundations of Accounting and Finance BADM502 Foundations of Marketing and Economics, and ACC425 Federal Income Tax
MBA AND IMBA PREREQUISITES:
Credit hours Principles of Accounting I 3 Principles of Accounting II 3 Financial Management 3 Principles of Marketing 3 Microeconomics 3 Macroeconomics 3
Microcomputers (or proficiency) 3
Statistics or Business Statistics 3
Management Science 3
The following courses satisfy the MBA and IMBA prerequisites:
BADM501 Foundations of Accounting and Finance BADM502 Foundations of Marketing and Economics, and
BADM503 Foundations of Management Science and Statistical Methods
MACC PREREQUISITES:
Credit hours
Intermediate Accounting I 3
Intermediate Accounting II 3
Auditing 3
Accounting Information Systems 3
Cost Accounting 3
Income Tax 3
All graduate business students must meet the undergraduate business prerequisites to take courses in any of the graduate business programs and certificates or have the approval of the Director of Business Graduate Programs. Students who have not completed these requirements may be given conditional status and after satisfactorily completing business prerequisite deficiencies at Gardner-Webb University or elsewhere may be granted full admission. The Graduate School of Business offers fast-track foundations to meet the MBA and IMBA prerequisites. See Foundation (Prerequisite) Courses for MBA, IMBA, and MAcc section below for details. GMAT OR GRE
Students are required to take a graduate admissions test in order to be admitted to graduate business studies. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is preferred, but the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is acceptable. A GMAT or GRE score can be used for evaluation only if the test has been taken within the last five years. Students must request GMAT or GRE scores to be sent directly to Gardner-Webb University by the testing agency. Applications for taking the GMAT or GRE may be obtained from the websites for the tests. Specific testing locations and additional information for the GMAT may be found on the web site at
http://www.mba.com. Specific testing locations and additional information for the GRE may be found on the website at http://www.ets.org/bin/getprogram.cgi?test=gre. There is not a minimum requirement for the GMAT or GRE scores. The GMAT or GRE score in combination with the GPA (or GPA of the last 64 credit hours) are accepted as general minimum criteria for admission to the Graduate Business Programs based on the following Quantitative Acceptance Index (QAI) formula:
QAI = [GMAT+(200XGPA) > 950].
If the applicant submits the GRE score, we will use the GRE® Comparison Tool for Business Schools available at:
http://www.ets.org/gre/institutions/about/mba/comparison_tool
LOW-SCORE GMAT OR GRE APPEAL
If the QAI is less than the minimum for the applicable graduate admissions test, the student can appeal to an Admissions Committee of the Graduate School of Business (ACGSB) faculty for admission based on some other strong indication of success in the program, since admission is based on an indication that the student will succeed in the graduate program.