Admissions

Admission Criteria

To be considered for MSU’s online M.S. in Management, Strategy and Leadership, you must have:

• At least three years full-time managerial experience in a supervisory role
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college
• A minimum 3.0 cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA)
  • A cumulative GPA includes all credits and points earned for an entire bachelor’s degree. This may incorporate credits and points earned from multiple institutions if credit was awarded from more than one institution.
• A high degree of potential for advancement to an organizational leadership role
• Important personal and managerial attributes, such as intellectual curiosity, strong communication skills, maturity, openness to new ideas and change, leadership qualities, analytical thinking ability, perseverance, and an ability to lead and work in teams
• Background knowledge of and exposure to word processing, spreadsheets and presentations

Admissions decisions are determined by several factors, including: quantity and quality of professional and/or military experience; academic degrees (including graduate degrees) and GPAs; institution(s) where credits were earned; letters of recommendation; and the statement of intention. Applicants may be requested to submit GMAT scores based on these criteria.

Qualified applicants with 3 or more years’ full-time managerial experience in a supervisory role and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher are typically not required to submit GMAT scores for admissions consideration.

Applicants who have earned below a cumulative 3.0 GPA, especially from non-regionally accredited institutions, are encouraged to provide a strong GMAT score along with their application.

Applicants with cumulative GPAs above 3.0 from non-regionally accredited institutions or for-profit institutions may be asked to take a GMAT depending upon the quality of their overall application. Submitted GMAT scores must not be more than five years old.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit the following items:

• A completed application
• A one-time, nonrefundable $100 application fee
• Official undergraduate transcripts from a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university and official transcripts of other programs or courses of study from any accredited college or university attended prior to Michigan State University. Transcripts from Michigan State are not required.
• If an applicant indicates that they are a servicemember or a veteran of the military, an official military transcript will be required
• Current resume detailing professional work experience, academic credentials and related accomplishments, and pertinent biographical information
• Three letters of recommendation from professional, work-related references, preferably supervisors
  • Letters that attest to your ability to work within and lead teams, as well as to your contribution to a professional business environment, are strongly recommended
• A statement of intention essay, no more than two pages, including details of your direct supervisory and/or project/program management experience, as well as a statement on how you intend to leverage the degree in your career
• GMAT scores may be submitted, if your bachelor’s degree GPA was below 3.0 in your last two years of undergraduate work

Transfer Credit Policy

At the sole discretion of Michigan State University, up to 9 graduate credit hours (excluding research and thesis credits) may be transferred from other postsecondary accredited institutions of comparable academic quality. Only courses in which at least a 3.0 grade or its equivalent was received will be considered for transfer. Transfer credit can only be used towards a master’s degree of 30 credits minimum (such as the M.S. in Management, Strategy and Leadership).