Frequently Asked Questions for the MSBA Application

Yes. In order to allow students to work full time while enrolled, the MSBA program is an evening and weekend accelerated degree program. Classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (6:00–9:30pm) and approximately five to six Saturdays (8:30am–4:30 pm) per quarter.

Students in the program have worked for companies such as Boeing, T-Mobile, and Amazon.

Our students graduate with a blend of business and analytical acumen making them prepared for a variety of careers in the growing data industry.

Examples of careers pursued by MSBA grads include Business Analyst, Market Research Analyst, and Management Analyst.

Read more on potential careers for MSBA graduates and the career services offered by the Foster School of Business.

No. At Foster, we pride ourselves in having a holistic admissions approach and welcome students from a variety of backgrounds into this program from STEM, to business, to the humanities.

Ideal applicants do, however, come in with a strong comfort level with math, and statistics, and some knowledge of R, Python, Excel, and SQL. As a prospective applicant, you can highlight your varying levels of exposure to these skills on your resume and in the self-review of qualifications section.

Ultimately, we choose applicants not only based on what they will contribute to the program, but also based on how the MSBA program will benefit them and their aspirations.

Foster will provide candidates the option to apply without a standardized test score to offer continued testing flexibility. For a candidate to be competitive without a test score, they must demonstrate quantitative and program readiness. Learn more.

Foster MSBA program does not have a minimum GRE or GMAT score requirement, though we recommend a Quantitative sub-score between the 80^th and 90^th percentile. The average scores for the 2023 cohort were 324 for the GRE and 655 for the GMAT. Learn more about the GRE and GMAT.

Submit your scores using these codes:

• GRE: University of Washington (school code: 4854)
• GMAT: University of Washington, Seattle- Michael G. Foster School of Business- Master of Science in Business Analytics (school code: 459-75-19)

The University of Washington requires that all incoming graduate students have at least a 3.0 GPA. However, each year we admit applicants with GPA’s that may fall below the 3.0 who have strong MSBA qualifications.

The video interview gives us the chance to get to know you better, as well as assess your communication and critical thinking skills. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive instructions on how to complete the video interview.

Keep in mind that the video interview is recorded, and each response is timed. Also, remember to treat it like you would an in-person interview by dressing for the part, speaking clearly, and making eye contact with the camera. Check out this blog post for more tips on acing your video interview. Don’t stress out about the video interview too much though, it’s just one piece of your application.

Our program requires two letters of recommendation. You should pick recommenders that can best speak to your strengths and candidature for the Foster MSBA program.

Professional references are preferred to academic ones, and personal references should not be used.

You can submit any time on or before the application deadline. You will be able to log back in to your application at any time as well; track your materials and send reminders to your recommenders to ensure that they submit their letters by the deadline.

As long as all application components have been received in the application portal by the deadline we will begin to review your application.

Yes. The Foster MSBA program awards a limited number of partial scholarships to admitted MSBA applicants.

Prospective students are also encouraged to apply for outside scholarships or, submit the FAFSA if they are applying for federal student loans.

The total program fee for the 12-month MSBA Program is $45,284 for Washington state residents and $57,024 for non-residents and international students.

International applicants can demonstrate their English language proficiency by taking the TOEFL or IELTS exam. Minimum scores of 92 iBT/ 580 PBT are needed for TOEFL or 7.0 for the Academic IELTS.

Submit your TOEFL score using this institution code: 4854

Submit your IELTS score using this institution code: 365

International students will not be required to take an English proficiency test if they have earned or will earn by the start of the MSBA program, a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from an institution in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, or the United States, and where English is the Medium of Instruction.

All international applicants are encouraged to review the university’s policies on Proof of English Language Proficiency Requirements.

Yes. International students may seek on-campus employment for up to 20 hours a week. Off-campus employment for F-1 visa students requires authorization through the International Student Services office and is usually available after three quarters of consecutive coursework.

Yes – and as a STEM program, students on an F1 visa are eligible to apply for a STEM-OPT extension, which would allow them up to 36 months total work eligibility post-grad.

Keep in touch by checking out our admissions events schedule and by reaching out to our MSBA student ambassadors!

Also, feel free to contact us anytime at [email protected].

To get more of your burning questions answered, visit the FAQ page on our website.