Penn State University/Smeal College of Business

USA

Smeal College of Business

The Penn State Smeal Residential MBA has been around for over 60 years. It offers concentrations in Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Management Consulting and a class size that is capped at 60 students each year. We also offer the Penn State Online MBA, led by the Smeal College of Business in partnership with Penn State World Campus. With 3 intakes a year and 24 concentration options, it is very customizable and flexible for the working professional student.

School School
Programme Programme

At the Penn State Smeal College of Business, we recognize that the desire for knowledge and professional growth extends well beyond graduation day. That is why we created a portfolio of graduate programs for all stages of your career.

We make it easy to tailor a learning plan that fits your unique aspirations. With more concentrations and the most integrated, flexible offering of online and residential programs in the U.S., Smeal allows you to “build your own” plan for lifelong learning.

Join us!

The residential MBA Program at the Penn State Smeal College of Business attracts students from around the world for an experience that spans two academic years on the Penn State University Park campus. The internationally ranked program is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to land and thrive in that perfect post-MBA job and prepare you for success across the arc of your career.

We invite you to learn more about all that Smeal has to offer and hope you are inspired to connect with us as you consider your MBA future.

Before You Begin

From March until the start of the program in August, students will be expected to complete a set of onboarding tasks and assignments through Canvas, Penn State's online learning platform. This includes advanced career prep with our Career Services team, as well as course pre-work. To gain a better understanding of these assignments and the time frame within which they are completed, you can view the Onboarding Checklist used in Fall 2020 for the incoming MBA Class of 2022.

Year One: The Core

During the first year of the Smeal MBA, each module includes a set of required courses that focuses on business fundamentals and functional depth to build core competencies. For descriptions of each core course, please see our list of core course descriptions.

Year Two: Elective Coursework

The second year of the Smeal MBA features elective coursework within concentrations and options that align with each student's unique interests and career goals. A concentration is a specialization that provides a comprehensive study within a particular area of business, while options provide the opportunity for briefer, yet targeted, study in additional areas of focus. For more information about the courses you can take to obtain your concentrations and options, please see our list of elective course descriptions.

Class Profile for the Class of 2020
Number of Students	58
Average Months Prior Work Experience	62 months
Percentage of Women	34%
Percentage of Underrepresented Minorities (African, Hispanic, and Native Americans as a percentage of domestic students)	14%
Percentage of International Students	30%
Citizenships held by members of this class	Canada, China, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Ukraine, United States, Venezuela
Average GMAT	657
Mid 80% GMAT Range	560 - 720
Average GRE Quantitative	157
Average GRE Verbal	157
Mid 80% GRE Range Quantitative	151 - 164
Mid 80% GRE Range Verbal	152 - 163
Average Undergraduate GPA	3.40
Mid 80% Undergraduate GPA	3.0 - 3.95

Undergraduate Major Distributions
Business	47%
Science and Engineering	40%
Humanities and Social Sciences	13%

Admission Criteria

The Penn State Smeal MBA Program features a multi-step application process, during which you will be asked to submit the following:

Penn State Graduate School Application
GMAT or GRE Scores
Admissions Essay - What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How does your past experience enable you to achieve these goals? How do you see your MBA experience fitting into this plan? (600 Word Limit)
Resume
Copies of Official Educational Transcripts
Video Application Response
Letters of Recommendation
Official English Language Proficiency Exam Scores (International Candidates)
Application Fee: $65

Completed applications will be reviewed, and candidates selected to move forward in the process will be invited for an interview. We invite you to start your application today.

GMAT/GRE Test Waiver Policy

GRE/GMAT waivers may be available for highly qualified candidates with focus on one or more of the following criteria:

Advanced degrees (M.D., D.O. and Ph.D. automatically waived)
Have at least 7 years of relevant and progressive post-undergraduate work experience
Significant leadership experience, particularly in the armed forces
Able to demonstrate a readiness to complete graduate education, quantitative ability, and advanced analytical reasoning skills.

To request a waiver:

Complete both your Smeal MBA Program application and Video Responses.
In the optional essay portion of the application, add your request and discuss your eligibility for a GMAT waiver.
All requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

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