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Admissions

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management Admissions Committee reviews applications holistically, evaluating your academic potential, professional promise and personal qualities. The online Master of Management program does not require full-time professional work experience, but be sure to highlight internships, volunteer efforts and any work experience you do have.

To be considered for admission, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or the international equivalent. To determine if your degree program meets our requirements, review the expected level of study for international students.

GMAT/GRE scores are optional, but you may choose to submit them to demonstrate your quantitative abilities. The admissions committee may require some applicants to complete and pass a course in quantitative fundamentals (at no cost) before they can register for classes. See the application requirements below for details.

We encourage applicants to review the Statement of Application Integrity prior to submission to ensure a comprehensive and accurate application.

Questions? Email the admissions team at admissions@onlinemba.ucdavis.edu or call 844-592-6104.

Start in the spring or fall

The online Master of Management offers two start dates per year, in the spring and fall. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Application deadlines

Program start

Early priority deadline

Priority deadline

Final deadline

September 2026

May 22, 2026

June 19, 2026

July 17, 2026

All Are Welcome

UC Davis adheres to California's Proposition 209 which prohibits discrimination against or giving preferential treatment to any individual or group in public employment, public education, or public contracting on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.

Application requirements


To complete an application, you will need to submit the following materials:

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Application fee (waivers available)

The nonrefundable application fee is $125. If you submit your application by the priority deadline, you are eligible for a fee waiver.

GMAT/GRE scores (optional)

To be successful in the online Master of Management program, you will need to have a certain level of ability in quantitative areas such as statistics and analytics. 

You can demonstrate your quantitative ability by meeting any one of the following criteria:

  • GMAT/GRE with a quantitative score of 50% or higher  

  • Cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher (or the equivalent if another grading scale is used) in a quantitative area, including business administration, economics, engineering, biological sciences, information and computer science, health sciences or physical sciences

  • Graduate (master’s or doctoral) degree or professional credential such as Certified Public Accountant or Certified Financial Analyst

  • Five or more years of post-undergraduate professional work experience 

  • Four or more years of military experience

If the admissions committee determines that you do not have a sufficient quantitative background, you may still be admitted to the program but will need to take and pass a quantitative preparation course before you can begin classes. The course is self-paced, and is offered from UC Davis at no cost. 

If you take the GRE, use the school code 7887. If you take the GMAT, enter “Davis” into the search bar, and select “University of California- Davis (Master of Management, Online)”. The institutional code for the GMAT is B1S-VF-81.

Transcripts

For admissions review, you must submit unofficial copies of transcripts from all academic institutions you attended, even if you did not earn a degree there or if transfer credits are listed on another school’s transcript. (This includes all University of California campuses.) If you are extended an offer of admission, you will need to submit official transcripts before the registration of first quarter courses for your acceptance to be finalized. 

Transcripts may be sent electronically to appsvcs@onlinemba.ucdavis.edu. If your school(s) prefer to send by mail, they should send official transcripts to the following address:

University of California, Davis
Application Processing Center
1551 Emancipation Hwy, Unit 1317
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

International transcripts, or transcripts being mailed by Fedex, UPS or DHL (no P.O. Box), should be sent to the following address:

University of California, Davis
Application Processing Center
1551 Emancipation Hwy, Unit 1317
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Transcript evaluations for international applicants: If your transcripts or academic records are in a language other than English, BOTH the original language documents and English translations must be submitted. Any of the following translation resources are acceptable: 

  • The college or university which has issued the documents

  • A WES, IERF, or ECE evaluation

  • A government-certified translator

If the degree conferral information is not on the transcript, please include proof of the earned degree (for example, a copy of your diploma and/or degree certificate). If your university includes a grading scale on your academic record explaining their grading system, you must include that as well.

Essay(s)

Essay 1: Professional goals (required) — Pursuing a Master of Management is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. Help us get to know you by sharing your background, including academic and professional highlights. What are your post-master’s goals? Elaborate on short- and long-term career objectives. (350 word maximum)

Essay 2: Conditional essay — Please submit a second essay if any of the following conditions apply: 

  • Your undergraduate GPA is less than 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent if not on a 4.0 scale).

  • You have experienced hardship or adversity that has affected your academic performance. 

  • You have employment gaps.

  • You have been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended, dismissed, or otherwise required to withdraw from any college or university for any reason.

In this essay, share more information on what took place, and explain any contributing or extenuating factors the Admissions Committee should know. Please explain what you have done since this time to improve your academic aptitude and overall candidacy. (200 word maximum)

Résumé or CV

Submit a résumé or CV to show your employment history, including any internships, volunteer work and part-time experience. Internships and/or part-time work experience are recommended but not required for admission.

Letters of recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required. Your recommenders should be able to comment objectively about your qualifications. Ideally, at least one letter should be from a professional reference, but you may use two academic references if needed. You will submit their contact information through the online application, and the recommenders will upload their recommendation letters separately.

English language proficiency

Applicants must submit official TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo* examination scores unless they have earned or will be earning a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from either:

  • A regionally accredited U.S. college or university, OR

  • A foreign college or university that lists English as the sole language of instruction in the IAU World Higher Education Database. If English is not the sole language of instruction listed (or if no language is listed at all), the waiver does not apply. We will not review or accept any other documentation.

Applicants who are selected for admission but have a score below the Graduate School of Management minimum TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores will be required to complete additional English language testing or take English language courses once they enroll at UC Davis to satisfy the first year English course requirement for degree completion.

*Because the Duolingo English Test is not specifically designed to test English ability in an academic setting, UC Davis strongly recommends that applicants take the TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic examination, or IELTS Indicator examination if it is possible for them to do so. Applicants should only submit Duolingo English Test scores if none of the other examinations are available to them. Applicants who submit Duolingo English Test scores as their sole English language test will be required to take the UC Davis Test of Oral English Proficiency (TOEP) if they are admitted to a UC Davis graduate program.

TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management accepts the TOEFL iBT exam (in-person or at-home).

The minimum score required for admissions is 105. The institution code is 4834, and the department code is 02. For more information on TOEFL, please contact: Educational Testing Service (ETS) at 609-771-7100. We accept TOEFL scores from tests administered by the Educational Testing Service and sent to us directly by the TOEFL office.

Note: UC Davis Graduate School of Management does not accept TOEFL MyBest scores, TOEFL ITP Plus, or TOEFL Essentials examinations at this time.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management also accepts the IELTS Academic (in-person) and IELTS indicator (online) exams. Candidates may also submit updated section scores via the IELTS One Skills retake exam. You can submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) administered by the British Council worldwide.

The minimum band score requirement for admissions is 7.5. UC Davis Graduate School of Management Online MM Program is registered to receive IELTS Academic and IELTS Indicator scores using the IELTS Results Service E-Delivery, so please send your score report to: University of California Davis Graduate School of Management Online.

Duolingo English Test 

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management also accepts the Duolingo English Test. 

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management also accepts the Duolingo English Test. The minimum score requirement for admissions is 130. All applicants who submit Duolingo English Test scores as their sole English language test will be required to take the UC Davis Test of Oral English Proficiency (TOEP) if they are admitted to a UC Davis graduate program. The UC Davis Graduate School of Management Online MBA and MM Programs are registered to receive Duolingo scores. This can be done through your Duolingo test account, when sharing your scores please ensure to search for: University of California Davis Graduate School of Management Online MBA and MM Programs.

TOEFL and IELTS and Duolingo exam scores are valid for two years from the date the test was taken. Scores that expire before the start of classes for the current admissions year may be used in your application only if the official score report is received in our office prior to its expiration. It is your duty to confirm with the admissions office receipt of your official test score prior to its expiration.

Students who do not satisfy the English Language requirement for admissions, must satisfy the First Year English Course requirement for Degree completion.

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