Online MBA Programs No GMAT

Online MBA no GMAT programs teach you best practices in leadership expertise and business strategies through an analysis of case studies, theories, and current research without the hassle of an entrance exam.

These programs may save you time and money by allowing you to avoid having to take the GMAT.

2 Types of Online MBA Programs No GMAT Options

There are usually two types of online MBA programs with no GMAT requirement:

1. No GMAT Required Programs
2. GMAT Waiver Schools

Each could provide a flexible alternative to traditional online MBA programs and help you get your application in the mail quicker, without having to worry about studying for and taking the standardized test.  Check out sponsored schools in the table below for  a good starting point. 

List of Online MBA Programs That Don't Require GMAT

You Need to Know About These 10 Online MBA Programs That Don’t Require GMAT!

While some MBA programs offer GMAT waiver options, others simply don’t require you to take the test at all.

In most cases, these schools will still consider your test scores if you choose to send them. How much weight they assign those optional scores varies on a case by case basis.

Check out the sponsored listings below to learn about the online MBA programs, admissions requirements, and some of the concentrations available.

2. Southern New Hampshire University

SNHU, a nonprofit ACBSP accredited and affordable university, offers a variety of specialization in your online MBA, with other 20 different career-focused MBA concentrations. .

Some Online MBA Concentrations at SNHU :

• MBA in Accounting
• MBA in Project Management
• MBA in Marketing
• MBA in Leadership

Online MBA Admissions Requirements at Southern New Hampshire University

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis - you do need to complete graduate program and provide undergraduate transcripts. 

4. The University of Scranton

At The University of Scranton, they value your professional experience and the skills you’ve acquired in the field, which is why they offer an online MBA with no GMAT requirement. In addition, they only require three years of professional experience and do not require any other standardized entrance exams, such as the GRE.

Plus, the rigorous curriculum is designed to enhance your organizational effectiveness through courses presented in the context of today’s challenging business environment, such as:

• Sustainable business practices
• How to design and optimize delivery systems
• How to create value with financial strategies
• How to make effective decisions with limited information

Online MBA Concentrations

• Accounting
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• Healthcare Management
• Human Resources
• International Business
• Operations Management

Online MBA Admissions at Scranton

• Professional Resume
• Statement of Intent
• Three (3) Years of Professional or Supervisory Work Experience
• Case Study (Topic provided)
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

6. Liberty University

The 36-hour online Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Liberty can be completed in as little as two years. Designed to strengthen your leadership skills and build foundations of entrepreneurship and management, the curriculum focuses on building effective communication skills and research practices.

Online MBA Concentrations at Liberty

• MBA in Accounting
• MBA in Criminal Justice
• MBA in Human Resources
• MBA in International Business
• MBA in Marketing
• MBA in Non-Profit Leadership and Management
• MBA in Project Management
• MBA in Public Administration
• MBA in Strategic Management
• MBA in Supply Chain Management and Logistics

Online MBA Admissions Requirements at Liberty

• Completed application
• Official transcripts
• 15 hours of upper-level Undergraduate Business credit

There may be other application requirements, such as an application fee that will be assessed during financial check-in, but not during the application.

8. American University

The Kogod School of Business at American University is dedicated to delivering a world-class business education to the next generation of business leaders. As a result, the school is looking for those who display a passion for finding innovative solutions to modern business challenges.

That’s why the online MBA at American University has no GMAT or GRE requirement for applicants. After all, business leadership is not about test scores. Instead, it’s about having the insight to recognize critical opportunities and the technical and interpersonal skills to capitalize on those opportunities.

MBA Admissions Requirements at American

The online MBA has four start dates throughout the year, each with their own priority application deadline and final application deadlines. However, applications are always considered on a rolling basis.

Admissions requirements include:

• Personal statement
• Resume
• Letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts

In addition, there are 6 concentrations available for the online MBA:

1. Marketing
2. Finance
3. Cybersecurity
4. International business
5. Business Analytics
6. Consulting

10. Utica College

The online MBA Program at Utica College takes a real-world approach to your business education. By relying on scenarios drawn from the current business environment, real-life case studies, and a flexible format, Utica offers students a degree program relevant to their needs and ambition.

Online MBA Curriculum at Utica

The curriculum for MBA programs at Utica College emphasizes real-world skills, and the practical experience to apply them in a customizable format to help tailor your degree to meet your goals and expectations.

For example, the online MBA offers 7 core topics of emphasis for all MBAs:

• Ethical leadership
• Management philosophies
• Cost analysis, budgeting, and forecasting
• Data-driven decision making
• Supply and demand
• Market forces
• Strategic analysis
• Available MBA Concentrations at Utica
• Students may even choose an area of concentration to further customize their programs.
• Areas of concentration include:
• Finance and Accounting
• Insurance and Risk Management
• Cybersecurity
• Cyber Policy
• Data Analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Care Management

MBA Admissions Requirements at Utica

Because Utica is focused on practical, real-world experience, they don’t require students to submit their GRE or GMAT scores.

Instead, their admissions requirements include:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum 2.7 GPA in bachelor’s
• 2 years of work experience

However, those with a GPA less than 2.7 with tenured work experience in management, accounting, or finance may be admitted at the discretion of the department.

List of 6 GMAT Waiver Schools

GMAT waiver schools allow students who meet certain criteria to avoid having to send GMAT scores with their application.

While every school has a unique set of application requirements in order to waive the GMAT requirements, the most common include:

• Certain number of years professional experience
• Certain number of years in leadership positions
• Strong academic record

Most online MBA GMAT waiver schools have a separate application for the wavier, which usually includes:

• Resume
• Academic record
• Recommendations

However, just because your waiver application is accepted, doesn’t guarantee you acceptance to the program. Also, those who have their waiver application denied, still have to send their GMAT scores with their MBA application.

2. Syracuse University: Online Master of Business Administration

Syracuse University’s Online MBA Program is offered through their Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

The Online MBA Program at Syracuse University offers a range of unique specializations tailored to more specific fields and professional roles.

These specializations include:

• Accounting
• Business Analytics
• Finance
• Entrepreneurship
• Marketing
• Supply Chain Management

The online MBA program was also ranked #47 among Best Online MBA Programs by US News & World Report 2018.

Syracuse also ranked in categories like Best National Universities, Best Colleges for Veterans, and Best Values schools, among others. Their online MBA with no GMAT has also been recognized by other publications including The Princeton Review.

The three online MBAs at Syracuse are:

1. Master of Business Administration (MBA)
2. I-MBA Program (online and residencies)
3. MBA@Syracuse

GMAT Waiver Policy at Syracuse

MBA Program applicants interested in a GMAT waiver need to demonstrate at least five years of relevant professional experience to be considered.

In addition, they look for five key elements that are:

• Leadership Skills
• Professional Experience (including military)
• Accomplishments (including personal and academic) showing problem solving skills and quantitative reasoning
• Critical thinking
• People Skills

4. University of Denver

The online MBA@Denver was reinvented to position you for today’s marketplace. Instead of focusing on business courses, it’s focused on core business challenges by immersing you in the real world, working with real businesses.

Through a curriculum that that offers a new challenge each quarter, you may build a powerful network and receive customized leadership development needed to jumpstart your career.

The four quarterly challenges are:

1. Enterprise
2. Social Good
3. Corporate
4. Global Challenge

These challenges are completed by small student teams alongside a faculty advisor, business professional, and personal coach and run concurrently with classes so you can apply the lessons and have a clearer idea of what you do and don’t understand.

Admissions Requirements: Online MBA at the University of Denver

The admissions requirements for the online MBA at the University of Denver include:

• Official transcripts
• Resume
• Essays
• Letters of recommendation
• Interview
• Test scores

GMAT Waiver Policy

When applying to the online MBA at the University of Denver, the GMAT requirement may be waived if you meet one of the following requirements.

5 GMAT Waiver Requirements at the University of Denver

1. If you have a graduate degree
2. 10 years professional experience, with 8 years in a management role
3. Three years of professional experience with a 2 GPA or better in undergraduate major
4. Five years of professional experience and written documentation that combines academic, professional, military experience, or employer-development support that has prepared you for an MBA
5. If you’ve earned a Daniels Graduate Business Certificate with a 3.0 average in two quantitative courses

Before applying, check with the school to see if you meet any of these or other requirements to waive your GMAT.

6. University of Hartford

The University of Hartford’s MBA program, offered through The Barney School of Business, is available online, or on campus, or as a blend of the two, either full or part time. This may enable you to choose the option that best fits into your life and work schedule.

The Hartford MBA program was designed to accommodate students at the beginning of their careers in pursuit of management roles, as well as mid-career students with some experience in that area.

With the level of flexibility and customization they offer, Hartford aims to offer students what they need to succeed, when and how they need it.

Hartford has been recognized for the quality of the experience they offer students. For example, US News & World Report 2018 ranked Hartford University in several categories, including National Universities, Business Programs, and part-time MBA.

The University of Hartford MBA Program allows students to select one of several concentrations.

7 Areas of Concentration

1. Business Analytics
2. Finance
3. International Business
4. Management
5. Marketing
6. Project Management
7. Supply Chain Management

GMAT Waiver Policy at Hartford

You may qualify for the GMAT waiver at Hartford if you:

• Earned an AACSB-accredited business degree within the past 10 years
• Have five or more years of professional experience
• Earned a prior master’s degree in another field
• Have exceptional academic achievement

What Is the GMAT?

GMAT stands for Graduate Management Admissions Test and is a standardized test that many graduate business programs use to evaluate or place applicants to their programs.

Unlike the GRE, the GMAT is specific to business and management-oriented programs, and as such, aims to measure skills and knowledge relevant to that discipline.

The GMAT is typically administered as a Computer Adaptive Test or CAT, which means you take the test in a designated testing center and the specific type and number of questions you get may vary depending on the correctness of your previous answers.

The GMAT exam has four sections:

1. Analytical Writing Assessment
2. Integrated Reasoning
3. Quantitative
4. Verbal

Alternative Requirements to the GMAT

With all that said, plenty of schools have elected not to require applicants to sit for the GMAT. In most cases, schools that do not require these scores will nevertheless consider them if you do choose to share your results.

Both GMAT waiver schools and online MBA no GMAT programs may, however, impose additional requirements in place of the GMAT. This way, they might still evaluate each applicant’s suitability for their program outside of GPA and transcript information.

Generally, the types of things a school might ask for in place of GMAT results would vary depending on the specific skills, knowledge, and experience valued by that program.

Here are 6 types of materials you might need to submit:

1. Alternate test scores (like the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.)
2. Evidence of current professional certification relevant to the program in question (such as CPA, CFA, PMP, FINRA, Six Sigma, etc.)
3. Prior academic success (e.g. a minimum GPA to be exempt from the GMAT requirement)
4. Demonstration of communication skills (a graduate school interview, writing samples, essays, research papers, etc.)
5. Resume reflecting relevant professional experience
6. Professional and academic references

Remember, each school (online MBA no GMAT or not) may have unique application requirements. As such, the prerequisites and documentation you need to submit may vary from the examples listed above.

Why Waive the GMAT? Online MBA No GMAT Programs.

Many MBA programs have decided to eliminate their GMAT requirement or to offer GMAT waivers because recent studies suggest GMAT scores may not be the determining factor on MBA graduation GPAs or graduation rates that academics once thought it did.

For instance, one study in the American Journal of Business Education from four faculty members at the University of Hartford, found that there was no significant difference on graduation GPA for MBA students who had the GMAT requirement waived.

In fact, the most important factor for dictating MBA graduation GPA was a student’s undergraduate GPA according to the study.

More recently, the University of North Carolina found no significant difference in the performance of students who had the GMAT waived during the admissions process. Instead, they’ve found that reliable indicators of success in their MBA program to be:

• Career trajectory & success
• Previous academic performance
• Quantitative experience

As a result, UNC, the University of Hartford, and many other schools have decided to offer no GMAT requirements or GMAT waiver policies.

Potential Earnings Increase

According to a United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, in 2013 financial managers with a master’s degree earned 41% more than those with only a bachelor’s (median annual salaries of $110,000 with a master’s and $78,000 with a bachelor’s).ⁱⁱ

Your Online MBA Options

In addition to programs that offer no GMAT admissions requirements, many schools and universities offer a variety of MBA options:

Some of the most common are:

• Dual MBA
• Accelerated MBA
• Online Executive MBA Programs
• Affordable MBA Programs

Plus, if you can’t decide, you can always learn about the difference between an MBA and an MS in Business Administration.

Finding an Online MBA with No GMAT Requirement

Whether you’re interested in earning an online MBA with no GMAT, or prefer to earn your MBA on campus, there are plenty of programs are out there for you. The programs above are a must-read for your search for an Online MBA Program with no GMAT requirement.

Did You Know?

According to O*NET, an online career database, a higher percentage of chief executives have a master’s degree (26%) than only a bachelor’s degree (22%).ⁱ

Or, use the form on this page to get matched to the perfect program for you! Plus, check out our MBA Scholarship for those who are already enrolled in a program, or will be enrolled soon.

[i] onetonline.org/link/summary/11-1011.00 [ii] bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/should-i-get-a-masters-degree.htm