Chat with Admissions: May 29, 2008

I would like to know what the entrance requirements are for the FlexMBA program?

The FlexMBA is designed for working professionals. We are interested in individuals from a variety of backgrounds, educationally and professionally. We will be looking at your application, GMAT results, undergraduate (and any graduate) transcripts. Beyond an undergrad degree and a year of college calculus, we don’t have specific prerequisites.

Are there scholarships available?

We have a limited number of merit-based fellowships available for students in our Full-Time MBA program, and the UC San Diego Financial Aid Office awards a small number of need-based scholarships.

Is there an alternative to the MBA for a Ph.D. with some experience in Business Development who is interested in learning more about financial models? A certificate program for example?

We don’t currently have any certificate programs of this sort. Our Rady Executive Education Center offers some open-enrollment short courses for the business community, but you would not find any deeper material on finance through their programs. We’ve had a number of individuals with exactly your profile complete the FlexMBA and find it of high value in enhancing their business acumen and their range of employment prospects.

I have an MD degree, practicing in both private and academic settings. Is the GMAT necessary?

I’d be happy to review your materials to see if a waiver can be granted. Please fax or email your resume and copy of transcript that indicates conferral of the MD degree. I’ll get right back with you by email. The fax is 858-822-5896 or MBAadmissions@ucsd.edu. Looking forward to seeing your documents.

UCSD places a strong emphasis on technology as it pertains to the career endeavors of its students. Can a student who doesn’t place such strong values on technology oriented careers/businesses still find value in the Rady program...i.e. someone pursuing investment banking?

Rady is specifically interested in innovation and in how innovation reaches the marketplace—and we’re interested in tech companies both because they are highly prevalent in the San Diego region and because they are really innovation-driven. Students here who are interested in the financial services sector have typically expressed more interest in areas like private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds than in traditional investment banking. Certainly we have a strong finance faculty and good options for elective curriculum. Student interests are driven, at least in part, by the fact that San Diego does have a strong alternative finance business community, and does not have offices of the major investment banks.

I’ve completed my Master’s degree in Biochemistry at Ohio State University, 2-yr full time program with scholarship. And I’m currently working here in SD. I was wondering if I’m eligible for a TOEFL waiver when applying for the MBA program?

You are not required to take the TOEFL because you have completed your master’s degree at a US university.

For the FlexMBA is there only a fall start or is there a Spring enrollment also?

Our Full-Time MBA and FlexMBA (Weekend and Evening) programs begin fall quarter only—we do not have spring enrollment.

I have a BFA in Industrial Design and was curious if the MBA program at Rady could be personalized to match my development goals?

It would depend a bit on what your development goals are. You would gain a strong grounding in business fundamentals—and then have considerable freedom of choice in your elective curriculum. We don’t mandate majors or concentrations, so you choose courses based on what’s most professionally and educationally important to you, there are many opportunities for independent study, and you can use some of your elective units to take graduate classes elsewhere on the UC San Diego campus. Your design background would also probably make you a much sought after teammate in our Lab to Market capstone project sequence.

What % of students are part-time vs full-time?

Beginning this fall, we will have two formats for the FlexMBA program, Evening and Weekend, as well as the Full-Time MBA program. For the Full-Time MBA program the entering class size is approximately 60. The class size for either FlexMBA program will be approximately 50-55.

Coming from a creative and non-business undergrad background, I am a little nervous about tackling courses such as calculus, statistics, etc. Is there assistance available or are there alternative courses one could take?

Everyone completes the same core curriculum—we wouldn’t want you to graduate without the critical fundamental tools for effective business decision-making. Calculus is a prerequisite for the program—and for many top MBA programs—so, if you haven’t yet taken it, we’d encourage you to start now at a local community college. We provide a variety of tools to help Rady students succeed. We offer an on-line Math for Management course over the summer, available to in-coming students, a math Refresher during our PreTerm/Orientation, regular review sessions during the academic term, and assistance from teaching assistants. Faculty are very willing to work individually with students to ensure your learning—and we can help you identify a tutor if you need more individual assistance.

How is the degree received through the FlexMBA program differently from a traditional MBA degree? Are they equivalent in recognition?

You receive an MBA degree from the Rady School regardless of which program format you enroll in. The programs are equivalent in terms of their requirements, the curriculum, the faculty who teach you. It’s the same diploma for the Full-Time and FlexMBA program.

I’m an MD/PhD with an active academic research lab. My interest in an MBA comes from a desire to become involved in a start-up and/or help to direct VC funds toward the same. Is the MBA a credential I need to do this, and are there specific parts of the curriculum that would help prepare me for this?

While it’s certainly possible to make that kind of transition without a further degree, our observation is that our students with deep domain expertise and the MBA are really able to leapfrog over others. They are principals of VC firms, not the “science advisor”—or quickly move into director or VP level roles in smaller companies. Overall, the PhDs who’ve graduated tell us the program fundamentally changed the way they look at business issues and business problems.

Is it possible to work full time and be enrolled in the full time MBA program? Or is it only feasible to pursuit a FlexMBA program while working?

Q> We really do not recommend trying to do this—the program is academically rigorous, and part of the point of going to school full-time is to be able to take advantage of all the opportunities outside the classroom—speakers, clubs, networking, short-term projects, etc. Even if you manage it academically, you’re giving up a great deal if you try to work full-time as well. We absolutely don’t recommend you try this during your first quarter—you need to be sure you’ll be academically solid before you risk this.

Is there any financial assistance to current UCSD faculty?

Financial assistance (reduced fee) is not available for the FlexMBA program as it is a self-supporting program, without any state funding. Your individual department may support you, similar to working for any company, but UCSD does not offer a discount.

For the FlexMBA, do you have any idea the # of hours most students are spending outside of class to prepare each week?

This differs by term—and depends a lot on your own background and prior preparation. If you have strong quant background, for example, you’ll find the first quarter a little easier than your colleagues with liberal arts backgrounds might. But you should assume something like 8-12 hours/week outside of class for each of your courses. How many courses you’re taking at a time depends on which program you enroll in.

What other prerequisites are required—course related?

Our only prerequisite coursework is a year of college-level calculus.

Where can someone find the prerequisites for this program?

The only prerequisite is one year equivalency of calculus with a grade of B or higher. This prerequisite is not a requirement for admission, but we would want you to have completed coursework prior to entering the program in fall. We work with each of our admitted students to assess their particular situation and what may or may not be required and what options there are.

What kind of GMAT score range does one need to achieve to make it into the program?

We don’t have a specific minimum, and we do look at each of the component parts, not just the overall score. We’re looking for above average performance in each section. If we have concerns about your score in a particular section, we’ll be looking at your transcripts to see what your academic preparation has been like: so if we see a lower score on the quant section, we’ll be looking for what quantitative coursework you’ve done and what your grades in those specific courses have been.

I have submitted my application and scheduled my GMAT for July 3. Is that an acceptable date or might it be too late?

The first part of July is fine for the GMAT. We ask that you fax us the score sheet you receive from the testing center while we wait for access to the official document so we can move quickly on review and an admission decision.

Indeed what draws me to your program IS the Lab to Market project, as I want to pursue possibilities of growth, development and strategy of sustainable design within North America as well as developing countries. Something like socially responsible design, something more than just goods for sake of selling goods -- but I must admit I am a little nervous applying due to my BFA background, do you have any recommendations as to what would make me a good candidate for Rady?

This all sounds really interesting and very much in line with interests of the School, UCSD, and our faculty and students. If you’re concerned about your math preparation, we would encourage you to start getting ready—that both shows us you’re serious and helps you be more confident of your ability to succeed. Then I’d say, think about your essays and the picture you’re painting of yourself—why you want to do this, where you’ve been a contributor in your past experience, what kind of person you are. We admit individuals, not numbers—and we’re very interested in a broad array of students.

I have specific questions about transferring course work from a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration. The program has very common components such as Org Theory, Stats and a few more. If it is best to pursue this offline, let me know. I just wanted to know if I could expedite the FlexMBA Program by applying some previous course work already completed. Please advise.

Please email MBAadmissions@ucsd.edu with your specific questions/situation. We will want to review your transcripts and know more details about specific course content etc. Any transfer credit is reviewed by faculty on a case-by-case basis, after admission. Generally, coursework that was done for another degree would not be accepted towards a second degree—that would be considered “double-dipping”.

What are admission requirements for the FlexMBA? Also, can we apply courses from other Master’s coursework that would be relevant? I have taken Graduate Org Theory, Statistics and some other related courses at a state school. I am looking for the FlexMBA to fine tune my skills.

Typically, we do not accept courses from other programs in fulfillment of Rady requirements. On a case-by-case basis, with faculty review and approval, we would consider waiving specific core requirements in order to allow you to take additional electives. This is something we’d look at after admission.

What is the final deadline for admission for this fall 2008?

We have a final deadline of June 20 for the FlexMBA program. We will be accepting applications after that deadline on a space available basis, but please keep in mind that anything much later makes it difficult to be prepared for your studies beginning mid-September. We have an assessment tool students complete a month prior to starting the program—you will need time to do this.

Regarding the FlexMBA weekend program (24 month), are there any weekends “off”? Do courses involve both Saturdays and Sundays?

FlexWeekend is scheduled every other weekend, Friday/Saturday all day. There are a few additional weekends off during breaks between terms. The schedule is available on our website under FlexMBA Program.

What is your policy in terms of re-taking the GMAT? Does your program average scores or accept the highest or most recent? And how many years until the GMAT score is not accepted.

Retaking the GMAT is not a problem—we want to see the highest scores in one sitting and often a retake of the GMAT produces these results. The GMAT is good for 5 years.

I understand that admissions to Spring 2008 semester is closed. Is there a summer application opportunity or is Fall 2009 the next semester available?

Our programs start in fall quarter only. We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2008 for our FlexMBA Weekend and Evening programs. The Full-Time MBA admissions process is closed for this year—we will reopen our application in September for the Fall 2009 entering class.

How is the application weighted with personal statements, letters of recommendation, GMAT score, resume, etc?

We don’t have a specific system of weights for the various pieces. We are interested in determining whether you are academically and intellectually capable of the program—and then in looking at you as an individual in terms of your demonstrated or potential leadership, your teamwork and interpersonal skills, the contributions that you have made—and will make to the learning experience of your Rady colleagues. We’re interested in assembling a group of people who are excited about what Rady is doing and who will learn and grow together in interesting ways.

If I start taking the year of college level calculus this summer or fall, and complete it by spring of 09, can I still apply for the Fall 09 admission even though the calculus completion will still be ongoing?

Yes—the prerequisite is not required for admission, it is required by the time you begin the program in fall.

Are students in the full-time MBA program able to work full-time if they choose, or is it too difficult to schedule courses for every evening?

We do not have courses every evening. Full-Time MBA students are expected to complete the core courses sequence with their Full-Time cohort, and all those classes are scheduled during the day. Some electives may be offered in the evening—but priority for those will typically be given to students enrolled in our FlexEvening program. If continuing to work full-time is critical for you, you will be better off looking the FlexMBA, which is designed for working professionals.

How does the school provide scholarships? I mean, do they provide the entire scholarship amount at the beginning of the first year or is it on yearly or semester basis?

Students receiving fellowships/scholarships will receive the support on a quarterly basis, once enrolled in classes.

I have heard from professors that many MBA programs screen applicants and make best attempt to gather diverse background to maximize experience within each class. Is this true for the Rady school as well? What are some of the most typical backgrounds that one may find in your program? (backgrounds meaning work history, previous education, etc)

Yes, diverse backgrounds in the class enhance everyone’s learning. I don’t know that there’s anything specific that we think of as “typical.” Certainly, given our interests in innovation-driven industry sectors and companies, we see a fair number of students with educational backgrounds either in engineering or science or with work experience in companies in these sectors (so, a finance or marketing person from a high tech company). But we have people with backgrounds in the arts or non-profits or entertainment or financial services.

Will admitted students have opportunities to get to know each other before school starts? Are there opportunities to travel and study overseas as part of the MBA program? (For example, many schools have a 1-2 wk. overseas travel study tour at the end of their first year.)

Admitted student for this fall are already starting to connect—with current students and each other—through our admitted students intranet site. And our PreTerm, before the start of the academic year, provides time for team building, social activities, and some pre-school academic prep. And, yes to the international opportunities as well: students have organized a number of their own study tours during spring break, and we will launch a formal study tour program through the MBA Program probably this coming year. We have had students go on exchange each year, as well.

Is there a significant difference in costs and fees between the full-time and flex programs?

The FlexMBA program is an all inclusive fee billed per unit on a quarterly basis. The fee includes parking, books and course materials, food, and lodging during the residentials for the evening program and during Friday evenings for the weekend program. For 2008-09, the per-unit cost (subject to approval by the UC Regents) will be $870. 92 credit units required for the MBA degree. Residency is not a factor for the FlexMBA. The Full-Time MBA receives some state funding and fees do not include living expenses, texts and materials, parking, etc—the fees are academic/campus fees and billed quarterly, regardless of the number of units taken. For 2008-09, the California Resident cost is approximately $26,000 and for non-residents it is approximately $37,000.

For the application, what kind of extracurricular activities would be considered like "gold stars" on an application?

There isn’t a specific kind of activity we’re looking for: we would be interested in understanding how active you (really) were and what contributions you made. Being a member of dozens of things isn’t as interesting as there being one or two (or however many) activities or efforts that you really care about and where you’ve really shown a willingness to invest yourself.