EMBA Admission Requirements

The $200 application fee is payable online by credit card (preferred) or by mailing a check or money order made payable to "UC Regents" along with your supplemental materials.

US Transcript Submission
You must submit one official transcript from every college/university/graduate institution you have attended since secondary/high school graduation, toward the issuance of a degree. You must also list each of these schools in the education section of the application. Do not list or send transcripts for seminars, ESL classes, professional development courses, computer certification, etc. unless relevant to the application.

Transcripts must arrive in a sealed envelope as issued by the school. Transcripts may be sent directly by the issuing institution or by the applicant, together with other supplemental materials to the following address:

Berkeley MBA for Executives Program
430 Student Services Bldg. #1910
Haas School of Business
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-1910

Non-US Transcript Submission
You must obtain one official transcript from every college/university/graduate institution you have attended since secondary/high school graduation, toward the issuance of a degree. You must also list each of these schools in the education section of the application. Do not list or send transcripts for seminars, ESL classes, professional development courses, computer certification, etc. unless relevant to the application.

You may scan and upload copies of your Non-US transcripts and diploma certificates in the online application. Should you be recommended for admission, you will be required to provide our office with the original official records. Official records are original documents issued by the institution that bear the original stamp or embossed seal of the issuing institution and the stamped or signed signature of the appropriate authorizing official. All other documents are unofficial and will not be accepted.

Non-English Transcripts: All official academic records must be issued in the original language and accompanied by English translations prepared by the issuing institution. If you are in the United States and have only an official copy of your academic records or diploma certificate in the original language, only translations prepared by the American Translators Association are acceptable. For more information and the directory of members, consult the ATA website. Credential evaluations prepared by other schools or private agencies cannot be submitted in place of original academic records and diploma certificates.

Please use the following address when mailing materials to our office:

Berkeley MBA for Executives Program
430 Student Services Bldg. #1910
Haas School of Business
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-1910

Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) results are required of all EMBA program applicants. All applicants must provide self-reported scores as part of the application. These are verified later in our process. We will accept official scores from GMATs or GREs taken as early as October 2008 for May 2014 applicants. The Haas School keeps test score reports on file for two years only.

The GMAT or GRE must be taken by the deadline for the application round you intend to meet, and you must provide self-reported scores when you complete our application. Applicants registering for paper-based exams or other non-standard administrations should schedule their exams at least eight weeks before the application deadline for which you are applying. Those who intend to apply from outside the US should arrange a test date as soon as possible.

Applicants must make arrangements directly with Pearson Vue to sit for the GMAT, or ETS for the GRE, or to have results of previous tests forwarded to the Haas School. The Haas School's institution code for executive MBA Admissions is N2V-PT-85 for the GMAT and 0667 for the GRE. To schedule a test date and for information regarding the GMAT, visit http://mba.com/mba. For more information about the GRE, please visit www.ets.org/gre.

The Graduate Division requires that all applicants who received their degrees from countries in which the official language is not English submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries.

However, if at the time of application you have already completed at least one year of full-time academic coursework towards an advanced degree with grades of "B" or better at a US university, you do not need to take a standardized English language proficiency test. Instead, you must submit an official transcript from the US university. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement: 1) courses in English as a Second Language; 2) courses conducted in a language other than English; 3) courses that will be completed after you apply; and 4) courses of a non-degree or non-academic nature.

There are two standardized tests you may take: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assessment. Unless you are exempt from the standardized English language proficiency test requirement based on attendance at a US institution as mentioned above, you must take the TOEFL or IELTS assessment. No other waivers will be granted. For more information, please review the application instructions.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
We accept TOEFL tests administered by the Educational Testing Service and sent to us directly by the TOEFL office. Tests taken before June 2012 will not be accepted even if your score was reported to Berkeley. Your most recent score must be at least 570 for the paper-and-pencil test, 230 for the computer-based test, or 68 for the Internet-based TOEFL.

TOEFL is administered by the Education Testing Service. You can obtain detailed information from the TOEFL website. To schedule an appointment for the computer-based test in the United States or Canada, call 1-800-GO-TOEFL. The institution code for the Berkeley MBA for Executives Program at the Haas School of Business is 4833-02.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
As an alternative, you can submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) administered by the British Council worldwide. You are responsible for providing us with an official paper Test Report Form (TRF) of your IELTS. Remember to order the TRF when you register to take the test. Tests taken before June 2012 will not be accepted. Your most recent overall BAND score must be at least 7 on a 9-point scale.

To register for the IELTS, consult the IELTS website or contact the office of the test center where you plan to take the test.

The online application is designed so that you can enter and update your information at any time before you submit your application. Please note that we only accept online applications--paper applications are not available. This application is compatible with Mozilla Firefox 1.0 and higher and with Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 6.0 and higher. In addition to a compatible browser, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to access certain documents.

PDF of Application Instructions
Online Application

Our executive MBA essay questions were created to provoke honest, thoughtful responses to help us get to know you. While we ask that you answer each question thoroughly, please do not exceed the specified lengths. Also keep in mind that our online application does not allow you to format the text of your responses. If you would like, you can copy and paste your responses from a text-based application (e.g. Notepad or Microsoft Word).

May 2014 Short Answer Essay Questions
1. At Berkeley-Haas, the following four Defining Principles describe our unique culture and are exemplified in our student body. Please list one of the following principles and give a specific example(s) of how you have exemplified this in your life. (250—500 words) Please refer to the Haas website for more detailed descriptions of these Defining Principles:
A. Question the Status Quo
B. Confidence Without Attitude
C. Students Always
D. Beyond Yourself

2. What are your future career goals, and how will the Berkeley MBA for Executives Program help you achieve them? Why is this the right time for you to undertake this program? (250—500 words)

May 2014 Main Essay Question
Please tell us about yourself and your background. The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally. You may include information about your family, where you grew up, your interests, or any other people or experiences that have influenced you. (1,000 word maximum)

All EMBA applicants must submit a signed sponsorship letter on company letterhead from an authorized representative of their firm. Financial sponsorship is not required, but the organization must agree to keep the applicant's travel time to a minimum and completely release him or her from all job responsibilities on class days. Applicants who work for themselves are asked to write their own letter.

Letters of recommendation provide the admissions committee with third party, qualitative accounts of your potential for leadership and management.

We require two letters of recommendation. You should obtain one of the recommendations from your current direct supervisor. If you do not provide a letter from your current direct supervisor, you are required to include an explanation in the Supplementary Data section of the online application. You are responsible for ensuring that both recommendations are submitted prior to the application deadline. Please do not draft or write your own letter of recommendation, even if asked to do so by your recommender. Such an action can result in denial of your application or withdrawal of your offer of admission. We strongly discourage you from submitting more than two letters of recommendation.

Choosing a Recommender
We strongly prefer that both letters of recommendation come from a current direct supervisor, former direct supervisor, or other individuals with whom you have had significant professional interaction. Select individuals that know you well and who will take the time to write thorough and thoughtful letters on your behalf. The title or status of those you select is not important. What does matter is how closely your letter writers have worked with you and whether they can attest to your value as an employee, your professional accomplishments, and your personal qualities. We have found the most helpful letters to be recent, relevant, and written specifically for this application. We discourage letters of recommendation from co-workers, subordinates, professors, family or friends.

Letter Submission
We encourage your recommenders to submit letters through our online format. When completing the online application, you will enter the email address of your recommender and click the appropriate box to have the recommender complete an online recommendation. Your recommender receives an automated email with instructions to log in to the online recommendation form with questions identical to those in our PDF form. After your recommender submits the recommendation, both you and your recommender will receive an email confirmation. If you wish to give your recommenders hard copy forms, you may download the recommendation form (PDF). Please review the submission instructions on the top portion of the form.

The Admissions Committee conducts interviews of EMBA program applicants by invitation only, and we ask that you please refrain from contacting us to request an interview. Receiving an invitation to interview should be taken as a sign of interest on the part of the Admissions Committee, and few applicants will be admitted without an interview. The interview is held on campus at the Haas School of Business in Berkeley, California. The interview is approximately 30 minutes long and will be with a member of the Admissions Committee. Please bring photo identification (passport or driver's license) with you for check-in. You do not need to bring your resume as the interviewer will have reviewed your resume and will have a copy. Please come dressed in professional business attire.