Graduate Programs in Business Admissions

Criteria
Students applying for admission to the Graduate Programs in Business must submit the following materials to the Office of Adult and Graduate Education. (Forms below are available in Adobe Acrobat(R) format. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader(R), you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader(R) at no charge.)

  1. Completed application and non-refundable application fee of $25. (Fee is waived for Bluffton alumni.);
  2. Copy of current resume;
  3. Official transcript from institution granting bachelor's degree (transcript request form);
  4. Two recommendation forms completed by academic and/or professional references;
  5. Completion of three essay questions, relative to the degree being sought;

Upon receipt of the above information, applicants will be processed for admission to the graduate program. The following criteria must be met in order to be fully admitted to the program:

  1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution;
  2. A 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) in the last half of the bachelor's degree program;
  3. Four years of professional experience in the for-profit, not-for-profit, or private sector;
  4. Satisfactory completion of writing and math tests;
  5. Completed application materials, as noted above, on file;
  6. Satisfactory letters of recommendation;
  7. Interview with one faculty member;
  8. Approval for admission by the Graduate Programs in Business committee.

Special student status
Special student status may be granted to applicants to complete nine semester hours of coursework prior to regular admission to the Graduate Programs in Business. During the first nine semester hours, special students must demonstrate an ability to maintain a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) to be considered for regular admission.
As space allows, special student status also may be granted to non-degree-seeking students who hold a bachelor's degree. Applicants should complete special student status forms as a part of the application process.

Transfer credit
If completed within five years of the application date, up to six semester hours (or nine quarter hours) of graduate credit may be transferred to the Graduate Programs in Business from another accredited institution. Credits transferred must be approved by the director of the Graduate Programs in Business. Workshop credits are not transferable.

Send completed application materials and fees to:
Office of Adult and Graduate Education
Bluffton University
1 University Drive
Bluffton, OH 45817-1196