Admissions Overview
Candidates seeking admission to the dual MA/MBA degree must receive admission from each of the degree programs separately. The admissions committees from the School of International Service (SIS) and the Kogod School of Business do not collaborate on the decision-making process.
Applicants to the MA/MBA program should complete the Kogod and SIS online application forms but may choose to submit the remainder of the application supplemental materials to either Kogod or SIS. Upon your request, the school to which you submit your full application materials will forward them to the other school for their review and consideration. You should consult with each school separately to ensure transport of application materials. Requests to the Kogod School of Business can be sent to kogodgrad@american.edu and requests to the School of International Service can be sent to sisgrad@american.edu.
Please email kogodgrad@american.edu if you have any concerns regarding receipt of your documents. While applicants are not required to submit an additional résumé or an additional letter of recommendation, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an additional statement of purpose that speaks directly to the interest in the MA/MBA program if the initial statement of purpose does not address the dual-degree program.
In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must have earned an undergraduate bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a satisfactory grade point average.
Applicants whose first language is not English must have a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo.
Full-Time post-undergraduate work experience of 3 or more years is strongly preferred for the Full-Time MBA program, but we will consider meaningful internships and other criteria as part of our holistic application review process.
A current copy of your résumé is required and must be uploaded in the supplemental items section of the online application. Please include the month and year you started and ended each professional employment. Full-length or long-format résumés are welcome. Applicants DO NOT need to edit their résumé down to a one-page version.
A statement of purpose of approximately 750 words in length is required for the full-time MBA program. The prompt for the personal statement essay is:
Tell us about your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the Kogod School of Business.
Please be sure to answer each of the following:
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- What short-term goals do you intend to achieve one (1) to five (5) years AFTER completing your degree?
- What long-term goals do you intend to achieve five (5) to ten or more (10+) years AFTER completing your degree?
- How will this degree help you in achieving these goals?
The letter of recommendation should be coordinated electronically; however, if this is not possible, recommendations may be submitted by the recommender using the email option listed below. Letters submitted directly by the applicant will not be accepted. Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommender.
Email Submission
The recommender can email their recommendation directly to GraduateAdmissionsDocuments@american.edu with the subject line “Kogod Recommendation Enclosed–APPLICANT NAME.”
Transcripts detailing your academic record must be provided beginning with the institution from which you received your bachelor’s degree, along with institutions from which you have earned any other undergraduate or graduate credits, even if a degree was not earned.
- Students are required to submit unofficial transcripts from each institution attended regardless of degree completion. They can typically be downloaded from a university's student portal or through the office of the registrar.
- Unofficial transcripts must include courses taken and grades received.
- If your transcript is not in English, we ask that the transcript is translated and evaluated. Our accepted credential evaluation services are CDGDC, ECE, Education USA, and WES.
- Transcripts are not required for courses taken as part of a study abroad program if the courses are listed on the undergraduate transcript.
- Transcripts are not required for courses completed for professional development purposes only.
- Please ensure that your unofficial transcript shows that you have graduated. If your transcript does not show degree completion, please also provide a copy of your diploma.
- If your degree is currently in progress, you will need to show degree conferral before matriculation.
- In the event you are admitted and choose to enroll at Kogod, we will require the submission of official transcripts from all institutions attended.
Official Transcript Submission Guidelines:
- Official electronic submissions should be sent from your university registrar(s) to Kogod Graduate Admissions at GraduateAdmissionsDocuments@american.edu.
- Official paper submissions should be mailed from your university registrar(s) directly to Kogod Graduate Admissions. If the transcript is issued directly to you, it must remain in a sealed envelope. Once a sealed transcript envelope is opened, it is no longer considered official.
You have the following options for mailing your official transcript(s):
US Mail (USPS)
Kogod Graduate Admissions Office of Enrollment
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016-8081
Courier Address/Overnight: (FEDEX, UPS, DHL, etc.)
Kogod Graduate Admissions Office of Enrollment
4801 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Suite 218
Washington, DC 20016-8081
- Official submissions for current and former AU students are not required. We will work with the university registrar to receive an official transcript and confirm degree conferral.
We believe in a holistic application review and consider an entire application when evaluating candidates for admission. We believe that a test score is only one piece of an application and is not the sole indicator of success in our programs. That said, applicants to these programs are strongly encouraged to submit a GMAT/GRE score as part of the application if they feel it is the best representative of their application. Additional funding may be available for applicants who submit scores.
If you are not submitting a GMAT/GRE test score, you must submit a GMAT/GRE Waiver Essay detailing your academic readiness for the quantitative rigor of a graduate business program. This essay must be different from your Personal Statement Essay.
In the GMAT/GRE Waiver Essay please share your success in any of the following areas:
- Previous undergraduate coursework/degree (mathematics, calculus, economics, statistics, accounting, finance, etc.);
- Work experience requiring analytical and quantitative skills (research, data projects, budgets, software, etc.);
- Professional certifications (CPA, CFA, PMP, etc.) and/or an advanced degree, or
- Other examples from personal experiences (programming language utilization, hobbies, etc.).
For the GMAT/GRE Waiver Essay, we suggest an essay length of approximately 500-750 words.
GMAT/GRE Score Submission Guidelines:
To submit official GMAT or GRE scores, please refer to the reporting codes below. Unofficial GMAT or GRE Scores can be uploaded into the supplemental items section of the application and can be used to move an application forward in the review process.
Please note that once standardized test scores are shared, we are unable to remove them from your application. Scores must be no more than five years old.
Kogod GMAT Score Report Code:
Full-time MBA (RN4-J4-01)
Kogod GRE Score Report Code:
All Programs (5007)
Official test scores are required in the event you are admitted and choose to enroll at Kogod.
Evaluative interviews are reserved for candidates who have passed the initial screening phase of the application process and are offered by invitation only. If you are invited to an interview, the interview must be completed for your application to move forward in the review process.
Candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted to schedule an interview date and time. All admissions interviews will be conducted virtually and typically last between 30 and 45 minutes.
A non-refundable fee of $100 USD is required. Applicants will be prompted to pay the fee or submit a waiver code once they submit the first portion of the application.
Application fee waivers are offered to a variety of applicants, including but not limited to:
- American University alumni
- American University employees
- Active-duty members or veterans of the US military
- Active or returned Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America volunteers
- City Year Corps members, staff, and alumni
- Dual-degree applicants who have already paid an application fee to the School of International Service (SIS) or the Washington College of Law (WCL)
- Fellowship awardees
A complete list of waivers is available in the application.
Admissions Tip! Attend an online or in-person event and receive a waiver code for the $100 USD application fee.
If you are admitted to the Full-Time MBA, a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $1,000 USD is required to confirm your place in the class. Enrollment deposits are due by the response date in your admit letter.
The $1,000 USD enrollment deposit is applied to your tuition bill for the first term upon matriculation into the program.
Enrollment deposits are waived for active-duty US military members and veterans, American University employees, or eligible dependents utilizing tuition remission. If you qualify for a waiver, please contact KogodGrad@american.edu after you have accepted admission and request that we process the waiver.
Unless you qualify for a waiver as described above, you must submit an enrollment deposit.