Online MSBA Frequently Asked Questions

Fall Start
Priority: June 1
Final: July 15

Spring Start
Priority: October 1
Final: November 15

Summer Start
Priority: February 1
Final: March 15

All applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognized academic institution of acceptable standing and coursework in subjects such as calculus, statistics or probability is encouraged, but not required. For UMass Amherst students, this is equivalent to an R2 General Education Requirement.

Yes! Students are eligible to apply for the MSBA program while still enrolled as an undergraduate. Admissible individuals will receive a conditional approval pending final grades and degree confirmation.

Once you access the online application, under the “Objectives” tab in the “Degree(s)” section, please choose “Management (M.S. in Business Analytics) - Online”.

Yes! You can take up to 6 credits as a non-degree student. Please contact our office for specific instructions and course recommendations before registering.

All applicants will receive an acknowledgement letter via email from the Graduate Admissions Office which includes your Admissions ID and Access Code. This will enable you to keep track of application materials that have been received. Additionally, the Isenberg Graduate Programs Office will be in touch about any incomplete materials and next steps.

Acceptance decisions are posted in SPIRE with instructions to confirm acceptance. The Associate Dean and your Academic Advisor will email you with additional information to get started.

Accepted students can defer their acceptance once, for up to one year. Contact your academic advisor to discuss further.

Graduate School application and $85 application fee (waived for military and current UMass Amherst undergraduates)

Personal statement

Resume/CV

Official transcripts of all universities/colleges attended

Two letters of recommendation

GMAT/GRE score (waiver may apply)

English Language Proficiency score (for non-native English speakers only)

A personal essay should be one to two pages in length and include information about your past and current academic and professional history, your future goals and reasons for pursuing the MSBA, and other pertinent details that will help us evaluate you as a candidate.

Please submit your transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, undergraduate and graduate, where nine (9) or more credits were earned. Unofficial transcripts uploaded to the Additional Materials page of your application are acceptable. Upon admittance, official transcripts will need to be submitted, either electronically or in paper format, directly by each institution's Registrar to the Graduate Student Service Center. Review After You Apply for instructions on submitting official transcripts.

Note: For international graduates, notarized and true attested copies of original academic documents are accepted. Evaluations may be required. Please contact our office for details.

If the official transcripts and/or degree certificate(s) are not in English, our program requires an official English translation and/or an official credential evaluation from a NACES member in order to evaluate coursework and GPA in the admissions process. Notarized and true attested copies of original academic documents are accepted.

A transcript evaluation may be requested in order to determine GPA/grade equivalency. Please contact grad@isenberg.umass.edu for more information.

If your current transcript has all of the courses and grades (GPA-based) from the previous institutions included, you are not required to submit the transcripts. We highly encourage you to double-check with the University Registrar’s Office.

Otherwise, you are required to submit transcripts from all previous institutions where 9 credits or more were earned. If the institution is not a 4-year institution, the transcripts are not in English or do not have a numeric GPA on a 4.0 scale, transcripts must be course evaluated by a NACES member.

Recommendations should be requested from individuals who know you on a professional level and well enough to provide specific examples and details regarding your past performance and competencies. If you are a recent college graduate, we encourage you to provide one academic and one professional reference.

A GMAT/GRE waiver is granted for an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. To be considered for the GMAT/GRE waiver, leave the application test score section blank. If you are a working professional and don’t meet the GPA qualification, waivers may be considered for individuals with professional work experience.

School Code: Isenberg-UMass Amherst - 3917

Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate their English proficiency by submitting scores from a standardized English Language Proficiency Test. This is not required of U.S. citizens or non-U.S. citizens who hold U.S. Permanent Resident Status. For admission to the MS in Business Analytics, the minimum scores for admission are as follows: the minimum combined TOEFL score is 100; the minimum IELTS Academic combined score is 7; the minimum Duolingo English Test overall score is 120; and the minimum PTE Academic overall score is 68. Please note, when reviewing an application, the UMass Graduate School does not super score language tests (e.g. we do not accept the ETS MyBest Score set). Please consult the international applicants page for more details.

The Master of Science in Business Analytics program requires 10 courses, 31 credits for graduation.

Microsoft Excel, Tableau, SAP, SQL, Python, MS Access, Teradata, and XLMiner

We follow a typical semester system – fall and spring semesters are 14 weeks. The summer semester schedule may vary and the winter session is typically 5 weeks.

The presentation of classes is through the Blackboard Learn system, utilizing an asynchronous presentation style including recorded lectures, discussion groups, readings, and exams/papers. (Please note that each class varies, and the presentation methods/materials are at the discretion of the professor).

The MSBA curriculum focuses on data analytics coursework including Business Intelligence, Application Development with Python, Data Mining, Data Science for Business, Data Management for Business Leaders, along with some foundation business courses.

The certificate provides a specific subset of 15 credits of Business Analytics courses while the 31 credit MSBA provides both the foundations of business management in addition to the analytics courses.

Yes, you can. The three core certificate courses (9 credits) will transfer directly into the MSBA program. Additionally, you may work with your academic advisor to map out an additional 6 credits of electives to transfer into the MSBA program (not all electives may transfer). Taking the certificate before the MSBA program does not guarantee admission to the MSBA program. There are separate application processes for each program. Taking the certificate program before the MSBA is not required.

The Online MSBA program allows students to complete the degree in 1-4 years. The program has three start dates each year: fall, spring, summer. Our academic calendar showcases the important dates.

No. Online programs do not qualify for any OPT for international students.

The Isenberg School of Management is accredited by AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB grants international accreditation to undergraduate and graduate business administration and accounting degree programs.

Undergraduate students at UMass Amherst and other colleges in the Five College Consortium can pursue a 4+1 option, completing their undergraduate degree and the MSBA degree in 5 years or less. Undergraduate students apply to the MSBA program in their junior year or early in their senior year and can then take up to 12 credits of MSBA graduate courses during their senior year, with up to 6 of those credits (2 courses) allowed to double-count for both the undergraduate and the MSBA degree.

Congratulations on reaching your goal of completing your MSBA! If you are enrolling in your last class this semester, you must complete the Degree Eligibility Form and submit it to your academic advisor.

Note: An overall 3.0 GPA (B) must be maintained in order to graduate. Once your Degree Eligibility Form has been processed by the Graduate Office, details about commencement will be both emailed and mailed to your current address (listed on SPIRE).

Yes, you will receive the same exact diploma. Whether you take the program online or in-person, it will not be specified on the diploma.

Diplomas are mailed out approximately 2 months after degree clearance.

YES! All eligible MSBA students can participate in graduation ceremonies and receptions. You are eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies and receptions if you complete your MSBA credits by May of the same year as graduation.

Yes, we offer many events including networking events, discussion panels, as well as various social gatherings. Events may be offered both virtually and in-person.

Isenberg Resources:

• IConnect (tools, tips, tricks, recruitment, events, connections, etc.)
• Isenberg Alumni LinkedIn Group (Join at student level)

UMass Resources:

• Connect UMass
• UMass Handshake (UMass Amherst wide resource to connect with recruiters and view job openings)
• UMass Alumni Association (Students can request an Alumni ID using first time registration access as an accepted student)

Average Age: 25
Average GMAT Score: 620
Average UGPA: 3.3

Yes, applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree in business are eligible. Based on a review of your transcripts, you may be eligible to substitute some coursework for electives.

No, the MSBA program does not require any work experience for its incoming students.

We are looking for applicants with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above. However, applicants who are below a 3.0 are not excluded from applying as we look at application materials holistically.

Residency is not a part of the program requirements as the Online MSBA is 100% online and can be done from anywhere in the world.

No, students from all backgrounds have completed this program successfully.

You must earn a degree from a 4-year institution or education that is equivalent to a 4-year degree (in some cases a course-by-course evaluation of academic history may be required). Please use the WES Degree Equivalency Tool to determine if your degree is equivalent to a 4-year US degree.

You need to activate your Student IT Account to get access to SPIRE, UMass Email, and Online library resources.

Students will enroll in courses through SPIRE. The program academic advisor will provide enrollment details prior to each registration period with current course listings and instructions on how to enroll.

To access your online class for the first time, use your UMass login credentials to sign-in to Blackboard Learn or Moodle.

Yes! The University uses an Online Learning Management System called Blackboard Learn (BBL). Blackboard courses are available a week prior. This is a great opportunity to introduce yourself and start to learn the navigation before having to learn the course content.

You can find out what course materials will be required by looking at the course notes and/or course syllabus all available in SPIRE.

If you are unable to take a class in a Fall or Spring semester, you will need to register for continuous enrollment. Contact your advisor for more details.

If you do not enroll in a minimum of one course in the spring and fall semesters by the add/drop deadline OR do not apply for continuous enrollment, you will be withdrawn from the University for “failure to enroll.” Should this happen and you wish to be readmitted, you must contact the Graduate Programs Office, pay the program fees and a readmit fee. Readmission is not guaranteed.

Graduate courses, taken within three years of admission into the program and with a grade of B or better, and that were not used to satisfy another degree, are eligible for transfer. You can transfer up to 6 credits from another accredited university toward your Isenberg MSBA. Courses and their respective credits that transfer will reduce the number of credits required to complete your Isenberg MSBA degree. Non-degree courses must have been taken within three years of admission into the program with a grade of B or better.

For courses to be considered for transfers, please send us a course description and a syllabus for each course. Please be specific about which Isenberg course you are requesting to have reviewed. If approved, you will need to have your official transcript sent with the courses listed to gradadm@grad.umass.edu.

The Graduate Programs Office will contact you to let you know which course(s) has been approved for transfer or waiver.

A strong performance in your MSBA non-degree courses may aid in the GMAT/GRE waiver process. Overall successful completion of non-degree courses does not guarantee admission into the program.

Yes, only 6 credits of non-degree courses are eligible for transfer into the MSBA program. A grade of B or better is required for transfer.

To register for courses as a non-degree student, you must make an enrollment appointment. Please follow this link for the instructions.

Non-degree registration typically opens two weeks after registration opens for our matriculated students. Please contact our office for course recommendations with open seats.

Please refer to the Academic Calendar to see the last day of registration, as well as the first and last day of classes of each semester. 

Yes, tuition is the same for online courses regardless of state or even country residency. To find out more about the various tuition structures, fees, and financial aid, please visit this link.

You will be billed directly by the University Bursar's Office. Billing information will be sent to your UMass email account. Paper bills will not be generated. The bill can be viewed within SPIRE and paid directly online, or it can be downloaded and mailed with a check. If your employer is paying for your tuition, you may also use Agency or Corporate Billing. Bills are generally posted on the 15th of the month. Any questions related to your bill should be directed to the Bursar’s Office.

No, we do not require any deposit payment for the Online MSBA.

Online MSBA students may be eligible for student loans. Please refer to the Financial Aid website for more information.

No, Isenberg does not offer any scholarships for the MSBA program.

Isenberg does not offer graduate assistantships for one-year masters programs or programs offered through UWW.

For specific partnership benefits, please reference your individual page.

You will need to complete and sign the agreement. You can view the Extended Payment Plans here. Please note these payment plans are applicable to all of Isenberg’s online graduate programs.