GRADUATE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA: MASTER IN BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION (MBA) FOR ENTRY IN 2013-14
At Saïd Business School we expect our applicants to be exceptional. We look for evidence that you will make the most of your time here, that you will contribute to the life of the School, and that your classmates will be better for having met you.
Tell us about your passion for sport, painting or drama. Tell us about the research you've done and the discoveries you've made. Tell us about the play you directed or the reforms you drove through.
Tell us about the things you will do once you arrive here and the ways we can help you make them happen. The application is designed to let you showcase yourself to us. We do not mind if your greatest achievements were outside the world of business, or if your career has been unconventional. We are more interested in the content of your character than the numbers on your pay cheque.

Application process
You must apply using our online application form. The application fee amounts to £150 and is not refundable. Applications for the 2013/14 class will be considered in accordance with the dates given in the table below. You will benefit from submitting your application in the earlier stages. The sooner you apply the sooner you can start planning your move to Oxford and securing your visa (if required). If you are interested in a particular college, or want to live in college accommodation, you are more likely to be successful if you submit your application in the earlier stages.
If you wish to be considered for a scholarship you must submit your application by stage 2.
Application dates for 2013/14

Application deadline

Interview decision on

Decision by

Stage 1

12 Oct 2012

9 Nov 2012

7 Dec 2012

Stage 2

11 Jan 2013

1 Feb 2013

15 Mar 2013

Stage 3

8 Mar 2013

22 Mar 2013

19 Apr 2013

Open field * 23 Mar 2013 up to 28 Jun 2013

We will inform you of the outcome of your application within four weeks of submission.

*Open field: During open field we will process your application as soon as it is received, so the sooner you submit an application the earlier you will receive a decision. Places in the course may be limited during open field. If you are aiming to submit your application by this stage we recommend you submit as early as possible.
Interviews
Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process. Candidates who meet our requirements will be short-listed for interview. They take place between the Interview Decision and the Final Decision deadlines shown above. Interviews are conducted in-person or via skype (with

video where the internet connection allows). They are designed to establish your suitability for and interest in the programme and will also give you the opportunity to obtain further information about the course. I can confirm that the interviews are usually around 30 minutes long. The questions asked do vary depending on the interviewer.

Requirements
To apply for the Oxford MBA, you should have:
1. A good undergraduate degree or equivalent: as guidance, a 2.1 degree (GPA 3.5 or its equivalent). Applicants who do not hold such a qualification may be considered if they have a very strong employment record demonstrating a high degree of responsibility.
2. University academic transcripts, these should outline the subjects studied and grades obtained. 3. GMAT score: Several of the programme’s core courses require a high level of quantitative and analytical skills and we do look for evidence of these in GMAT results. The average GMAT score of our MBA students is around 690. It is a mandatory requirement that all sections of the GMAT test are taken.
Please ensure that the test scores are forwarded by GMAC (Graduate Management Admissions
Council) to the Saïd Business School (code Q0G-4B-59). Please contact GMAC directly to arrange to take the test. GMAT scores will not be valid if they are more than five years old on the application deadline for the stage in which you are applying.
4. A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Test
Scheme (IELTS) If your first language is not English*, you must supply suitable evidence that you have reached the relevant level before submitting your application.

Minimum
Score

TOEFL iBT
110
Minimum required on each component:
Listening - 22
Reading - 24
Writing - 24
Speaking - 25

IELTS
7.5
Minimum required on each component:
7.0

Waivers: The requirement to provide proof of proficiency may be waived, at the discretion of the
School, in the following circumstances: An applicant has studied full time at degree level for a minimum of 9 months at a recognised institution where the medium of instruction is English.
If you wish to apply for a waiver to the English language requirement, you must:
Click on the relevant option at the TOEFL/IELTS section of the application form indicating that you would like to request a waiver of the English Language Test requirement for one of the following reasons: (a) You have completed a degree in a majority English speaking country.*
As evidence we will review the transcripts you submit with your application.
(b) You have completed a degree at a recognised institution where the medium of instruction was
English.
As evidence we will require either that the transcripts you submit with your application state that the sole language of instruction was English or an official letter from your university stating that the medium of instruction throughout your course was English. This letter must be also be uploaded to the TOEFL/IELTS section of the on-line form.
*List of majority English speaking countries as defined by the UKBA:

Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas,
Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the
Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Guyana
Exchange programmes/ distance learning/ online courses cannot be considered for the waiver.
The institution code for ordering your official TOEFL score sheet from ETS is 0807. There is no department code, this can be left blank.
If you choose to take the IELTS you need to sit the Academic test. If you sit the TOEFL it must be the general test.
TOEFL and IELTS scores will not be valid if they are more than two years old on the application deadline for the stage in which you are applying.
Please note that we reserve the right to request a test of English to be taken at any time.
5. Relevant professional experience: Whilst most of our students have more than three years experience, we do consider those with less work experience. If this is the case, we look for candidates who are able to demonstrate a high level of maturity, combined with evidence of leadership ability.
6. Two references, professional or academic (only online recommendations can be accepted).
7. Two essays:
1. Explain why you chose your current job. How do you hope to see your career developing over the next five years? How will an MBA assist you in the development of these ambitions? (750 words)
2. What should Oxford expect from you? (750 words)
Re-applicants will need to complete the two essays mentioned above and a third essay on the topic:
- What improvements have you made in your candidacy since you last applied to the Oxford MBA?
(250 words)
Please ensure your application is complete upon submission. The Admissions Committee can only consider a candidate once all supporting documentation has been received.
We conduct spot checks on a regular basis to ensure the credibility of applicants' references, work experience and academic background. We also reserve the right to ask for supporting evidence if necessary. Availability of supervision, teaching, facilities and places
The following factors will govern whether candidates can be offered places:
1. The ability of the Saïd Business School to provide the appropriate supervision, research opportunities, teaching and facilities for your chosen area of work.
2. There are minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted onto
Oxford’s research and taught programmes.
The provision of supervision is subject to the following points:
1. The allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Saïd Business School and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff.

2. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Saïd Business School

Funding
Whether you have yet secured funding is not taken into consideration in the decision to make an initial offer of a place, but note that the initial offer of a place will not be confirmed until we are satisfied that you have sufficient funding to cover your fees and living costs for the standard period of fee liability for your course.

Disability, health conditions and specific learning difficulties
Students are selected for admission without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or social background. Decisions on admission are based solely on the individual academic merits of each candidate and the application of the selection criteria appropriate to the programme of study.
Further information on how these matters are supported during the admissions process is available here. Assessors
All applications will be assessed by more than one member of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise.

Plagiarism
As part of the admissions process the Saïd Business School may use a plagiarism detection system.
This system screens any written work submitted as part of your application for plagiarism, paraphrasing and collusion. The plagiarism detection system will store on its database any written work submitted for screening. For the University’s definition of plagiarism, please click here.
If, in the opinion of the University, or any College of the University, any information or statement provided on this application form is not true, accurate, current and complete, or any supporting material is not entirely your own original work, except where clearly stated otherwise, the University, or any College of the University, retains the right to reject your application. If you have been made an offer by the University, or any College of the University, then the University, or any College of the
University, may in these circumstances withdraw or amend that offer. If you have been admitted as a student, you may be subject to disciplinary action which could result in your expulsion from the
University and your College.