Application Process

Admission Requirements

We are seeking exceptionally motivated candidates who have demonstrated academic excellence; who have enjoyed career progression (i.e. increased responsibility with each successive position); exhibited leadership, or leadership potential; displayed integrity and a strong sense of ethics; possess superior communication and interpersonal skills; and enjoy working in a team environment.

Please note that we take a holistic approach to our review of each admissions file; no one component of your file carries more weight than the other.

To be considered for admission to Queen’s MBA, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Undergraduate Education

Typically, we require that candidates possess a four-year undergraduate degree from a recognized university.  We recognize, however, that in some countries only three-year degrees are awarded.  The Admissions Committee will make a determination on the suitability of the undergraduate degree when assessing a candidate’s complete admission file. Successful candidates will typically possess a minimum B+ average (roughly equivalent to 75%) in the final two years of their undergraduate program.

2. Work Experience

While most candidates possess a minimum of two year’s work experience, we will consider applications from exceptional candidates with less than two year’s experience. Co-op placements and post-doctoral fellowships are also given consideration.

3. GMAT/GRE

All applicants are required to write the GMAT or GRE before applying to the Queen's MBA Program. You will not be penalized for having written the test on multiple occasions. If you have written either the GMAT or GRE more than five years prior to the start of your application, you must re-take the test as part of the application process. For more information on both the GMAT and GRE, please see below.

GMAT: While most of students have GMAT scores in excess of 600, we will consider otherwise exceptional applicants with scores below this level. Please enter code Q21-QZ-68 on your GMAT registration form to ensure your GMAT scores are sent to Queen's. To register to write the GMAT, visit mba.com.

GRE: While most of our students have a GRE Quantitative Reasoning score and Verbal Reasoning score of 650 or more, we will consider otherwise exceptional applicants with scores below this level. Please enter the institution code of 4170 on your GRE test form to ensure your scores are sent to Queen's MBA. To register to write the GRE, please visit ets.org/gre/grereg.

4. English Facility Tests

If applicable, an acceptable score on one of the approved English facility tests (TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB). See Policy on English Language Facility below

What is included in an admissions file?

An admissions file is considered complete when we are in receipt of the following:

1. Transcripts (includes mark sheets, supplements, degree statements, etc.) from each post-secondary institution attended, sent by the Registrar of the issuing institution directly to the Admissions Committee, Queen’s MBA.
2. General information form (completed online).
3. Cover letter and resume (completed online).
4. Three letters of reference (completed online).
5. Three short-answer essays (completed online).
6. All qualified candidates will be interviewed.  Although it is our strong preference to conduct admissions interview in person, circumstances sometimes dictate that a telephone interview is required

Application Deadlines

Round 1	November 27, 2009
Round 2	February 5, 2010
Round 3	March 19, 2010

Key Dates

Approximate dates for the academic year are shown below:

Pre-MBA Warm-up - May 4, 5 and 6, 2010
Program Start - May 10, 2010
International Exchange Opportunities - January 2011
Convocation - Mid-May 2011

Policy on English Language Facility

Queen’s MBA is an intensive 12-month program. Each student must be able to synthesize large amounts of verbal and written information efficiently; review, comprehend and critique abundant readings; command leadership of their team when required; engage in classroom discussions and presentations; and author team assignments. Consequently, all candidates must possess exceptional English facility and communication skill level in order to be competitive for admission.

To that end, we have established the following English language facility admission policy:

1. Applicants whose native language is not English and whose undergraduate university studies were taken in a language other than English must achieve a satisfactory score on one of the accepted tests of facility in English (see chart below).
2. Applicants whose native language is not English but who have earned a university degree from an English-speaking institution will be exempt from this requirement only if they have worked in a country where English is an acknowledged primary language for a minimum of three consecutive years prior to the anticipated beginning of their MBA studies.
3. The test of facility in English is a firm requirement and admission decisions cannot be made until an acceptable score has been reported.
4. Test results must be in the form of an official report mailed directly by the testing centre to:
   Admissions Committee,
   Queen’s MBA
   Queen’s School of Business, Queen’s University
   Goodes Hall, 143 Union Street, Suite 414
   Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
   Note: Examinee’s score records, faxes or photocopies are not acceptable.
5. Each applicant is responsible for making arrangements to take any of these tests and for all costs that are incurred with the writing of any of the tests.
6. The following tests are acceptable:

Test	Requirements	Details
TOEFL	Internet-based test: A minimum score of 100 and a minimum score of 4 for writing. Paper-Based Test: A minimum score of 600 and a Test of Written English (TWE) with a minimum score of 5.0	The test is administered by the Educational Testing Service, Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey, USA 08541-6151 (609.771.7100). Candidates who plan to take TOEFL must obtain a copy of the Bulletin of Information form, and register through the agency responsible for the country or region in which they reside. To ensure that the results are forwarded directly to Queen’s, the code number 0949 (Dept. 02) must be inserted on the request for the Official Score Report.
IELTS	A minimum score of 7 is required.	This test is administered by the University of Cambridge, Local Examinations Syndicate, 1 Hills Road, Cambridge, UK CB1 2EU (44.1223.553311). Candidates who plan to take IELTS can obtain a listing of testing centres from the above address and must register through the agency responsible for the country or region in which they reside. The test centre in Ontario is at Conestoga College, 299 Don Valley Drive, Kitchener, ON N2G 4M4 (519.748.5220).
MELAB	A minimum score of 90 is required.	This test is administered by the English Language Institute, Testing and Certification Division, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 48109-1057 (312.763.3452).

International Students

If you are neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada you must apply for a Study Permit from the Canadian government in order to enter Canada to enroll in this program.  Depending on your country of citizenship you may also be required to have a Temporary Resident Visa to enter Canada. You should begin the application process as soon as you receive your offer of admission from Queen’s.

To determine your student visa requirements and to apply for a student visa go to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Note: Acceptance into Queen’s MBA does not guarantee nor imply acceptance of your application for a study permit. You should not take any final steps, such as moving to Canada, purchasing plane tickets, or quitting your job, until your Study Permit is approved.

What Happens Next?

Once we receive the completed online application and required supporting documentation, qualified admission files will proceed through a three-stage selection process:

Stage 1:	Review of all submitted documents;
Stage 2:	Interview (in person or by phone) with a member of the Admissions Committee;
Stage 3:	Final evaluation by the Admissions Committee on a wide range of criteria, including the candidate’s overall academic capability, work experience, ability to contribute to the team-based learning experience and leadership potential.

Application Advice

Each candidate’s file will be considered in its totality. Consideration will be given to previous academic performance, work experience, letters of reference, and your GMAT/GRE score. If you fall a little short on one parameter, but are strong on the others, you may well be a qualified candidate for this program.

Our next class begins in May 2010. Applications will be accepted online beginning July 15, 2009. Applications are then reviewed on an ongoing basis until we have selected the optimum class members.

Once you submit the online portion of your MBA application, we will contact you by e-mail to advise you on what is needed to complete your application.