Frequently Asked Questions
Work Experience


Why the emphasis on GMAT and work experience?

- by Jim Stice, MBA Program Director

Often applicants view the GMAT test and the work experience requirement as boxes to be checked on an application ı ıI took the GMAT test (check) and I worked for a year (check).ı Let me share with you why these two factors are so important in the admissions decision.

A personıs score on the GMAT test is our best predictor of how well a person will perform in BYUıs MBA Program. I know this result is true because I perform the analysis myself each year. Each year I compare the relationship between an individualıs MBA GPA and a number of factors including amount of work experience prior to joining the MBA program, undergraduate GPA, undergraduate institution, undergraduate major, GMAT score, and a couple of other items. Without exception, year after year the best predictor of performance in the MBA Program is an individualıs GMAT score. Now GMAT score is not a perfect predictor but the higher an individualıs GMAT score, the better they tend to perform in the MBA program. We have found that individuals who struggle academically in the program tend to have lower GMAT scores. The last thing we want is for someone to leave their employment and uproot their family only to find out that the academic rigor of the program was too much. GMAT score tends to tell us how well an individual will be able to handle the academic rigor of the program.

As for work experience, recruiters who hire our graduates hire a package ı the work experience obtained prior to the MBA degree (which serves as a foundation upon which the MBA education is built) and the actual MBA education. Recruiters who hire BYU MBAs have come to expect, on average, between 24 and 36 months of post-graduate work experience. With less work experience, the perceived value of the overall package is lower. While we are always on the lookout for unique work experience (or life experience) that might make up for a lack of quantity and that would be perceived as being valuable by recruiters, we have found that the best way for future MBA students to increase the value of the overall MBA package (work experience and education) is to obtain the expected quantity of post-graduate work experience.

Is work experience required?


Full-time management work experience is strongly recommended but not required for admission to the MBA program; evidence of management and leadership skills is required. These skills are evidenced through completion of the MBA application (essay question responses, resume, letters of recommendations, etc.), work experience, LDS mission experience (if applicable), and an interview with a member of the admissions committee (interviews are conducted by invitation only, and are offered to applicants the admissions committee deems competitive for admission to the program after review of the completed application).

Average work experience for admitted applicants is 3.21 years AFTER completion of the bachelor's degree. The admissions committee will consider applicants who lack work experience if those applicants present other factors that compensate for this deficiency (above-average GMAT score and GPA, charismatic personality and presentation, quality internship experience, etc.). Applicants lacking work experience need to be able to compete for job interviews with their more experienced counterparts in the MBA program, so being above-average in other areas is a necessity for admission to the program.

The MBA admissions committee defines "management" work experience as direct responsibility for the assets of an organization (i.e. management of people, special projects, processes, databases, budgets, etc.). An applicant need not have held the specific title of "manager" in order to fulfill this requirement according to the definition above. The quality of experience--the type of responsibilities tied to the position and the management and leadership skills gained as a result--is what is important. The company or organization with which an applicant gained experience may have limited bearing on this area of the application, but far more weight is placed on the quality of experience gained.


Should I wait until I have at least two years of work experience before I apply to the MBA program?

A minimum of two years full-time work experience is strongly recommended. Candidates may apply without full-time experience, but should keep in mind that they are competing for admission with other applicants with an average of three years of full-time work experience. Work experience is important because students generally learn more in the MBA program and are more appealing to recruiters after the program if they've had two to three years of significant experience between their undergraduate and graduate work.

When recruiters interview MBA students for employment, they seldom focus on the student's performance in the classroom. Recruiters assume the students are sharp (otherwise they would not have been admitted into the program). Recruiters tend to focus on work experience gained between the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Recruiters want to know how that work experience, when combined with an MBA education, will add value to their organization.

We've found that those without full-time work experience between their undergraduate and graduate degrees have a very difficult time getting the time and attention of recruiters. We don't want to put students in that very difficult situation-hence the emphasis on full-time post-graduate work experience.


If I am applying for the JD/MBA joint program, do I still have to gain full-time work experience after my undergraduate degree?

Yes. You must fulfill the requirements for each program separately in order to be admitted to the JD/MBA joint program, and full-time work experience is an important factor in the admission process to the MBA program.

What type of work experience do you count?

We are looking for full-time work experience in which you were entrusted with significant responsibility. We will count any experience where you had responsibility over people, money, or processes in the business field.

Is working full-time as a student considered the same as working full time after graduating?

Students who worked full-time during their undergraduate degree are considered "non-traditional" students and their work experience will be counted if it was in a position of significant responsibility.


Please see the following link for research that has been done showing a correlation between work experience and salaries after the MBA degree

http://www.gmac.com/gmac/ResearchandTrends/SurveyResearch/GlobalMBAGraduateSurvey.htm