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College of Management and Business—Graduate

Admission Policies

Prospective students may apply for admission to graduate management programs at any time of the year. In addition to the NLU Graduate Admission Requirements, applicants must submit all of the following to the Office of Admissions prior to consideration for admission to any graduate program in the College of Management and Business (CMB):

  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Completion of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution must be verified. Graduate students who already possess a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and meet all other CMB graduate admissions requirements will only be required to submit transcripts of their graduate degrees. MBA applicants who already possess a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and meet all other CMB graduate admissions requirements must submit transcripts of their undergraduate and graduate degrees.
  • A list of three references that includes supervisors, employers, professors or others who have known the applicant in a professional or academic capacity, or are in a position to judge the applicant’s ability for graduate study
  • Official scores from the Criterion Online Writing Assessment. This requirement is waived for applicants who have earned a graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  • A professional resume. (In lieu of a resume, U.S. military personnel may submit a copy of their DD214 and U.S. government employees may submit a copy of their SF171.)

Graduate students must be admitted prior to the start of the first course of the program.

Status of Admitted Students

Full Admission Status

Students who meet the below criteria are eligible for full admission status:

  • Verified completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited four-year college or university or the equivalent from an institution outside of the U.S.
  • A GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale over the applicant’s entire undergraduate program
  • A score of 4.0 or better on the Criterion Online Writing Assessment

Applicants who do not meet the GPA requirements for admission or have a writing assessment score of 3.0, may have additional admission requirements, may be admitted with one-term review status or may be denied admission.

Admission With One-Term Review Status

Students who are admitted with one-term review status must maintain at least a 3.0 (“B”) cumulative GPA, with no outstanding “I” grades for all courses taken during the first term. These courses may not be extension courses, transfer credit, workshops, independent studies or internships/practica, except when taken by veterans receiving benefits.

If the student has a minimum 3.0 GPA at the end of the review period, he or she will gain good academic standing. If the student’s GPA is below 3.0 at the end of the review period, he or she will be dropped from the graduate program.

Applicants who score a 3.0 on the writing assessment and are otherwise qualified for admission with one-term review status, as determined by the Graduate Admissions Team or the Dean, must enroll in MGT 523, Analytical and Writing Skills for the Manager. Students must successfully complete MGT 523 to gain one-term review status for the first class session. That is, students must pass MGT 523 before they will be allowed to begin attending classes in their chosen CMB graduate program. MGT 523 is a not-for-credit, pass/fail course designed to increase the student’s potential for success in graduate studies by honing writing and critical thinking skills.

Academic Policies

Transfer of Credit

In addition to the University criteria, the following apply to graduate transfer credit in CMB:

  • The credit must be completed at accredited institutions which offer graduate degrees. Such institutions are those approved by one of the regional accreditation associations.
  • A maximum of nine semester hours may be transferred
  • Credit earned more than six calendar years before graduate admission is not transferable
  • Students must petition for transfer of credit at the time of application for admission. This petition must include a transcript showing satisfactory completion of the course and such supportive evidence as may be needed to establish relevance of content to the student’s degree program. Transfer of credit will be approved by the Dean or Dean’s designee pending verification of the graduate course level and institutional accreditation by the Office of Admissions and Records.

Required Course Waiver

Students may request a waiver for one or more required courses if previous academic work or experience indicates a high degree of competency in the content of the course. The waiver does not grant equivalent credit toward the degree; it permits the student to substitute an appropriate elective course for the waived course. The student and advisor must complete a Student Adjustment Form and submit it with appropriate documentation to the Dean or Dean’s designee. If approved, the waiver is entered in the degree audit system.

Degree Requirements

  • CMB reserves the right to update or change the graduate curricula at any time. Any candidate for a degree shall be held to compliance with changes, as far as the uncompleted portion of their program is affected.
  • Students must fulfill all degree requirements within 10 years from the beginning of the first course taken in the specific graduate program to which they are admitted. Transfer credit is not computed in determining this requirement.
  • Students who have not completed their degree within 10 years may apply to the College for readmission into the applicable program. Prior to readmission, the student must develop a degree-completion plan which will specify how he or she will complete a minimum of six program core courses within a three year time limitation. Additional courses may be required to meet the total number of semester hours needed for the degree.