How to apply for the Flex MBA

Standardized tests (GMAT or GRE) are one part of the application process used to evaluate academic ability. Submission of test scores is not required but is recommended for most candidates. It is up to each applicant to decide how best to submit their strongest case for admission. For those who choose not to submit a test score, the Admissions Committee will carefully consider how past academic and professional experiences have prepared them for the academic rigor of the program. In particular, the committee will consider:

• A strong undergraduate GPA from a US institution;
• Demonstrated quantitative skills in prior academic and/or professional experience;
• An advanced or terminal degree (e.g., JD, MD, PhD or quantitative MS degree);
• A quantitatively oriented professional certificate (e.g., CPA, CFA);
• An officer’s rank in the military; or
• Performance on an expired GMAT or GRE.

Test scores must be released when you submit your application. We can accept the online versions of the GMAT and GRE. See your program requirements for more information.

Applicants must hold the equivalent of a US bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution at the time of enrollment to be eligible for the program. Most international three-year degrees meet this requirement.

You must show proof of your degree. Our Admissions Committee accepts unofficial copies of transcripts and test scores for the sole purpose of rendering an admissions decision.

For most US institutions (and many non-US institutions), an official transcript sent directly from the university or college will include the degree awarded and the date conferred. If you have not yet graduated, the official transcript from the degree-granting institution should be sent as it becomes available.

Transcripts must include all coursework taken and grades received for each course, plus any transcript instructions or descriptions provided by the institution. Transcripts for study abroad programs or transfer credits are not required if the course titles, grades and credit hours are included in the transcript of the degree-granting institution. 

Credential evaluations of transcripts, such as WES or ECE, are not required.

For students who graduated from non-US institutions where the academic transcript does not show the degree awarded and date of degree conferral, you must bring your diploma, diploma book or another equivalent document with you to St. Louis. When you arrive—and before classes start—bring your transcript to Olin’s  Graduate Programs Office for visual verification. These documents will be returned to you. ​

International students must submit both an original-language document and an English translation.

Upon acceptance, you must submit official transcripts and valid, official test scores (if included in your application) no later than two weeks before the start of orientation programming. Official transcripts may be submitted as follows:

1. Electronic: An Official Electronic Transcript from your university emailed via eSCRIP-SAFE® or any other authorized provider, emailed to OlinGradAdmissions@wustl.edu
2. Mailed by your university in a sealed, official university envelope to:
   Washington University in St. Louis
   Olin Business School
   Graduate Program Admissions Office
   Knight Hall 310, CB 1156
   One Brookings Drive
   St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
   Phone: 888-622-5115
3. In person: An official transcript from your university in a sealed, official envelope brought to:

   Olin Business School
   Graduate Programs
   Admissions Office
   Knight Hall, Room 310
   Monday–Friday
   8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

If you have not yet graduated, the official transcript from the degree-granting institution should be sent as it becomes available.

If your transcript does not show the degree awarded and date of conferral, you need to bring your diploma or equivalent document to St. Louis and present it to the Graduate Programs Office for verification before the start of classes.

International students must submit both an original-language document and an English translation.

You’ll graduate with a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

You should plan to devote 15 to 20 hours per week to your classwork, including time spent in live sessions. This aligns with accreditation standards, which specify students should dedicate five to seven hours per week for a three-credit class over a semester.

For your core, you can choose a modality each semester. You need to stick with your chosen modality that semester but can change it the next one. With electives, you can mix it up any way you like within the same semester—all online, all in person or a combination of the two.

While most elective courses are offered in a hybrid modality, some courses are offered solely in person or online. For your core curriculum, each semester, you choose to attend in one modality—either in person or online.

Olin offers courses in a range of formats, from traditional semester-long courses to intensive weekend courses. All modalities—online, in person and hybrid—are regularly offered in the evenings during the work week. Intensive courses (those offered on weekends or in a single week) are typically offered only in person due to the pedagogical demands of the format.

With few exceptions, the Flex MBA program is taught by tenured Olin faculty members. These professors are some of the brightest minds in business, internationally known for their exceptional teaching, research productivity and management expertise. With input from Olin’s corporate partners, our faculty advances a curriculum rooted in leadership development, strategic problem-solving and skills application.

Olin’s Flex MBA program is cohort-based. All incoming students—both online and in-person—are part of the same cohort. In addition, you are also part of a cohort section, which is a subgroup of students taking courses in a given semester in a chosen modality.

Your cohort won’t change as students change modalities. However, your section—the subgroup with whom you directly interact in a given semester’s courses—could and will likely change.

While you are a student and even after graduation, you have access to career services tools and support, including a dedicated career coach for Flex MBA students. While in the program, you can turn to student services for any academic needs or direction on other Olin resources. We also provide students with IT support 24/7.

We hope to see our online students on campus often! You are encouraged to participate actively in on-campus events and activities as your schedule allows.