What Requirements Do You Need to Get an MBA?
| 6 Min Read
You don’t need a business background to earn a Master of Business Administration. Most MBA programs welcome applicants from a wide range of academic and career backgrounds — from engineering and healthcare to education and the arts. The degree is designed to build business leadership skills, not to reward students who already have them.
If you’re exploring your options, the online MBA program from Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) is designed for working professionals from all fields who want to move into leadership roles. Whether you studied finance or fine arts as an undergraduate, the path to an MBA starts with understanding MBA admission requirements. This article covers the standard requirements, answers the most common questions about undergraduate degrees and entry paths, and walks through what SMSU looks for in applicants.
What Are the Standard MBA Requirements?
Most MBA programs require an accredited undergraduate degree, a minimum GPA, professional work experience and application materials such as letters of recommendation and a personal statement. The specific requirements vary by program, but the following are common across most graduate business schools:
- Undergraduate degree: An accredited bachelor’s degree is the foundation of almost every MBA application. While business degrees are common, most programs accept degrees from any discipline. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, business is the most common undergraduate field, representing 19 percent of bachelor’s degrees conferred in 2021–22. But that still leaves the majority of graduates coming from other fields.
- GPA expectations: Many programs look for a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, though requirements differ. Some programs accept GPAs below that threshold if applicants show strong professional experience or other strengths.
- Work experience: Most full-time MBA programs expect two to five years of professional work experience before enrollment. Part-time and online MBA programs often serve working professionals and may be more flexible on this point, but work experience remains a meaningful part of most applications.
- Letters of recommendation: Most programs ask for two to three letters of recommendation, typically from supervisors or managers who can speak to your professional performance and leadership potential.
- Entrance exams: Many business schools accept GMAT or GRE scores as part of the admissions process. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the GMAT measures verbal, quantitative, analytical writing and integrated reasoning skills. That said, a growing number of programs offer GMAT waivers for applicants with strong academic or professional records. Check each program’s MBA prerequisites before assuming an exam is required.
- Personal statement and essays: Admissions committees use written materials to understand your goals, leadership experiences and reasons for pursuing the degree. Strong essays can complement an application that may not meet every minimum threshold on paper.
Do You Need a Bachelor’s Degree to Get an MBA?
Virtually every MBA program requires an accredited bachelor’s degree, but it does not need to be in business or any specific field. This is one of the most searched questions about MBA admission requirements, and the answer is reassuring for people from non-business backgrounds.
The degree requirement is about demonstrating college-level academic ability, not prior business coursework. Most programs do not specify what the degree must be in; a bachelor’s in history, nursing, or mechanical engineering qualifies just as much as a degree in finance. What matters is that the degree is from an institution recognized by a regional accrediting body.
There is one meaningful exception worth knowing: Executive MBA (EMBA) programs sometimes waive the bachelor’s degree requirement for senior-level professionals with 10 or more years of significant management experience. These programs are built for executives rather than early-career professionals, and they evaluate applicants primarily on career trajectory and leadership impact.
But do most prospective students need a bachelor’s to get an MBA? Yes, and that’s the only degree prerequisite most programs impose.
Can You Get an MBA With Any Undergraduate Degree?
MBA programs accept students from nearly every undergraduate background, and many business schools actively seek applicants from diverse academic fields. Common non-business backgrounds represented in MBA cohorts include engineering, healthcare, computer science, public administration, education, law and the military.
Business schools value this mix because it reflects the kind of cross-functional teams MBA graduates will lead in the workplace. For applicants from a non-business background, the main consideration is whether a program requires prerequisite courses before enrollment begins.
Some programs ask applicants without business coursework to complete foundational classes in areas such as accounting, economics or statistics. Others address these gaps through bridge courses offered in the first semester. Many online MBA programs, including those designed for working professionals, do not require prerequisite courses at all.
You can also strengthen a non-business application by highlighting professional experience that demonstrates analytical thinking, leadership or management. Admissions committees are looking for evidence that you can contribute to the program’s community and succeed in graduate-level business coursework — not necessarily that you already know the material.
If you’re wondering whether you can get an MBA with any degree, the practical answer is “yes,” with very few exceptions. Some programs have GPA minimums or may look for quantitative coursework for finance-heavy concentrations, but these are program-specific requirements, not industry-wide rules.
SMSU’s Online MBA Admission Requirements Explained
Southwest Minnesota State University’s online MBA is an accredited graduate program built for working professionals. AACSB accreditation, held by only 6 percent of business schools worldwide, signals a commitment to rigorous academic standards and real-world relevance.
SMSU’s online MBA admission requirements are straightforward and designed to be accessible to applicants from any undergraduate background. The program accepts applicants with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 are still welcome to apply and must submit two letters of recommendation. A minimum GMAT score of 450 is required, along with official transcripts, a $30 application fee and a letter of intent.
One practical note for students without a statistics background: SMSU requires a prerequisite statistics course for applicants who have not previously completed one. This is a common requirement in business schools and can typically be completed before or during the early stages of the program. Beyond that, the program does not require a specific undergraduate major; applicants from engineering, healthcare, education, and other non-business fields are fully eligible.
As a regional public university, SMSU offers in-state tuition rates to all students, including out-of-state and online learners, alongside the flexibility of fully online coursework. The program covers core business administration competencies including strategy, finance, marketing and leadership, the same skill set that the Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies as driving strong career outcomes for management analysts, whose employment is projected to grow 9 percent through 2034, much faster than average.
Learn more about SMSU’s online MBA program.
About Southwest Minnesota State University’s Online MBA Program
Southwest Minnesota State University’s online Master of Business Administration program is designed for working professionals looking to advance to business and leadership roles. SMSU’s accredited MBA program delivers flexible, online coursework that fits around the demands of full-time careers, with a curriculum grounded in strategy, finance, marketing and operations.
Graduates of SMSU’s online MBA are prepared for management and leadership roles across industries, whether they enter the program from a business background or a completely different field. The program is built for students who are ready to lead, regardless of where their undergraduate degree took them.