Master of Business Administration is one of the best masters programs in South Africa. Over 100 universities offer this program, which is considered the best for business professionals. Admission requirements to the program is as follows
If you are planning to JOIN UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH BUSINESS SCHOOL, these are the entry requirements
Admission Requirements
USB’s stringent admission criteria result in higher retention and pass rates.
Academic qualifications
The South African Council on Higher Education has raised the entry requirements of the MBA programme in South Africa. Students applying for the MBA are now required to have one of the following qualifications on NQF level 8 before they are allowed entry into the MBA:
- 4-year Bachelor’s degree (NQF level 8) and at least 3 years of relevant full-time working experience
OR
- Honours degree (NQF level 8), plus 3 years of relevant full-time working experience
OR
- 3-year Bachelor’s degree (NQF level 7) plus a postgraduate diploma (NQF level 8) and at least 3 years of relevant working experience
Notes:
- The working experience should preferably be on managerial level.
- USB introduced a new 1-year Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and Administration (NQF level 8 with 120 credits) in 2015 to prepare students for the MBA and make them eligible for entry into the MBA.
Other requirements
- Mathematics at NNS (Grade 12) level or equivalent
- A comprehensive CV
- 3 essays, showing the candidate’s level of motivation and working experience (see below)
- Satisfactory selection test results (see below)
At GORDON INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS SCIENCE, you should have the following qualifications to be admitted for MBA:
Should the subjects completed in your honours degree/postgraduate diploma/equivalent qualification or higher does not match the above core subjects covered in the PGDip, you will then have to begin with the PGDip phase 1 and then move onto the MBA phase 2.
This does not affect the duration it will take to complete your MBA journey. Both phase 1 (PGDip) and phase 2 (MBA) will take one year of contact time to complete.
Application fee: R2750 (non-refundable, payable on application submission)
Registration fee: R15 000 payable on acceptance to the MBA offset against cost of 1st year tuition.
Total tuition fees: R214 000 (2017 & 2018, excludes global module)
Administration fee for students from countries outside South Africa: R5 000
Global module fee: US$4 000 – US$5 900 (This amount will be invoiced at the equivalent rand amount based on the prevailing exchange rate at the time of the compulsory global module.)
Please note that GIBS does not charge VAT on tuition fees.
*These fees include the cost of the Postgraduate Diploma in General Management and the MBA phases combined.
MONASH SOUTH AFRICA MBA ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
This MBA is on NQF level 9. Applicants will require an HEQSF level 8 qualification (e.g. a 4-year degree, Postgraduate diploma, or Honours degree) from an accredited institution. Practical business experience is highly recommended.
If students have an NQF level 7 qualification, relevant work experience and other credentials they can apply to enter via RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning).
UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND MBA ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Entry Requirements
Honours:
- A bachelors degree or equivalent
- At least an upper second class pass in the final undergraduate course in the subject.
Masters by coursework or research report:
- A bachelors degree with honours or an appropriate postgraduate diploma
Doctorate:
- A masters degree or an equivalent qualification from Wits University or another university.
- A supervisor from the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management must be identified and approached prior to application
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN MBA ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Be 25 years or older
- Have a minimum of three years work experience.
- Be fluent in English. Applicants whose mother tongue is not English will be required to produce a TOEFL certificate to verify fluency in English.
- Have completed either a Bachelor Honours degree or Postgraduate Diploma or a cognate Bachelor’s Degree equivalent at level 8 through relevant work experience. Candidates not meeting the degree requirement can apply through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route and submit the Portfolio of Learning (POL) assessment form.
- All applicants are required to write the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) and obtain an acceptable GMAT score. A GMAT score of 550 will ordinarily be required. The GSB offers a five-day GMAT Preparation Course to help students prepare for the GMAT.
In addition to the above criteria the GSB uses a number of other indicators including essays about life experience, goals, attitudes and values, evaluations from two referees as well as details of job, educational and extramural activities.
HENLEY BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Entry requirements
To join the Henley MBA programme you will need:
- a Honours degree or Postgraduate Diploma with a minimum of 3 years management experience (CHE requirement)
- Competency in English
- The ability to access company data for course assignment purposes
If you don’t have an Honours Degree or equivalent, our Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice (PG Dip) is our bridging programme into the MBA.
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH MBA ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Entry requirements
Before applying for the Full-time MBA programme, please consider our minimum entry requirements, which include academic qualifications, managerial work experience and English language requirements.
Professional experience requirement
At least three years’ work experience in a managerial role.
- Experience can be from any industry, including the public sector, charitable organisations or the arts.
Minimum academic requirement
You will need a UK first-class or 2:1 honours degree in any subject, or an equivalent overseas qualification.
Exemptions
If you do not meet the minimum academic requirement, you may still be considered if:
- you have professional qualifications with substantial work experience; or
- you do not hold a degree or professional qualifications but you have a very strong employment record demonstrating a high degree of responsibility.
If you do not meet the minimum academic requirement, we may require you to complete the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) which is an internationally-recognised assessment of analytical, numerical and verbal reasoning.
If we require you to take GMAT, we would require a score of 600 as a minimum to qualify for our MBA, Executive MBA, or Strategic Leadership Certificate.
The minimum academic requirement is a UK 2:1 honours degree in a related subject or an equivalent international qualification.
Some examples of equivalent qualifications:
- Canada: mid B+; 3.3+ (4 point scale); 7.3/8+ (9 point scale)
- China: 80-85%+; B+
- Germany: 2.5+ (reverse 5 point scale); Sehr Gut/Gut
- India: 1st Class degree (60%+)
- Nigeria: 2:1
- South Africa: 2:1/1st
- USA: GPA 3.25+ (4 point scale)
If your home country is not listed above, consult the minimum grade point average (GPA) required by following the link below.
Country-specific advice for international students
Important points
- The ranking of the university at which you studied is considered when we determine whether or not your degree is equivalent to a first or upper second-class honours degree in the UK.
- If your degree is not of the required standard and you do not have highly relevant work or other experience, we will normally reject your application.
- Meeting the degree requirement doesn’t ensure acceptance. A higher standard may be needed for your application to be competitive for admission or funding.
- Other equivalent qualifications can be requested from the Admissions team.
- A conditional offer can be made if you are waiting for a final degree result or a language test result.
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER MBA ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Entry Requirements for all prospective students
- a minimum of three years, post-graduation work experience – preferably in a managerial position
- a good first degree
- career progression
Many applicants find that they possess extensive work experience, eg, eight years or more, or have attained a professional qualification but not completed formal degrees. Non-academic achievements are taken into consideration, therefore applicants with one or more of the following skills and experience are welcome and encouraged to submit an application:
- Mature managers with extensive work experience;
- Extensive experience of technical or specialist work;
- Professionals planning career changes or returning to employment after a break from work;
- Professionals seeking to develop skills for broader management roles;
- Professionals interested in becoming entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs
Although we do not require GMAT, we particularly welcome applicants in possession of a GMAT score which can be submitted along with your application as your GMAT score may strengthen your application. We have recently launched an Academic Excellence scholarship which will be automatically awarded to all applicants in possession of a GMAT score of 650 and above. Further details can be found in our Scholarships and Funding page.
International students
International students must show proficiency in the English language and have an appropriate qualification:
- Certificate of Proficiency in English of the Cambridge Local Examinations Grade B or above
- IELTS 7.0 (with no less than 6.0 in any sector)
- TOEFL 250
- iBT TOEFL 100 +
More information on the English language requirements
Additional requirements
We also require two professional references and a personal statement explaining why you are interested in the One Planet MBA and how the course fits into your desire to change yourself. Your personal statement should ideally be tailored to our programme, and you will find some tips to help you write a good application in an interview we recently gave to QS Top MBA.
Successful applicants for this programme must demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of the One Planet MBA in their personal statement.
IMPERIAL COLLEGE BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Academic requirement
You’ll need one of the following:
- A good undergraduate degree from a recognised university or the international equivalent OR
- An acceptable professional qualification:
- Full membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in the UK or Ireland (ICAEW, ICAS or Chartered Accountants Ireland)
- Full membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA)
- Associateship or Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
- Full membership of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
We welcome candidates with non-traditional qualifications and backgrounds; if you do not meet the requirements listed above please contact the Admissions Team to discuss your eligibility.
English language requirement
All programmes at Imperial College Business School are linguistically demanding, and therefore strong English language skills are critical to academic success on your Executive MBA and in your future career.
A full list of acceptable English language qualifications and our required scores can be found on our detailed English language requirement page.
Most applicants meet the requirement in one of the following ways:
- IELTS (academic): A minimum score of 7.0 with minimum scores of 6.5 in all elements
- TOEFL iBT: A minimum score of 100 overall with minimum scores of 22 in all elements
- Degree studied in and awarded by an English-speaking country
Note:
- You may submit your online application prior to meeting the English language requirement.
- IELTS and TOEFL scores are only valid if they are less than two years old on the programme start date.
- The College defines English-speaking countries as: Australia, Canada, Guyana, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America and West Indies.
Visa requirements
If you are an international student from a country outside the EU or EEA, you will be required to obtain a short term study visa for the on-campus periods of the programme.
