The Sauder School of Business is one of Canada’s leading academic business school and maintains a worldwide reputation for excellence in research. With the Financial Times regularly ranking Sauder among the top 25 international business research institutions. The Bachelor’s, Masters, and Ph.D. programs at Sauderare dedicated to the creation of knowledge and innovation in their professional careers. Sauder School of Business is the only Canadian member of the Global Network for Advanced Management, a partnership of 29 business graduate schools from around the world. 

Enrolling applicants for its various undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and diploma programs, Sauder School of Business, affliated to University of British Columbia offers worldwide recognized and appraised programs in the areas of business and research. MBA is acknowledging its strength as a source of top talent for employers around the world providing the perfect opportunity for international students to make it big in the business industry. Sauder motivates its students to promote a new way of thinking to solve the globe’s most pressing issues through responsible business leadership.

With a highly selective acceptance rate of 6%, the school demands an excellent academic profile, outstanding GPA in all core subjects and an active and positive extracurricular record. Admission acceptance can be expected even with relatively lower GMAT scores, ranging from 550-650. The school boasts a colourful cultural diversity that networks over 40,000 alumni from 80 countries.

Sauder School of Business Rankings

• #1 in Canada for Business and Economics by Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021.
• #34 in business and Economics studies by Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021.
• #10 in Top Global Business Schools Report of 2021 by Forbes.
• #111-120 World University Rankings 2021 by QS Global Rankings.

UBC Sauder School of Business is ranked worldwide for its excellent research and business programs that are appraised and continuously make the top list of various reputed educational publications, sites and magazines. Sauder School of Business has been ranked among the top world university and occupies best business programs for the consecutive 4 years.

Admission requirements

Meet the requirements

The UBC Master of Management (MM) selection process is rigorous. Candidates are carefully selected against competitive requirements to ensure that you learn from peers who have demonstrated vision, leadership and experience. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and are reviewed holistically. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee you admission into the UBC MM.

Get details on how to apply and fees & expenses.

Want to obtain a preview of your applicant journey with UBC Sauder? See a step-by-step guide to the admissions process. 

Academic achievement

Minimum requirements

• Three* or Four-year non-business Bachelor’s degree with a B+ average, or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution. Applicants with business degrees (majors/minors) are NOT eligible for admission.
• Mail transcripts, degree certificates and translations to UBC Sauder. Applicants who have completed their degrees at UBC are not required to send transcripts.

* Three-year degrees are accepted from UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. If your country or region is not listed here, email us for clarification. 

About transcripts

Official transcripts must be arranged to be sent to

Robert H. Lee Graduate School
UBC Sauder School of Business
137-2053 Main Mall
Vancouver BC V6T 1Z2
CANADA

Further instructions

If your university does not produce more official copies of your transcript, photocopy your transcript, and have the university stamp it with the official stamp. Mail it in a sealed, endorsed envelope, with the Registrar’s signature or University stamp across the seal.

To expedite the admissions process, students can scan and upload their transcripts for review. However, we must receive your official documents as soon as possible. 

Note: Applicants who have completed their degrees at UBC will not need to send transcripts in. 

If you have applied to our programs within the last two years, it is not necessary to submit new letters of reference and new transcripts unless you have undertaken further academic studies, as we retain all documentation for a two-year period.

Learn more about submitting official documents

GMAT/ GRE

Requirements

Either one of the following:

• 550 GMAT with at least a 50th percentile in the quantitative and verbal sections of the test
• 155 GRE score on both the verbal and quantitative sections.

About GMAT/ GRE scores

Students must arrange to have their scores (either GMAT or GRE) sent to us directly from the testing service organization, using the following codes.

GMAT: LQS-CP-02
GRE: 0965 (UBC) or 4201 (Department)

Scores are only accepted within the last five years. They are not considered official until you receive them from the GMAC or GRE office.

Waiver eligibility (August 2022 Entry)

GMAT/GRE waivers are only available for international applicants until October 26, 2021  and for domestic applicants until January 11, 2022. Applications must be submitted in full including a statement of qualification* and all supporting documents (unofficial transcripts, degree certificates and official English test score, if applicable, uploaded to your account ).

To be eligible, candidates are required to meet one or more of the following requirements:

• A master’s degree with a minimum academic average of B+ or equivalent, combined with a bachelor’s degree being at least one of those a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) degree
  • For non-STEM degrees, a minimum of four quantitative courses is also required
• A UBC bachelor’s or master’s degree in STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics) or Commerce with a minimum academic average in the B+ range (76% at UBC)
  • For UBC non-STEM/Commerce degrees, a minimum of four quantitative courses is also required
• A bachelor’s degree with a minimum academic average of B+ or equivalent and a Level III CFA Exam
• A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree

* Statement of Qualification : In one page or less, please explain how you are eligible and why you deserve a GMAT/GRE waiver. The document should be in Word or PDF format and uploaded to the documents section of your application.

Additional Notes:

• If a candidate has two or more degrees, at least one degree must meet the minimum academic average requirement listed above.
• CPA certificates will not be considered.
• LSAT certificates will not be considered.
• No expired GMAT / GRE scores will be accepted.
• For academic average equivalency per country, please click here .

While completing your application form, under the Official Standardized Tests section, please fill in the following if you are requesting a GMAT/GRE waiver:

• Test taken: GMAT
• Date to be written: December 31, 2022

GMAT/GRE waivers are not guaranteed and approvals are made on a case-by-case basis. If a waiver cannot be granted, applicants will receive a notification that a GMAT or GRE test will be required for their application to move forward.

Professional experience

Minimum requirements

No full-time work experience to a maximum of two years full-time work experience gained after graduation from your Bachelor’s degree.

Students with more than two years full-time work experience after graduation are NOT eligible for admission.

Two references are required for all UBC MM applicants. You will provide us with their email addresses through the application, and we will contact them by email.

References must fill out the reference form online. Separate letters are not accepted.

Further instructions

If you have applied to our programs within the last two years, it is not necessary to submit new letters of reference and new transcripts unless you have undertaken further academic studies, as we retain all documentation for a two-year period.

English proficiency

Minimum requirements

Applicants must be able to speak, comprehend, and write fluently in English. An English proficiency exam is required for all candidates whose degrees are from a university outside Canada or the U.S.A. in which English was not the official language of instruction.

At the latest, scores will take up to 6 weeks – ensure you provide yourself with ample time from the deadline to write the test. You must arrange to have your scores sent to us directly from the testing service organization. 

During COVID-19, students may demonstrate proficiency by submitting scores from IELTS (the International English Language Testing System) and their IELTS Indicator test.

Either one of the following:

• Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) or TOEFL Home Edition: 100, Print: 600, Computer: 250. Test Code: 0965
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) / IELTS Indicator* – Academic: 7.0 overall band
• Person Test of English (PTE) – Academic: 70
• Canadian Academic English Language Test (CAEL): 70 overall band
• Online Canadian Academic English Language Test^ (CAEL Online): 70 overall band

TOEFL offers computer, internet & paper-based tests — all of which are acceptable. Scores arrive 3-6 weeks after the test is taken. Scores are valid if they are written within the last two years. We accept all valid TOEFL scores, including MyBestScore. If you are submitting MyBestScore, the score needs to be on the official report. 
Read more

TOEFL Home Edition:  This option is available for students who are unable to take the TOEFL iBT test at a test center due to public health concerns. The test is offered everywhere that TOEFL iBT testing is normally available, except Mainland China and Iran. Read more

IELTS: Admission based on Academic Reading & Writing modules, not General Training. Scores arrive 3 weeks after the test is taken. Scores are valid if they are written within the last two years. Read more

*IELTS Indicator: Our institution requires an overall IELTS Indicator band score of 7.0 and no IELTS Indicator score lower than 7.0. Our institution name is UBC Sauder School of Business. Read more

PTE Academic: Admission based on Academic test only. Scores are valid if they are written within the last two years. Forward results to us at mm@sauder.ubc.ca. Read more

CAEL Online: The minimum overall band score (70 overall band) accepted by us will be the same as the CAEL CE test format.  Read more

Maturity, motivation & fit

We assess your managerial and leadership potential, maturity, ambition and drive, through your essay questions, resume, professional references and interview.

Academic Prep

The fast pace of the UBC MM program necessitates that all students have a foundational proficiency in Quantitative Methods and familiarity with Statistics and Economics. 

To aid in ensuring that you have adequate knowledge in the above subjects, as well as relevant skills in Microsoft Excel and professional writing, we have compiled a variety of online tutorials and resources for you to review as you prepare for the start of your program. These will be made available to you once you are admitted into the program.

We strongly recommend that all UBC MM students complete these tutorials to strengthen their foundational knowledge and ease their entry into the graduate learning environment.

The Robert H. Lee Graduate School is here to help with your academic preparation planning. Please email us with any questions or contact our office to book an advising appointment.

Robert H. Lee Graduate School 
Tel: 604-822-4040 
Email: askmm@sauder.ubc.ca

How to apply

We have a rigorous selection process to find the right type of candidate that is best suited for the UBC MM program.