Admission Requirements

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The application portfolio includes:

• application form, completed and submitted online — Click the "Apply Now" button at the left.
• recommendation letters (2), submitted online — You initiate the recommendation process via the online application by entering names and e-mail addresses of the two individuals who will be providing your recommendations. Those individuals will receive a note via e-mail asking them to complete a brief form that will serve as your recommendation.
• listing of your professional experience — your work experience after the baccalaureate degree reported on your online application form. We have a strong preference for 2 or more years of experience. A résumé may be submitted with the online application.
• Two official transcripts from each institution attended. (Applicants with a foreign degree need to send in official transcripts in the language of instruction — with English translation.) A bachelor's degree is required. Please mail your transcripts directly to the following address to ensure quicker receipt and processing:

iMBA Program Office
The Pennsylvania State University
5340 Fryling Road, Suite 205
Erie PA 16510

• GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) score. Submit your official score report, using the iMBA code listed as: Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Online, ZZ8-JW-99, IMBA, University Park.
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score, if applicable. TOEFL scores must be submitted by all international applicants unless otherwise specified. Please see the Language Proficiency section of the International Students page of the Web site for undergraduate and graduate program requirements. Visit the TOEFL Web site or call 609-771-7100 for more information. Penn State's institutional code is 2660.

Getting Started

To help you manage the application process, our online application management system will provide a list of requirements for your application portfolio and will track your progress. To begin the application process, visit the application home page.

Learner and Technical Support

Because you are a busy, working professional, we have support staff to help you take care of many of the details and procedures as you pursue your degree. We completely handle your course scheduling, registration, and purchase of materials. This allows you to concentrate on working with your team to complete the course work. World Campus HelpDesk personnel are also available for technical support.

GMAT Information

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) measures general mathematical, verbal, and analytical writing skills. It is not intended to test specific subject areas, nor does it require that you have already taken business courses. The GMAT provides a common standard of performance for iMBA applicants who come from diverse educational and employment backgrounds. Requiring the GMAT ensures that you will have capable peers to network with, and assures us that we will have enrolled students who are able to succeed in the program. The GMAT requirement is waived only if the applicant holds an MD, JD, or Ph.D.

If you have already taken the GMAT, your score should be less than 5 years old at the time of your application. Scores must be sent directly to the Penn State World Campus iMBA (code ZZ8-JW-99). You can find out more about the exam by visiting the GMAT Web site at http://www.mba.com/ or by calling 800-462-8669.

Prerequisites

Penn State's online MBA program is suitable for individuals of diverse academic and professional backgrounds and requires no prerequisite course work. However, previous course work in accounting, economics, math, and statistics, or knowledge of these subjects gained through work experience adds to the strength of your application portfolio.

Technical Requirements

Applicants should also possess a working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and should have reliable access to a computer, the Internet, and a fax machine in order to successfully complete the Penn State online MBA. The iMBA courses are designed for PCs. If you choose to use a Macintosh computer, you may find that certain applications do not work and some pages may not display correctly. A laptop with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and wireless Internet connectivity is preferred during the residency experiences.

For the iMBA program, we recommend the following minimum technical requirements:

Penn State iMBA Technical Requirements
Operating System	Windows XP or Vista (Macintosh users may have problems using the specialized software required in some courses. The iMBA program does not offer tech support for Mac problems.)
Processor	Pentium III 1 GHz or higher
Memory	512 MB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	500 MB free disk space
Browser	Windows: Firefox 1.0 or higher  (Windows users can use Internet Explorer 6 or higher but due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript, and caching, we do not recommend using Internet Explorer as your browser.) Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State Web sites.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player [Download from Adobe] Quicktime Player [Download from Apple]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office 2003 or later (Microsoft Office 2007 preferred)
Internet Connection	broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	graphics-capable printer
CD-ROM	required
Sound Card	sound card, speakers, and microphone required
Monitor	15" monitor (1024 x 768 resolution)

Not sure if your computer is set up correctly? You can use the links below to test your settings:

1. Adobe Acrobat
2. Cookies
3. Frames
4. Java — (This may take a minute to load.)
5. JavaScript